Memphis Teen Becomes Her High School’s First ‘Million-Dollar Scholar,’ Named Valedictorian

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A Tennessee teen’s dedication to her studies has paid off. The Memphis, Tennessee, teen graduated as class valedictorian and with over $1 million worth of academic scholarships.

Lamyrical Harris discovered that she was pregnant as a junior at Trezevant High School. In spite of her fear that becoming a mother would compromise her academic success, Harris claimed that her baby, Laderrious, inspired her to work harder than ever.

“I was scared,” Harris admitted, speaking to WREG. “It just made me go ten times harder.”

The teen revealed that there were times after giving birth to her baby that she could barely walk, but her teachers kept in touch and provided the support she needed to stay on top of her school work.

“She came to school. She took care of business, and her motivation has been her child,” Trezevant High School assistant principal Yolanda Sherrod said proudly. “Everything we get her to do she wants to do, so her child sees that, ‘Hey, my mom went through all these obstacles but yet she still pushed through and she was still successful.’”

Harris’s grades continued to climb and she continued to apply for scholarships. Harris hit an aim of $500,000 by the beginning of her senior year. By the end of the school year, the student had surpassed $600,000 in scholarships, and by graduation she had hit $1 million.

The honors student received acceptance letters from more than two dozen colleges, and in May 2019, Harris graduated as valedictorian of her class; the hard work and dedication to her studies had come to fruition.

High school administrators took to Facebook to congratulate their star student. “Breaking news! We have our first million dollar scholar in Trezevant history,” the school wrote. “Our valedictorian, Lamyrical Harris, has been offered a total of $1,244,298 in academic scholarships, making her our first to receive this honor.

“While we’ve had some amazing athletes throughout Trezevant history, she is the first to earn this amount solely in academic scholarships,” they continued. “The class of 2019 continues to break records and leave its mark on THS forever. Congratulations Lamyrical!”

Members of the community were quick to leave supportive comments, congratulating Harris on her outstanding achievement. “I am so proud of this young lady,” one Facebook user commented. “She persevered, demonstrated tenacity, and has been rewarded. May God’s blessings continue to pour down on her and her baby as she continues her life’s journey!”

“Congratulations,” added another, “I hope this inspires the class following you to aim just as high, or higher.”

The high school graduate turned her attention to choosing a college from the 25 that had offered scholarships. Harris explained that her goal, beside pursing her chosen career, was to give her son the best possible life in the process.

According to Inside Edition, Harris also plans on donating back to Trezevant High School in the future.

Speaking of her son, Harris shared high hopes that he will have the chance to follow in her footsteps. “I want him to be valedictorian of his class,” Harris explained, “and I want him to have over a million dollars in scholarships.”

With her hard work and dedication to both school and motherhood, Harris has set a fine example for her growing baby boy.