February 14, 2024
Josue Salazar is exceptional at navigating hurdles.
As an athlete, the former South Carolina champion ranked nationally for his exceptional skill at jumping over three-foot obstacles while sprinting.
As a student, Salazar overcame poverty and a non-traditional family structure to become the first in his family to go to college.
Salazar continues to surmount every barrier in his way, and he’s doing it at the University of South Carolina with the support of the Meeting Street Scholarship Fund.
“It has eased my mind a lot,” he said of the Scholarship. “I know my education is going to turn into something good. One day, this is going to help me put food on the plates of the kids I hope to have.”
HIGH-SCHOOL ALL STAR
Salazar was born and raised in North Charleston. He grew up in the care of his maternal grandmother.
“A lot of the kids in my neighborhood didn’t have parental figures,” he said. “My grandma took care of some of those kids. They’re like my siblings.”
His grandmother was supportive and honest, he said. She’s the kind of woman who gave you the truth and didn’t sugarcoat it, he said.
“She shaped who I am today,” Salazar said.
Academics never were Salazar’s priority, and he said he didn’t think he would go to college. But he kept his grades up so he could remain eligible for sports and participate in band. He was a section leader in the Stall High Band, playing trumpet and learning four other instruments.
“Because of the extracurricular activities, I kept my head on straight,” he said.
Outside of the classroom, he excelled on the track. He ranked among the top high school hurdlers in the country and realized that ability could help him pay for his education.
GOING TO COLLEGE
Colleges began recruiting Salazar, so he dove into the application process. He got a late start, and that made it more difficult.
The other complicating factor was the financial aid process, he said. He had a hard time figuring out how to work through applications without a biological parent, and he said that challenge was compounded by not having a family member he could turn to for guidance.
Still, he persisted, and one of his teachers told him about the Meeting Street Scholarship Fund that could provide up to $10,000 per year. He applied, qualified and decided to go to the University of South Carolina.
WHAT’S NEXT
Salazar doesn’t think much about being a first-generation college student, but when he does, he feels motivated.
“I’m going to do what I need to do to break that generational curse,” he said.
His first semester was difficult as he struggled to manage his classes, social life and being a member of the track and field team.
“It was a mental, emotional and physical battle in every way you can think of it, but it’s preparing me for the real world,” he said.
In other words, it was just another hurdle for Salazar to overcome.
He did, and he won’t stop until he reaches his dream – the starting line of the Olympics.
