About
Griffin was born in Louisville, Kentucky in 1996. Through a long battle with cancer, he lost his mother and soon thereafter battled homelessness with his dad and brother for years until ultimately he moved to Jacksonville, Florida. Despite his family's circumstances, he graduated valedictorian of First Coast High School in 2014.
The world took notice of his inspiring story, coining him the "Homeless Valedictorian" in a viral news story. Recognizing the power of his message, Griffin decided to share his life's journey and began writing his story during his college freshman year. He self-published his first book in 2022.
Today, Griffin is a full-time professional civil engineer and has built an engaging platform via Youtube and Tiktok to help other young, aspiring students.
2014: Homeless Valedictorian Goes Viral
Despite spending his childhood as a homeless student, Griffin Furlong defied the odds by graduating valedictorian of his high school.
His main message: Never give up.
2018: Griffin Graduates College
Griffin earned a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering at Florida State University with Magna Cum Laude honors. His love for algebra, calculus, and problem-solving in high-school led him to become an engineer.
"If a student opens, reads, and applies every principle in this book, they'll create the world in which they dream."
- Griffin
2020-2022: Griffin's First Book
Griffin spent 2000-2022 writing his first book "Boundless: Choosing a Mindset for Lifelong Growth." He began writing in college, but more as a creative outlet. In the year 2020, Griffin compiled his writings and fostered the vision of publishing his own book.
At first, he struggled to find his main audience and purpose, which caused multiple rewrites and edits. But Griffin found direction and steered his focus toward students, with hopes of inspiring a young generation to grow their perspective and mindset.