Honor Student Overcomes The Odds After Being Shot

His classmates went wild as the young man surprised everyone by showing up at his graduation just two months after being shot in the head.  He even attached a tassel to his protective helmet!

18-year-old Balaal Hollings has made an incredible recovery since being shot while trying to break up a fight on April 6th.   

"A piece of my skull is out right here. They told me I wouldn't walk and I wouldn't talk," Holling stated, pointing to the scar on his head.

Maybe the doctors didn't know what a high achiever this kid is.

"I was Senior class president, student government president, and I played six sports. I was the captain of the football team," Hollings said.

And get this, he was even voted prom king! Talk about big man on campus!

But the one thing he really wanted to do was attend his graduation at Detroit's Northwestern High School. After he was shot they rallied around him and he wanted to show his appreciation.

There were tears and lots of laughs during his speech. As his classmates tossed their caps, he threw his helmet into the air. He said he hoped to be an inspiration, to show that anything is possible.

"There's a famous say. Shoot for the moon, shoot for it, but even if you miss you'll land amongst the stars," Hollings said.

Unfortunately Hollings' scholarship at University of Wisconsin for football was revoked after the accident. However, he has received another $50,000 in scholarship money.