Anthony Mendez, Formerly Homeless Teen, Went From Shelter To Michelle Obama’s SOTU Guest

Anthony Mendez knows a thing or two about defeating the odds.

The 19-year-old’s best friend was shot and killed during a neighborhood feud in 2011, according to the New York Daily News. A year later, his family was evicted from their home in the Bronx and forced to live in a shelter for the next six months.

“Everybody hits a hard time (and thinks), ‘This is so hard,'” Mendez told the Daily News. “They’re not sure how they’re going to get over it. But you (have to) persevere, because obstacles make everyone stronger.”

The Huffington Post