Ireland, Smith and Kala Shute have been almost inseparable for the last 21 years. Now, they’ll be graduating together with honors from USC after a journey that required hard work, perseverance and teamwork.
“I think, especially after losing somebody who’s so foundational in your life, that a lot of people often turn to negative behaviors. And I think that for us, we really kind of stuck to what our mom ingrained in us: try our best, do what we love,” Kala Shute told NBC4. The three already graduated together from La Cañada High School and, except for a short period during the COVID pandemic, have always been in the same zip code.Sign up for NBC San Diego newsletters.The trio lost their mom to cancer when they were only 15. A single mom who they say worked 80 hours a week to provide, from her they learned hard work and perseverance.
“She was an incredibly hard worker. She had three jobs and she sacrificed a lot of her personal time to make sure we had everything that we could ever dream of, and we really wouldn’t be here without that foundation that she set for us,” Ireland Shute said.