Teen, Who Was Once Homeless and ‘Almost Gave Up,’ Delivers Valedictorian Speech to His Graduating Class

In his moving speech, Prince Weeks, 19, recalled surviving “harsh living conditions” and “starvation”

NEED TO KNOW

• Prince Weeks, a New York teen who was once homeless, delivered the valedictorian speech to his graduating class
• The 19-year-old described surviving “starvation and times where I almost gave up because I didn’t see a way out”
• Weeks earned his high school diploma through a free program called Pathways to Graduation, designed for students who struggle in traditional high school settings and need extra support

When Prince Weeks stood on the stage in his bright blue cap and gown to deliver the valedictorian speech at his graduation last month, he encouraged his fellow students to “stay determined and never falter.” For Weeks, 19, that mindset shaped his inspiring path to earn his high school diploma despite facing homelessness and starvation.

Weeks, who was born in upstate New York, lived with his mother and sister until he was 14, per The Washington Post. During those years, the family “didn’t have a lot of money” and was “just getting by,” he said. At 14, Weeks went to live with his father, moving around North Carolina and Virginia and staying with friends and family.

“We were just going through struggles and making things work,” he recalled.

Weeks dropped out of school in the 10th grade, hoping to help out by getting a job. He and his father moved to New York City when he was 18, and his father found work with a ticket company. However, the money wasn’t enough, and Weeks was unable to find a job, so the two soon ended up on the streets.

Weeks told the Post they bounced between shelters and friends’ homes. Before they were accepted for food stamps, the teen and his father often had days when they didn’t eat. Weeks said he would sometimes go to hospital emergency rooms and feign illness to get a sandwich or snack.

“It was a struggle,” he told the Post.

Then, in December 2025, a counselor at a city employment center encouraged Weeks to look into Pathways to Graduation, a free program run by the New York City Department of Education that is designed for students who struggle in traditional high school settings.

Weeks, who dreamed of one day attending college, enrolled in the program. “I figured I’d go and I’d try,” he said.

Pathways to Graduation offers both day and evening classes for students ages 17 to 21. Students must complete five subjects — reading, writing, math, science and social studies — and they are provided breakfast and lunch, plus a MetroCard to commute.

Weeks enrolled at Pathways’ Staten Island location, attending classes five days a week. He completed the program in just two months, earning a high school equivalency diploma.

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Donny Swanson, principal of the Staten Island branch, told the Post that Weeks was a standout student who got high grades on his GED exams and participated in the program’s college and career training offerings.

“He is an inspirational young man who I know is going to be quite successful in the future,” Swanson said. “He is definitely a role model for all students with his focus and motivation.”

In May, Weeks learned that he had been chosen as valedictorian. Then, weeks later, on June 22, he stood at a podium in front of his 117 fellow graduates, along with teachers and family, and shared his inspiring story, which he described as “one of perseverance.”

“Like my fellow graduates, I’ve faced a lot of hardships. Through poverty, discrimination and self-doubt, I kept pushing to make it where I am today,” he said.

“I’ve survived harsh living conditions. I’ve survived homelessness,” Weeks continued. “I’ve survived starvation and times where I almost gave up because I didn’t see a way out. I worried I’d end up dead or imprisoned.”

“There’s many times where I could have done the wrong thing to make ends meet, but I didn’t want to go down that path and I know I didn’t have to,” he told the audience. “You will always prosper when you put in the hard work and you show up.”

Weeks also offered some advice to his fellow graduates — advice for which he himself is a powerful testament: “Stay determined and never falter because everyone here has greatness inside of them waiting to be unleashed.”

Now that Weeks has earned his high school diploma, he has his sights set on even bigger goals. He is currently living with a family member and has a job as a sanitation worker at LaGuardia Airport. His plan is to save up enough money to go to college, with the hopes of becoming a scientist.

“I need to make ends meet for now, and then I can continue my path to greatness,” he told the Post.

PEOPLE has reached out to Pathways to Graduation for comment.

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