Just about one year after the Highline Times told Tyrone Curry's story, the national recognition continues to grow.

Press release

Highline School Board Member Tyrone Curry has been named to a list of “100 History Makers in the Making” by theGrio.com. The list “honors Black History Month by highlighting the next generation of African-American history makers and industry leaders who have the potential to make a difference in the lives of all Americans,” according to a press release issued by theGrio.com.

TheGrio.com, a division of NBC News, is a daily online news and opinion platform devoted to delivering stories and perspectives that reflect and affect African-American audiences.

Curry joins 99 other individuals from across 10 professional fields, including business, education, sports, science and the environment, media, service and activism, politics, health, pop culture and the arts. Individuals from “TheGrio’s 100” will be profiled on NBC News programs, including “NBC Nightly News,” “Today,” MSNBC, CNBC, and msnbc.com through the end of February.

Here is Curry’s profile on the website for TheGrio’s 100 list:
When people fantasize about what they will do after winning the lottery, quitting their job is near the top of the list. You may think that would be especially true for someone who is a custodian. But that's not the case for real-life custodian Tyrone Curry.

In 2006, Curry won $3.4 million in the Washington State Lottery. He and his wife were bankrupt at the time. Instead of leaving his job as a custodian and track coach at Evergreen High School -- positions he held for 34 years -- he continued working, and even donated $40,000 to the school to build a new race track.

Curry continued to live in the same small house, installing a heat pump, siding and a new driveway. He also bought a new car. And that was it.
In continuing his role as a track coach, Curry did more than teach students how to run. One student's mother died of a heart attack just before his graduation. With no father in his life, Curry took on the role, serving as his confidant and even offered to pay the student's way through college.

More information and a video are available at http://www.thegrio.com/black-history/thegrios-100/2012-tyrone-curry.php