Photo By Sgt. Dylan Walters | U.S. Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Duncan McKnight, a recruiter with Recruiting Sub Station...... read more read more
HARTSVILLE, S.C.-- Ty'kuan Smith reflects on the hardships he faced during his years in high school and how that led him to success and achieving the Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps Scholarship.
“At the beginning of high school, my family and I really started struggling for money,” said Smith. “We couldn’t afford any basic hygiene items; anything you would use to get your day started, we didn’t have.”
Smith, a senior at Hartsville High School in Hartsville, South Carolina, started high school on the verge of homelessness.
“I started at Hartsville High School my freshman year but only attended for two months,” said Smith. “Things happened that my family didn't expect, and we eventually got evicted from our home.”
After getting evicted, Smith went to live with his friend’s family to avoid being homeless.
“Around that time it was pretty much just wake up, then try and make it through the day,” said Smith. “Financially, we just didn’t have the necessary support.”
Although Smith and his family were not back on their feet yet, he returned to Hartsville High School his junior year and enrolled in the Junior ROTC class.
“We had a dress up day in JROTC one day. I couldn’t wash myself because we couldn’t afford soap,” said Smith. “A kid in my class offered me deodorant, and when I went to reach for it he pulled it back and started laughing at me. That day really shot down my confidence.”
When asked how that day affected him, Smith said, “I understood why they did it. During that time, I wasn’t the most presentable person to everyone else around me.”
That year, Staff Sgt. Duncan McKnight, a recruiter with Recruiting Sub Station Florence, Recruiting Station Columbia, conducted a class talk in Smith’s JROTC class. After the presentation, Smith approached McKnight to learn more.
“I was really interested in the physical aspects of the Marine Corps,” said Smith. “I wanted to take that challenge because I felt like it was the best avenue to success for me.”
When asked about what stood out about Smith, McKnight said, “Every interaction with him has been positive; he always seems happy—even in tough times.” McKnight added, “He’s very intelligent, makes the most out of what he has. I can tell he has the potential to do great things.”
Smith was convinced he would go the enlisted route, however McKnight saw more potential in him.
“From our first interaction I could tell he was different from his peers,” said McKnight. “He wanted to go the enlisted route, but I gave him that extra push to apply for the NROTC scholarship.”
Smith, now learning about this option, was determined to accept the challenge and push himself to earn the scholarship.
“He’s really helped me stay on track and has been guiding me through this process of becoming a Marine officer,” said Smith. “He’s just an approachable person; he’s very easy to talk to.”
This year, Smith was notified that he had received the NROTC scholarship, in which he was awarded $180,000 to pursue a college education.
“When I found out I received the scholarship, I felt validation,” said Smith. “I feel like I earned it, but it’s not just a result of my hard work; it’s a culmination of other people helping me get to that position.”
Smith added, “The things I want to contribute to this world and achieve in this lifetime, becoming a Marine officer will make that possible.”
Having achieved what he has now, Smith was asked what he would tell his past-self during his hardships his freshman year of high school.
“I’d tell my past-self to keep on moving,” said Smith. “Anytime something happens in your life, there’s only one way to go, and that’s forward.”
Smith will be attending Tuskegee University this fall in Tuskegee, Alabama, to study mathematics.
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| Date Taken: | 06.02.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 06.08.2022 13:29 |
| Story ID: | 422045 |
| Location: | HARTSVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA, US |
| Hometown: | HARTSVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA, US |
| Web Views: | 828 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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