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WISCONSIN MAN BECOMES THE FIRST AND ONLY OF 21 CHILDREN IN HIS FAMILY TO GRADUATE FROM COLLEGE
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| Paul Lamar Hunter, the first child of 21 children to graduate from college |
Nationwide -- Paul Lamar Hunter was born in Racine, Wisconsin in 1970, the 19th of 21 natural children born to James and Louise Hunter. His childhood experiences included poverty, neglect, and tragedy. After the deaths of his father and brother Louise focused her energy on the homeless shelter she founded. Though the shelter was meant to be a stabilizing influence for her family and respite for the downtrodden, it was a breeding ground of dysfunction.
In 2012, Paul made history by becoming the first and only child in his family to graduate from college with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Upper Iowa University. He was able to do this even though he admits that he wasn't really a good student.
"I wasn't going to let any hardships stop me from pursuing my goals in life," he comments. "Education was important to me and nothing was going to stop me from completing my degree. When you come from the inner-city and you walk into a university, you must have your mind set on positive thoughts and accomplishing the task that is before you. You are focused and determine to succeed in the classroom because you want to shine like a star in the sky."
