A previous sanitation employee from Bowie, Maryland, is heading to Harvard this fall to pursue a law degree.
For three years, Rehan Staton awoke prior to sunrise to report for work as a garbage guy for Bates Trucking & & Trash Elimination in Bladensburg, Md. Donning his neon-yellow uniform, he invested his mornings collecting trash and cleansing dumpsters.
He would then participate in class at the University of Maryland after his shift. In some cases, there was no time at all to shower between work and class, so he ‘d just sit at the back of the lecture hall to prevent judgment from his schoolmates.
It isn’t his very first time being a sanitation employee, the 24-year-old hopes to sooner or later pursue his true desire– getting a law degree. And it looks like his dream will pertain to fruition quickly, as he just recently got accepted to Harvard Law!
For several years, the Staton household fought versus financial problems, health problems, and abandonment.
Rehan said “things were respectable” until he was 8 years old– when his mama left them. After his mom returned to Sri Lanka, his efficiency at school began worsening.
“Things just kept falling on us,” he said. “My father lost his job at one point and needed to begin working three jobs in order to offer for us. It specified where I barely got to see my dad, and a great deal of my childhood was extremely lonesome.”
Although his father worked his fingers to the bone to support the family, they still had a hard time economically. Lacking food and having no electricity in the house prevailed circumstances for them back then. Even in school, Rehan faced problems; his instructors were unsupportive and had little faith in his academic capabilities.
In spite of hating school, there was one thing that Rehan enjoyed– martial arts. Nevertheless, his imagine ending up being a professional boxer was crushed when he suffered from rotator-cuff injuries and gastrointestinal problems in 10th grade. He could not go to the medical professional since they had no health insurance, and these integrated incidents put an end to his aspirations of going pro.
In 12th grade, Rehan used to numerous colleges despite having long shot of being accepted because of his low SAT score. And he wasn’t wrong; he got rejected by all the schools he applied to. That’s what led him to work for Bates Trucking & & Trash Removal. While he agreed his colleagues, they constantly pressed him to leave the job and reapply to schools.
“Many of my coworkers were ‘ex-felons,’ however they changed my entire life by the love and assistance they provided me,” Rehan said. “They motivated me every day to pursue college. Even the owner of the business and his son motivated me.”
Brent Bates, the trash business owner’s boy, assisted Rehan get in touch with a teacher at Bowie State University, who helped him appeal his rejection from the institute. They was successful, and Rehan was accepted in the school. That’s when his true academic abilities took the spotlight.
“I got a 4.0 GPA, I had a helpful community, and I became the president of companies,” he said.
Reggie Staton, 27, Rehan’s older sibling, was registered at Bowie State as a sophomore at the time, however he dropped out to work at the trash business to support the family.
“My sibling took a task that individuals look down on, so individuals might admire me,” Rehan stated of his sibling’s sacrifice.
After two years at Bowie State, Rehan transferred to the University of Maryland. While he continued to grow in academics, Rehan’s individual life took a different turn. Throughout his 2nd semester in the institute, his dad had a stroke. He started working for the trash business when again to pay for his daddy’s medical costs, all while remaining in school.
Rehan confesses that stabilizing college and work wasn’t easy, particularly since he needed to keep his grades if he wished to enter law school. He had a strong desire to offer for his family, so he continued with the set-up despite its problems.
In December 2018, Rehan finished from the University of Maryland. He was even picked to be the trainee start speaker throughout the occasion. He then took a task at the Robert Bobb Group as an analyst. While working full-time, Rehan took the LSAT and applied to law school.
In March, he got his approval letters, and his cousin, Dominic Willis, idea of filming Rehan’s reaction to every letter. You can enjoy the clip here.
Rehan got accepted to a number of law schools: Columbia University, University of Pennsylvania, University of Southern California, and Pepperdine University. He was wait-listed at Georgetown University, New York University, University of California at Berkeley and UCLA. However the one school he was most delighted about getting in was at Harvard Law!
“I felt at that minute, my brother made every sacrifice worth it,” Reggie said about his bro’s Harvard acceptance. “He did what he stated he was going to do, which was to enter a leading law school.”
When he becomes an attorney, Rehan desires represent ex-convicts and death row inmates who dealt with oppressions.
“I desire to promote for those incarcerated who have experienced injustices and whose voices are typically suppressed,” he said.
To pay-it-forward, Rehan coordinated with Brad Barbay LSAT Prep to offer free LSAT tutoring to those striving to get a law degree.
Rehan’s very first trimester at Harvard will be virtual since of the pandemic, however he will be moving to Cambridge in 2021 to continue his research studies. Carmie McCook, an executive communications coach who is helping Rehan with his speaking skills, arranged a GoFundMe for the hardworking student to assist him with his expenses.
As he reviews his life, Rehan understood what helped him victory over every problem he dealt with.
“When I look back at my experiences, I like to think that I made the best of the worst situation. Each catastrophe I dealt with required me out of my convenience zone, however I was fortunate sufficient to have a support group to assist me prosper in those predicaments,” he stated.
This male’s journey towards academic success has been a course complete of challenges, obstacles, and sacrifices. Regardless of these challenges, absolutely nothing could keep this guy from reaching his complete potential.
Watch Rehan’s reaction below when it was verified he got accepted at Harvard Law School.
A huge congratulations to you, Rehan!