School is now out for summer, but before kids hung up their backpacks for bathing suits seniors graduated from high school.

A homeless teen in New Orleans who didn’t think he’d finish high school, graduated as Valedictorian, according to Inspire More.

Elijah Hogan spoke with People Magazine about his struggles and successes.

Hogan says there was a time he didn’t think he’d make it through high school.

He lived at a homeless shelter for more than a year and kept up his 3.89 GPA.

Hogan says his grandmother was a huge help! She’s a former social worker and steered him towards a shelter called Covenant House.

He says there he found enough stability to finish his studies and graduate.

He credits them with “giving me a place to stay, a place to eat, a place to sleep.”

Now Hogan is looking ahead to college. According to his gofundme page he’s attending Xavier University in New Orleans in the fall. He says he has tuition assistance but still needs help covering his housing and meal plans.

His goal was to raise $15,000. So far, he’s raised more than $104,000.