#BEAUTIFULNEWS: Homeless Teen Graduates Two Years Early With 4.0 GPA
Sixteen-year-old Destyni Tyree was awarded a full scholarship to Potomac State College too.
Kellee Terrell
Sixteen-year-old Destyni Tyree did not let homelessness and living in a shelter stop her from her excelling in school.
The Washington D.C. teen not only graduated two years early, but she did so with a 4.0 GPA. She also was awarded a full scholarship to college.
Tyree told NBC Washington that she was motivated by wanting more out of life.
"I don't want to live in a shelter when I get older. I want to better my life, so that gave me the drive to do what I want to do."
According to ABC News, Tyree's family situation worsened when her mother lost her job a few years ago. With rent going up, the ending up losing their home. From there, they had to move into the city's largest homeless shelter, which also put a damper on her grades and relationship with her teachers.
"I had a lot of issues with classmates and teachers. It was just too much," she said.
After pulling out of school, she enrolled in Roosevelt S.T.A.Y. High School, an alternative program and there she began to succeed. And others took notice.
"As a student, she is a natural-born leader," said Eugenia Young, principal of Roosevelt S.T.A.Y. High School. "She is a joy to be around, she has a good heart," Young added, calling Tyree a "bubbly person" and a "phenomenal" student, ABC noted.
In addition,Tyree took extra classes on Saturdays and worked 25 hours a week at an ice cream parlor. On top of the long days, she was involved in many school activities, launched the school's first cheerleading team and even organized a senior trip to an amusement park.
In the end, Tyree stressed that she refused to be another statistic.
"We're not a statistic and we're not all the same," she said. "It gets better. If you work hard enough, if you have that drive, if you have that motivation, it gets a lot better."
Tyree starts school at Potomac State College of West Virginia University in August.
Congrats Destyni! You make us proud.
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#BEAUTIFULNEWS: Homeless Teen Graduates Two Years Early With 4.0 GPA was originally published on hellobeautiful.com
college	, Graduation	, homeless
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