ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. – A St. Louis County mother is getting ready to send her son off to college. This is after they jumped over hurdles with health and finances.
Imarion Griffin has now earned more than $4 million in scholarships and acceptance into 80 plus colleges. FOX 2’s Blair Ledet spoke to this family who showed how resilience and determination can get you to your destination.
‘I feel good.” “It’s exciting, ready for a fresh start.”
The excitement to walk on a college campus hits a little harder for Imarion Griffin.
“I really had to fight to be in this position, it was not a walk in the park – fight to get here,” Griffin expressed.
“When you meet him – he has a popping personality, character, charisma,” Griffin’s mother, Kenyatta Patrick Griffin said.
“It was hard – not being a regular kid,” Imarion said.
Behind his positive demeanor, there’s a powerful story.
“A kid is innocent,” Kenyatta shared. “So you question God I’m not saying, ‘God why my son?’ you say, ‘Did I do something wrong in life?'”
Imarion spent his high school years at Cardinal Ritter fighting for his life.
“I know how it feels to hit rock bottom level,” Imarion revealed. “And lose it and not be able to do anything. I felt handicapped.”
Right before he hit high school, he was diagnosed with chiari malformation, Sjögren’s syndrome, and orthostatic hypotension.
“Disappointing, I felt like I was letting myself down over something I didn’t have control over,” Imarion shared.
It weighed heavily on his mother’s heart as well.
“A lot of times I left all the burdens on myself because I didn’t want them to get off track,” Kenyatta said.
Kenyatta wanted to keep Imarion’s hopes high – ensuring him he would make it out of the hospital and to higher education, but she was already balancing bills, mortgage, and medical.
“Then to get to college and say there’s no money left because I spent it all? Oh no, we’re going to make a way,” Kenyatta explained.
And they did – with his health issues, Imarion had to change his focus from athletics to academics and activism. They started filling out scholarships and applications.
“We went back-and-forth, and he was like I’m not feeling out any more applications,” Griffin revealed.
As he started getting his strength back, he started getting letters too.
“He had charisma, he had a personality, he had community service, and he has basketball skills,” Griffin said.
Recognized and rewarded for pushing through, he’s going to college.
“Mom, do you see this? It was just shocking.”
Tuition paid, Imarion earned $4 million in academic scholarships, and got into more than 80 schools. Though they overcame health and financial challenges, they know all about another glaring struggle for St. Louis area teens.
“All we see is guns and violence, but there are also a select few who are not doing that guns and violence and have positive things and good things going for them,” Imarion expressed.
Kanyatta added, “You start when they’re young and when you see them going off track, you have to reel them back in.”
“We have an unbreakable bond, I’ll give her the shirt off my back just a repay her for everything she’s done for me,” Griffin shared.
A family beating the odds with a message to keep pushing and put in the work no matter what you’re up against.