Born to a teenage mother.
我的母亲是一个未成年妈妈
Dad was killed when I was 5 years old.
五岁的时候,父亲就死于非命
Worked two jobs
我曾经同时打两份工
while attending my regular high school and an arts high school.
还要去读普招的高中课程,和一所艺术大专的课程
Evicted from my childhood home
从自己长大的家里被赶出来
my senior year of high school.
在我读高中二年级的时候
Lost everything but kept seeking better.
我失去了一切,但仍追求更好的生活
My senior year of high school
高中二年级的时候
I graduated with honors
我获得了学生荣誉
and received over $500,000 in scholarships for music and academics.
由于音乐和学业上的卓越表现,获得了超过50万的奖学金
Got into my dream school,
我走进了自己梦寐以求的大学
James Madison University,
詹姆斯麦迪逊大学
and received a full ride for music.
获得了全额奖学金,就读音乐专业
During these past few years,
在过去的几年里
I've had peers
我有过竞争对手
and family members die
经历过亲人去世的痛苦
and end up in very bad situations.
曾经陷入十分糟糕的处境
I'm thankful that
我要感激自己
I never let my circumstances define who I am.
从未让自己的处境定义自己的本色
Two weeks ago,
两个星期之前
I graduated with a B.M in Music
我获得了音乐学士学位
with a concentration in Performance
主专业是音乐表演
and a minor in Music Industry.
第二专业是音乐产业
This degree is for my peers
我要把这个学位送给我的同学
who didn't have the same opportunity as me.
他们只是没有遇到我这样好的机遇
This degree is for Portsmouth, Virginia,
把这个学位献给弗吉尼亚州的朴次茅斯
where a lot of people don't make it out.
在那里,很多人一辈子都没有走出来
"Everyday's a struggle, everyday's a song."
每天都是一种挣扎,每天都是一首歌
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