Overcoming seemingly impossible situations to reach your ultimate goal is always something to be proud of, but 16-year-old Destyni Tyree took that concept to the next level.
The resilient Washington, DC teen recently overcame extraordinary odds to not only graduate from high school two years ahead of schedule with a 4.0 grade point average, but she also received an academic scholarship to college — all while residing in D.C.’s largest homeless shelter. Destyni and her family were forced to make the shelter their home after her mother suddenly lost her job a few years ago, but the hard-working future college student says she used her unfortunate circumstances as motivation rather than letting it get her down.
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“I don’t want to live in a shelter when I get older,” she said. “I want to better my life, so that gave me the drive to do what I want to do,” she told NBC 4 Washington.
With the unwavering support of her mother and the principal of her school, Destyni worked hard to meet and exceed her goal of graduating two years early. In addition to attending classes during the summer and on weekends, Roosevelt S.T.A.Y. alternative high school principal Eugenia Young says Destyni is an “outstanding student” who even added online classes to her rigorous academic schedule to achieve her goal.
Destyni plans to attend Potomac State University in the fall, but is still saving up money for additional educational expenses not covered in her scholarship, like the cost of books. If you’d like to help support her efforts, you can visit her GoFundMe page HERE.
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