Morton Ranch senior overcomes adversity
Every June students bid farewell to high schools and colleges.
This year Starjjil Shelvin, a senior at Morton Ranch High School, picks up his diploma on June 6.
Shelvin, 18, completed all Advanced Placement classes his senior year, earning a grade-point average of 4.02. He played football and wrestled all four years at Morton Ranch.
In his senior year, he finished second at the Texas State Wrestling Championship in the 220-pound weight class.
When he’s not studying, he works an average of 24 hours a week at Sam’s Club.
He has been accepted at Trinity University where he will be enrolled in engineering science and will play football. Trinity doesn’t have a wrestling program.
He has been working and saving up money for a car and the fees that are not covered by the grants and scholarships that he has already received.
“I have like 95 percent of the fees covered for four years,” said Shelvin. “I will graduate from Trinity with roughly $14,000 in student loans. I can pay that off easily, especially with an engineering degree.”
His path to graduation has lots of great stories and some not so great.
In Shelvin’s freshman year at Morton Ranch, his father Tony became sick and was diagnosed with pneumonia. Tony Shelvin was the sole provider for his wife, Tanisha, sons, Starvonte and Starjjil and daughter, Starla.
At the age of 48, he died. “It came up out of nowhere,” remembers Shelvin.
“He was usually healthy. Within about a month or two he was gone. He never got to see me become a man, grow. You always look up to your
father. You want them around, to see how good you are doing, filling their shoes. You never want to see them pass away so early, but you know they are still watching.”
At the same time his mother battles cancer.
“My mom’s ill. She never wanted to tell me what kind (of cancer) because she didn’t want to overburden me with anything more. She knows if I heard whatever else, how much time she has left on this earth, or anything, I would probably freak out. There is only so much stuff you can handle at such a young age. I would kind of rather she would not tell me. I just want to see her on this earth as long as can be.”
With no father, the family had no income.
The family was evicted from their home and moved to an apartment. His mother receives a disability check but it wasn’t enough. They were evicted again. The family then moved to Spring where Tanisha lives with her son Starvonte.
Shelvin lives with his best friend at Morton Ranch, Rodger Advincula.
“They took me in my mid-junior year,” said Shelvin. “At first it was just a sleepover. Then it turned into a weekly thing to just get me back on my feet. The downward spirals, never getting back on our feet, income getting worse and worse, were bad. They said, just live here and we will take care of you.”
Rodger’s mother, Tammy, and other friends make sure Shelvin gets to school and back, to his job at Sam’s, and to church on Wednesday and Sundays.
Shelvin sees his mother about once a week.
“We will go up there and have dinner or whatnot. I just have to stay on top of her to make sure she is eating alright, that she doesn’t get worse, and hopefully beats it. My brother is still at home; he is going to Lone Star College right now. I text her everyday and she knows I’m working, saving up for a car and my tuition, and everything is going good. My mom doesn’t want me to worry about her, not worry about anything. She will be okay. She wants to make sure I get my car and that I can afford Trinity’s tuition. If it wasn’t for the grants and scholarship I have received I wouldn’t be going to any college.”
Some adults facing life situations like Shelvin would have cratered, but he possesses quiet strength and determination to succeed and make his parents proud of him.
“I am exceptionally proud of him, absolutely my reason for fighting as hard as I do, and for continuing on with this journey,” said his mother. “He is just such an exceptional son. All of my sons’ and daughter’s names begin with Star, and I continue the fight for my Stars.”
She will be at his graduation. “I am at everything, not far away. As long as there is breath in me, I will be there.”
Just as others have helped him, he helps others. Every Saturday he tutors two students. “The sixth-grader needs help in learning cross multiplication; the 10th-grader needs help in chemistry and Spanish.”
Shelvin belongs to the Principal’s Communication Network and Principal Lee Crews describes him as one of the school’s student leaders.
“We have meetings every six weeks, and he is one who helps chart the direction of the school. We really try to lean on our school’s seniors and underclassmen in their groups to kind of tell us how we are doing and where we need to improve. He’s a good participant as a member of that group.”
Shelvin also belongs to the Morton Ranch National Honor Society.
Mark Balser, Shelvin’s wrestling coach, said he saw the potential in Shelvin his freshman year. It wasn’t all about wrestling, but his progression as a human being, overcoming everything.
“When he sets his sights on something he will do it.
“He always puts academics over sports, and that’s what you want in a student athlete,” added Balser. “I am grateful of his athletic accomplishments, but I’m also grateful in what a leader he was in the academic class room.”
Kelly Balser, Mark’s wife and school nurse at Morton Ranch, said everybody knows him.
“All the girls think he’s cute. He always has a smile and he’s polite,” said Kelly. “A lot of kids will say things not thinking whether it’s rude or not . . . not Starjjil. He’s kind; he tries to be thoughtful of feelings. He doesn’t say rude things to people and he helps others. Even after a wrestling match he checks with the other athlete to make sure they’re OK and shakes their hand.”
She describes a match in Grapevine on Christmas break.
“There was this little boy whose dad brought