Maya Angelou grew up in poverty in the rural South. Her family was sharecroppers, and they lived in a small cabin with no electricity or running water. Maya often went hungry, and she had to work hard to help her family survive. Despite these challenges, Maya was determined to get an education and make something of herself. She graduated from high school at the top of her class, and she went on to study at college. Maya never forgot her humble beginnings, and she used her experiences to inspire others. She wrote about her life in a series of best-selling autobiographies, and she became a successful poet, playwright, and filmmaker. Maya Angelou was a true overcomer, and she proved that anything is possible if you have the determination and the will to succeed.