Teen overcomes homelessness to go to Stanford

Governor Roy Cooper presented 17-year-old Megan Faircloth with the "Governor's Award for Student Excellence" at the Executive Mansion in Raleigh Thursday.

"By trying so hard, I wanted to let kids know that the obstacles they face - no matter how impossible they seem to overcome, you can overcome them," Faircloth said after receiving the award.

Faircloth overcame homelessness and finished East Wake High School at the top of her class with a 5.25 GPA. She earned a near-full ride to Stanford.

Her family now lives in a home in Wendell but they slept in their car, motels, and a homeless shelter during some of Faircloth's junior and senior years.

Megan's family joined her at the Executive Mansion for the prestigious honor. She said they lifted her spirits during tough times.

"We always picked each other up and they stayed with me through it all," Faircloth said. "They're great."

More than 50 students at Faircloth's school are homeless and her story is inspiring other students to reach for their dreams. The Wake County Public School System said there are nearly 3,000 students in district schools who are homeless.

"I had really great teachers in my school that lived away from me and showed me that education was a way to escape poverty," said Faircloth, who added that she hopes to do the same for other low-income students by becoming a teacher herself.