“I hated poverty. Poverty is more of a choice than anything else, and i can change that (poverty). It depends upon how hard i want to work, and i decided that i would change it”

I think that this quote is saying that poverty will not last forever it is meant to change. You have the power to change it you will not always be poor. But if you do nothing to change it than it will last a long time or maybe even forever. You have to work hard for it at school and also outside of school you have to get a good education so that you can study at college and then find a good job and not be poor anymore. If you choose to be poor than you will be poor but if you are willing to change it than you have to work hard for it and not fool around in college.\