It's that time of the year when kids will be Graduating from high school... (Houston: 2009)

[usc619]

Yates valedictorian overcomes health, financial issues | LOCAL NEWS | KHOU.com | News for Houston, Texas

HOUSTON – Graduating from high school is a huge accomplishment. Earning a school’s valedictorian honor is big too, but doing both while battling health and economic issues is even bigger.

Kierra Lee did all that and more and on Friday she will graduate as Jack Yates High School’s valedictorian.

Lee’s ill grandmother raised her and it wasn’t easy. You see, Lee was in and out of hospitals because she has Crohn’s disease. She was diagnosed with she was 12 and the girl’s grandmother had little more than her Social Security disability income to support Lee.

Despite all this, Lee excelled in school and she even found time to volunteer with the Houston Housing Authority.

“I worked with the elderly in the Houston Housing Authority community. They gave me responsibility, and I saw that I could do it,” Kierra said. “By giving me a chance, they gave me confidence. They taught me that although I might have a disability, I could get a real job and not stay in housing the rest of my life. The Houston Housing Authority shaped me.”

Lee said that everything in her life, good and bad, has molded her into the vibrant, successfully driven young woman she is today.

“I am pursuing a college degree because I am a compassionate individual who believes that I am destined to help others like me,” said Lee. “I believe education is critical in life and in order to successfully achieve my dreams, I must gain the knowledge of the world around me.”

On Friday, Lee will receive her high school diploma and collect more than $80,000 in college scholarships.

She’s attending Texas A&M University and will major in biomedical engineering. She also has plans to get a graduate degree in sociology.

Not bad for being the first in her family to ever graduate from high school.

Lee said her biggest cheerleader and supports is her grandmother. Since they don’t have a car, both will take the bus to get to the graduation Friday. It’s OK, said Lee, because she knows where true wealth lies.

“True happiness can be achieved not by how much money one has in their pocket, but by the wholesomeness of a person’s daily activities.

"Schools don't make the Kids, Kids make the schools!"-USC 619

[EasilyAmused]

Where is Yates? I've never heard of it.

[theSUBlime]

It's also interesting to see the different backgrounds (and feeder schools) that #1 and 2 come from and where they're going. It's not unusual that many will be attending UT Austin, Texas A&M or UH, but it is definitely great to see they were not without Ivy League prospects such as Harvard, Yale and Princeton.

HISD Connect - Class of 2009 Valedictorians, Salutatorians Honored at Special Ceremony

Originally Posted by EasilyAmused

Where is Yates? I've never heard of it.

Yates is in Third Ward and as exemplified through your post, not a premiere school in HISD. I had a friend that was zoned to a different school, but went there because she knew she would graduate in the top 10%.

[usc619]

Originally Posted by EasilyAmused

Where is Yates? I've never heard of it.

Next to UH and TSU, I would have thought EA knew this.

[EasilyAmused]

Originally Posted by usc619

Next to UH and TSU, I would have thought EA knew this.

UH and TSU parts of town I am not familiar with. They are light years away from where I grew up in more way than one.

[westres1]

Roland Martin on CNN went to Yates.

Four area Valedictorians this year were graduates from Grace School for elementary and middle School. Thats a pretty big accomplishment for a little private school on the West Side.

[pleasesaythe4th]

Originally Posted by westres1

Roland Martin on CNN went to Yates.

Four area Valedictorians this year were graduates from Grace School for elementary and middle School. Thats a pretty big accomplishment for a little private school on the West Side.

for real? i thought roland was from 5th ward

[westres1]

Originally Posted by pleasesaythe4th

for real? i thought roland was from 5th ward

No the third ward and he went to Yates then on to Texas A&M Whoop