Homeless teen is class valedictorian

■ Griffin Furlong has been fighting an uphill battle, but this week the 18-year-old graduated as ”class valedictorian” after his mother to leukemia when he was 6, Furlong spent two years in a homeless shelter with his father and brother. “It was horrible,” he said. “A kid should not have to go through that.”

A month ago, just before final exams, Furlong lost his home again and had to couch-hop as he studied. He has a nearly perfect GPA and now plans to attend Florida State University. “I know that I have everything to lose, so I just push myself.”