When Amanda Lamond was 18, she learned that she was pregnant. Doubters told her to forget pursuing a career in medicine.

"There were people that told me, 'You won't make it through medical school. There's no way you can do that with a child,' Lamond told ABC News. "And I said, 'Why can't I have my baby and still become a doctor?'"

The determined college freshman refused to listen to what others had to say. She moved in with her parents, continued her studies and got the critical help she needed from CalWORKS, a welfare program that gives cash aid to struggling families.

Her persistence eventually paid off.

Lamond was named valedictorian of her college class, completed medical school and earned the role of chief resident. Come August, the now-married mother of three will begin her career as an emergency room doctor at the Palomar Medical Center.

"No matter what people tell you," Lamond told ABC News, "you can make your dreams come true."

Lamond is one of many single moms to get help from welfare to get her career off of the ground.

When Trisha Waldron turned 28, she decided she was fed up with just trying to make ends meet, Yahoo reports.

So the mother of two young girls applied for student loans, went back to school and subsisted on welfare, food stamps and odd jobs while she pursued her greatest passion: jewelry making.

After getting a job at a mail order catalogue, Waldron bravely asked her boss if she could design the company's entire line of jewelry, according to Yahoo. He agreed, and just a couple years later the South Dakota mom incorporated her own company. Within five years, her company, Trisha Waldron Designs, reached $1 million in sales.

"Getting there was incredibly challenging,” Waldron told Yahoo. “I learned by trial and error, I cried a lot. But I lived simply and didn't need much to survive.”

Check out more inspiring Greatest People of the Day below:

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  • Boy Donates Disney Trip To Needy Family

    Most 9-year-olds can only dream of experiencing the magic of Disney World. But for <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/29/brendan-haas-disney-world-fallen-soldier_n_1552635.html?ref=greatest-person-of-the-day" target="_hplink">Brendan Haas</a>, his only dream was to give that experience to someone else. According to <a href="http://www1.whdh.com/news/articles/local/south/12007594149745/boy-gives-family-of-fallen-soldier-a-trip-to-disney-world/" target="_hplink">whdh.com</a>, Haas won the trip, only to donate it to the family of a fallen soldier on Memorial Day. Too good to be true? Just wait until you hear what <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/01/brendan-haas-boy-who-dona_n_1562574.html?ref=impact" target="_hplink">Haas did with his reward</a>. Read the whole story, <a href="https://editorial.huffingtonpost.com/entry/?referrer_url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/29/brendan-haas-disney-world-fallen-soldier_n_1552635.html?ref=greatest-person-of-the-day" target="_hplink">here</a>. <em>Read about even more everyday heroes, or nominate one <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/news/greatest-person-of-the-day" target="_hplink">here</a>.</em>

  • Donated An Entire Store To Charity

    When a Kmart in Kentucky was shutting its doors for good, resident and local businessman <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/17/rankin-paynter-greatest-person_n_1523818.html?ref=greatest-person-of-the-day" target="_hplink">Rankin Paynter</a> had an idea for all the merchandise that wouldn't sell in time: He bought it, and donated everything to charity. A grand act -- but one Paynter explained simply: "It's time to give back," he said. Read the whole story, <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/17/rankin-paynter-greatest-person_n_1523818.html?ref=greatest-person-of-the-day " target="_hplink">here</a>. <em>Read about even more everyday heroes, or nominate one <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/news/greatest-person-of-the-day" target="_hplink">here</a>.</em>

  • Gives Shoes To Sick Kids

    "From my heart to your sole" is the motto <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/11/madison-steiner-peachs-neet-shoes_n_1509602.html?ref=greatest-person-of-the-day" target="_hplink">Madison Steiner</a> lives by. Her nonprofit, <a href="http://peachsneetfeet.com/" target="_hplink">Peach's Neat Feet</a>, gives away an average of 50 hand-decorated, individualized shoes each month to children living with debilitating or life-threatening conditions. Her kindness has garnered national attention, but Steiner insists she's the one finding inspiration from the children. "They're fighting for their life and if I can do one small thing for them," Steiner said, "I'm going to." Read the whole story, <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/11/madison-steiner-peachs-neet-shoes_n_1509602.html?ref=greatest-person-of-the-day" target="_hplink">here</a>. <em>Read about even more everyday heroes, or nominate one <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/news/greatest-person-of-the-day" target="_hplink">here</a>.</em>

  • Built Safe Place For Homeless LGBTQ

    When Ali Forney, a homeless gay teenager in New York City, was murdered, Carl Siciliano was outraged -- and moved to action. He started the <a href="http://www.aliforneycenter.org/" target="_hplink">Ali Forney Center</a> in the teenager's memory, a place where LGBTQ teenagers can find safety and refuge. "I was devastated when he died, but ultimately, I felt that the gay community had failed, because no one was doing anything about it," <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/07/26/carl-siciliano-shelter-lgbt-youth_n_910388.html?ref=greatest-person-of-the-day" target="_hplink">Siciliano said</a>. "Here we were as a movement, encouraging kids to come out ... and kids were doing so and being treated like garbage." Read the whole story, <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/07/26/carl-siciliano-shelter-lgbt-youth_n_910388.html?ref=greatest-person-of-the-day" target="_hplink">here</a>. <em>Read about even more everyday heroes, or nominate one <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/news/greatest-person-of-the-day" target="_hplink">here</a>.</em>

  • Provides Wheelchairs For Disabled Iraqi Children

    Brad Blauser moved to Iraq to work as a civilian in an Army supply warehouse -- and ended up staying for the children's sake. Blauser saw the lack of wheelchairs and crutches for disabled Iraqi children, and began fundraising on their behalf. So far, his organization, <a href="http://www.wheelchairsforiraqikids.com/" target="_hplink">Wheelchairs for Iraqi Kids</a>, has outfitted 985 Iraqi children with wheelchairs. Read the whole story, <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/02/07/on-the-ground-in-iraq-ser_n_819948.html?ref=greatest-person-of-the-day" target="_hplink">here</a>. <em>Read about even more everyday heroes, or nominate one <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/news/greatest-person-of-the-day" target="_hplink">here</a>.</em>

  • Provides 5 Million Safer Stoves For The Poor

    Three billion impoverished individuals and families around the world still use a product that is both physically and environmentally harmful: open fires for cooking. <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/07/06/paradigm-project_n_891715.html?ref=greatest-person-of-the-day" target="_hplink">Greg Spencer Jr.</a> and the Paradigm Project are hoping to change all that by providing 5 million of those people with cook stoves. Read the whole story, <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/07/06/paradigm-project_n_891715.html?ref=greatest-person-of-the-day" target="_hplink">here</a>. <em>Read about even more everyday heroes, or nominate one <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/news/greatest-person-of-the-day" target="_hplink">here</a>.</em>

  • Donated One Million Socks To Needy

    <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/07/07/documenting-new-poor-us_n_892638.html?ref=greatest-person-of-the-day" target="_hplink">Emily DeScalo</a> graduated college in 2011 and took a road trip -- perhaps unlike other excited and newly freed 20-somethings. DeScale drove across country for a film about America's "new poor." On the way, she and the rest of the film crew hoped to provide one million pairs of socks to the needy -- an often overlooked item when it comes to clothing donations. "We're growing personally and this is something that we'll continue doing," <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/07/07/documenting-new-poor-us_n_892638.html?ref=greatest-person-of-the-day" target="_hplink">DeScalo said.</a> "This is what life's about. When you see how you can affect someone else's life, it's amazing. Read the whole story, <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/07/07/documenting-new-poor-us_n_892638.html?ref=greatest-person-of-the-day" target="_hplink">here</a>. <em>Read about even more everyday heroes, or nominate one <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/news/greatest-person-of-the-day" target="_hplink">here</a>.</em>

  • Saved A Woman, Inspired By His Son

    A year after <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/07/chris-cox-saves-woman_n_1495716.html?ref=greatest-person-of-the-day" target="_hplink">Chris Cox</a>'s son, Danny, was killed in a car accident, the California resident was being honored by the American Red Cross for pulling a woman out of her burning vehicle. But Cox said Danny, who wanted to be a firefighter before a diving accident left him paralyzed, was the real inspiration. "I thought, 'I'm doing this for you, buddy. This is what you wanted to do.'" Read the whole story, <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/07/chris-cox-saves-woman_n_1495716.html?ref=greatest-person-of-the-day" target="_hplink">here</a>. <em>Read about even more everyday heroes, or nominate one <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/news/greatest-person-of-the-day" target="_hplink">here</a>.</em>

  • Provides Education For Somali Refugees

    When <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/03/26/hodan-guled-safe_n_840975.html?ref=greatest-person-of-the-day" target="_hplink">Hodan Guled</a> and her family fled Somalia as the civil war broke out in 1991, the importance of her education and the opportunities she was afforded in America became more and more apparent. Grateful for her upbringing, Guled wanted other Somali refugees to have her same opportunities -- so she started the <a href="http://www.safeeducation.org/" target="_hplink">Somali and American Fund for Education</a>. "Education is key to breaking the vicious cycle of war and poverty in Somalia," Guled said. Read the whole story, <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/03/26/hodan-guled-safe_n_840975.html?ref=greatest-person-of-the-day" target="_hplink">here</a>. <em>Read about even more everyday heroes, or nominate one <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/news/greatest-person-of-the-day" target="_hplink">here</a>.</em>

  • Works With Ecuadorian Farmers For Fair Trade

    As a 6-year-old, Austin, Texas resident <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/08/25/eliot-logan-hines-rainforest_n_937281.html?ref=greatest-person-of-the-day" target="_hplink">Eliot Logan-Hines</a> told himself he'd save the rainforest. Years later, he's doing it: Logan-Hines graduated from the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, moved to Ecuador, and became executive director of the <a href="http://www.fundacionruna.org/" target="_hplink">Runa Foundation</a> -- an organization which works with local farmers to produce fair-trade commodities while focusing on environmental preservation. Read the whole story, <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/08/25/eliot-logan-hines-rainforest_n_937281.html?ref=greatest-person-of-the-day" target="_hplink">here</a>. <em>Read about even more everyday heroes, or nominate one <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/news/greatest-person-of-the-day" target="_hplink">here</a>.</em>

  • Decreases Child Malnutrition In Malawi

    <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/07/28/huffpost-greatest-person-mark-manary_n_912726.html?ref=greatest-person-of-the-day" target="_hplink">Dr. Mark Manary</a> and his wife Mardi moved to Malawi with a big goal: To help fight child malnutrition. After several tries, they were successful, implementing the Peanut Butter Project -- a high-calorie, locally-produced food with a consistency similar to peanut butter. They saw drastic changes in the health and well-being of the children they were helping. Read the whole story, <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/07/28/huffpost-greatest-person-mark-manary_n_912726.html?ref=greatest-person-of-the-day" target="_hplink">here</a>. <em>Read about even more everyday heroes, or nominate one <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/news/greatest-person-of-the-day" target="_hplink">here</a>.</em>

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