Sometimes Black life is hard. Period. That's how life was for Mellody Hobson's mom. Single, with six kids, just keeping the lights on was an achievement. Mellody saw this hardship as an opportunity.
She started small. By eighth grade, Hobson had managed to wrangle herself a $50-a-month payment plan for her braces and entry into one of Chicago's top private high schools.
Hobson knew she had many challenges, but she kept trying. She finally landed at Princeton. But the Ivy Leagues were just a stepping stone for her. And there was something else, too.
Hobson didn’t just focus on herself. She’s spent most of her career helping others. She's also made it her mission to teach financial literacy, and she regularly gives back to the community that raised her.
Mellody Hobson's road was filled with seemingly impossible tasks, but she never gave up. Her life tells us that we can overcome it as long as we’re willing to keep trying.