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You are not your circumstances. That statement couldn’t be any more true for the phenomenal Trameka Pope, a Chicago high schooler who graduated at the top of her class at Chicago’s Wendell Phillips High School, even though she was homeless and a teen mom. After giving birth to her daughter when she was in the 8th grade, Trameka was determined to make her life count. “I didn’t give up. I pushed myself hard. And my baby motivated me every day because I wanted to provide for her and I also didn’t want to be a statistic,” Pope said.

And if graduating at the top of her class despite all odds wasn’t enough, she’s received over $600,000 in scholarships and over 26 college acceptance letters! What?! Talk about Black excellence!

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Trameka kicked high school’s butt! She was a cheerleader, worked at a grocery store and is a member of the National Honor Society. She has also been taken college preparatory courses at a local college. This girl is making us reevaluate our lives!

That age-old phrase, “It takes a village” is real! Trameka didn’t do this alone. Her support system primed her for success. Her high school guidance counselors helped her apply to college, staff from Chicago Public Schools took her on college tours and the rest was up to the ambitious and amazing teen. This is the kind of teen mom that MTV should be highlighting. Message!

Pope plans to attend Western Illinois University and hopes to get her Ph.D. in social work. We’re all the way here for her. Congrats! Way to teach your daughter that nothing is impossible!

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The grand return of the Melanin Awards amplifies and honors the finest Black-owned beauty brands with honest reviews, and discusses the evolution of beauty in Hip-Hop culture.