{"id":34,"date":"2018-09-07T18:14:41","date_gmt":"2018-09-07T18:14:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/hfcc.mycareerfocus.org\/fall-2018-volume-9-issue-2\/hfc-student-defies-impossible-odds-overcomes-homelessness-gets-accepted-to-several-prestigious-universities\/"},"modified":"2018-10-26T17:46:01","modified_gmt":"2018-10-26T17:46:01","slug":"hfc-student-defies-impossible-odds-overcomes-homelessness-gets-accepted-to-nationally-prestigious-universities","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hfcc.mycareerfocus.org\/fall-2018-volume-9-issue-2\/hfc-student-defies-impossible-odds-overcomes-homelessness-gets-accepted-to-nationally-prestigious-universities\/","title":{"rendered":"HFC student defies impossible odds overcomes homelessness, gets accepted to nationally prestigious universities"},"content":{"rendered":"

If anyone has proven that you can overcome overwhelming odds and not only survive but thrive, it\u2019s HFC alumnus Byron Brooks.<\/span><\/p>\n

Brooks was born while his mother was in prison, and was raised by his great-grandparents. For more than a year during his time at HFC, he was homeless, sleeping in parks, bus stops, and abandoned buildings.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/span><\/p>\n


\nTo make ends meet and pay for his tuition, Brooks worked several jobs. Many would have thrown in the towel at this point, but not Brooks. He gutted it out, but he didn\u2019t do it alone. The HFC faculty learned of his plight and helped him wherever they could. They referred him to the counseling office and even helped him purchase a car.<\/span><\/p>\n

Their belief in him bolstered his sagging courage.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe support of the faculty pushed me and encouraged me to keep going and not give up on my dreams,\u201d said Brooks, who graduated with his associate degree in music and recording arts May 5.<\/span>
\n\u00a0<\/span>\u201cTheir support is what pushed me to run for Student Council, because I wanted to pay back that love to the student body and make a difference so no other student would have to go through what I went through.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Brooks\u2019 soft-spoken, deeply respectful demeanor belies an intense drive that has led him to success in and out of the classroom.<\/span><\/p>\n

He eventually ran for president of the HFC Student Council and won the election. Some of his accomplishments during his presidency include implementing a Diversity Taskforce Constitution, sponsoring the Heroes Profile Showroom for the newly-formed Animation\/Comic Book\/Gaming Club, and participating in the 2017-18 Presidential Advisory Search Committee.<\/span><\/p>\n

Brooks\u2019 ultimate goal is to open a non-profit youth artist development center for at-risk youth who aspire to careers in mainstream music. Music has always been Brooks\u2019 great passion. At age 4, his great-grandmother taught him how to play the piano.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cFrom there, I taught myself several other instruments: drums, guitar, trumpet, saxophone, trombone, harmonica,\u201d said Brooks, who also sings at Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Detroit.<\/span><\/p>\n

Education is his top priority<\/span><\/h4>\n

Upon graduating, Brooks was accepted to top schools such as Harvard University, Howard University, Southern Illinois University, Columbia University, Michigan State University, and the University of Michigan. However, for the 2018-19 academic year, he\u2019s attending Ferris State University in Big Rapids, studying music industry management.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAll of these schools are prestigious schools and I\u2019m honored to have been accepted by them,\u201d said Brooks. \u201cI chose FSU because its program lines up so closely with my goals. I want to be both a musician and a businessman. This way, I can come back and help my community.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Brooks has already set up a limited liability company called Byron D. Brooks Enterprises, LLC. In fact, HFC faculty members Bryan Beeler, Anthony Lai, and Jeremy Palmer serve on the company\u2019s advisory board.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt all goes back to HFC. I couldn\u2019t have done it without these teachers and mentors. All of them helped me become who I am today,\u201d said Brooks. \u201cIt\u2019s a great school with great qualities and unique characteristics that are beneficial to all students.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a real sense of family here; I see my fellow students as my siblings. The teachers want you to succeed, and they will go out of their way to help you. I\u2019m proof of that. You\u2019re not just a paycheck to them; you\u2019re a person. HFC is what made me who I am today.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

If anyone has proven that you can overcome overwhelming odds and not only survive but thrive, it\u2019s HFC alumnus Byron Brooks. Brooks was born while his mother was in prison, and was raised by his great-grandparents. For more than a year during his time at HFC, he was homeless, sleeping in parks, bus stops, and… read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":145,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,1],"tags":[],"article_type":[],"class_list":["post-34","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-student-success-story","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\nHFC student defies impossible odds overcomes homelessness, gets accepted to nationally prestigious universities - Fall 2018, Volume 9 \u2013 Issue 2<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/hfcc.mycareerfocus.org\/fall-2018-volume-9-issue-2\/hfc-student-defies-impossible-odds-overcomes-homelessness-gets-accepted-to-nationally-prestigious-universities\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"HFC student defies impossible odds overcomes homelessness, gets accepted to nationally prestigious universities\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"If anyone has proven that you can overcome overwhelming odds and not only survive but thrive, it\u2019s HFC alumnus Byron Brooks. 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