Today we’d like to introduce you to Myles Dunn.
Myles, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
Throughout my childhood, my parents were extremely strict in terms of my siblings and I’s academics. The family motto was “Failure Is Not An Option”, meaning we had to strive to do our best in any activity, task, or class we participated in, and anything less was unsatisfactory. For example, during the fifth grade, I received an 89% in English class. My parents were upset and had a meeting with the teacher and assistant principal to figure out why I didn’t receive a higher grade. Even though I was satisfied with my grade, my mother insisted that the meeting was necessary. She stated, “After looking at your work, I know this isn’t your best. You can do better”, and my father agreed. However, their passion for my success inspired me to constantly give my best effort toward any task or obstacle I faced. Therefore, throughout my high school career, I had many academic accomplishments and overcame various obstacles. I maintained a 4.0-grade point average, graduated valedictorian of my class, and received a full-ride scholarship to Emory University while participating in a plethora of extracurricular activities, attending Georgia State University as an Early College student, and giving back to the community. All of which wouldn’t have been possible without the extra push from my parents to always strive for excellence.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
My journey has been far from a smooth road. When I was seven years old, my mother and father got a divorce leaving my mom to raise three children by herself. At the time, she was jobless, so we had to utilize food stamps or go over to a friend’s house just to eat. Basically, we were poor. During this time, I was emotionally unstable. I was jealous of my peers who had both parents in their households or could afford the newest pair of shoes. I was filled with anger and couldn’t control it. Then, I witnessed how my mom handled the situation. I noticed how she never complained about our circumstances and always found a way to provide for my siblings and me, so I utilized her fight as a single mother as inspiration and to cope with any adversity I faced. Over time, I learned the importance of perseverance, to be appreciative of the opportunities I do have, and to utilize my past as a catalyst for my success and as inspiration to constantly give my best effort toward any task or obstacle I have to face. As a result, I earned a full ride to Emory University with $1 million in scholarships and became the second student from my high school, Carver Early College, to become a Questbridge Scholar. In addition, the Gates Scholarship is said to be the toughest scholarship to get. Out of 40,000 applicants, 300 students were selected, 3 students came from Atlanta Public Schools, and one of them was me. All of these titles and awards I achieved such that I would never have to see my mother struggle and now she doesn’t have to pay a dime.
Please tell us more about what you do, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
I graduated from Carver Early College, and in the fall, I will be attending Emory University. While in high school, I was a dual enrollment student at Georgia State University and participated in a plethora of extracurricular activities and held various leadership positions including president of the Student Government Association, Homecoming Court where I served as Mr. Carver Early College, and president of The Esquires Inc., a male empowerment group. In addition, I was an active member of the Varsity Football Team, FBLA, and C5 Georgia Youth Foundation. Some of his accomplishments include being valedictorian and S.T.A.R Student of my graduating class, being a Questbridge Scholar, and a Gates Scholar. However, my proudest achievement to date is accumulating over 1000 hours of community service by volunteering for organizations such as Hosea Feed the Hungry and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Furthermore, I started my own projects, one of which was a Books to Africa Drive where I collected over 100 books to be sent to schools, children, and teachers in underprivileged communities in Africa. In addition, the summer before my senior year, my peers of C5 Georgia Youth Foundation and I hosted an event known as the ACT Now Summit where we gave a presentation on the impact of HIV and AIDS in Atlanta and even provided free HIV testing. Overall, I am passionate about community service and hope to continue to give back in college.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I learned at a young age that nothing ever comes easy in life and that has proven to be true throughout my high school career. There have been various times where I’ve felt like giving up and that my goals were too ambitious. Therefore, I feel that it has been my hard work and dedication and not luck that has allowed me to be where I am today. However, I am lucky to have an amazing support system in my family, friends, and mentors. They continue to motivate me to chase my dreams no matter the obstacles that come my way, so I am truly grateful to have them in my life.
Contact Info:
- Phone: 6783736366
- Email: mylesdunn01@gmail.com
- Instagram: success_mindset_
- Twitter: MylesDunn7
Image Credit:
India Albritton
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