San Bernardino high schooler headed to Harvard after getting into more than 30 schools

Published: May 24, 2024 Duration: 00:03:23 Category: News & Politics
Tags : KCAL 9 News Afternoon
Trending searches: san bernardino school district
FOUNDATION. RACHEL AT THAT TIME OF YEAR FOR GRADUATIONS AND NEW BEGINNINGS FOR HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS AND FOR ONE WOMAN IN SAN BERNARDINO FOR NEXT STEP IS TRULY A DREAM COME TRUE. SHE WAS ACCEPTED INTO MORE THAN 30 UNIVERSITIES TO FIND HER DREAMS GO. JOY BENEDICT SHOWS US HOW SHE BEAT THE ODDS AND IS INSPIRING OTHERS. >> I'M STILL NOT READY. I'M LITERALLY SHAKING REPORTER: IS THE MOMENT HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS WERE SO -- WORKED SO HARD FOR. FOR VASQUEZ IT WAS A DREAM COME TRUE. >> THE FIRST WORD I SAY IS CONGRATULATIONS SO I JUMPED OUT MY CHAIR AND I IN SPANISH I GOT INTO HARVARD OR REPORTER: OF THIS SOON-TO-BE HARVARD FRESHMEN CAN'T BELIEVE SHE BEAT THE ODDS. >> I THOUGHT IT WAS SUCH A LONG SHOT. THAT HAS BEEN MADE JURY IN SCHOOL FOR SEVEN YEARS SINCE FIFTH GRADE OR PREVENT BACK THE SENIOR IN SAN BERNARDINO WANTED TO GO TO COLLEGE SO BADLY SHE APPLIED TO 41 SCHOOLS AND GOT ACCEPTED TO 32 OF THEM. >> WILL PAY IN GEORGETOWN NOTRE DAME AND UCLA REPORTER: THE CRIMSON WAS ALWAYS HER FIRST CHOICE. >> IT'S A REALISTIC OPTION BECAUSE THE TEND TO COMPARE MYSELF WITH UNDERSTANDS. I MET SOMEONE WHO OWNS THEIR OWN FOUNDATION. >> I THOUGHT SHE WAS DESERVING AND IF ANYBODY COULD HAVE DONE IT SHE WILL COULD HAVE REPORTER: DIANE DOBSON WAS HER HIGH SCHOOL HISTORY TEACHER. >> IT'S EXCEEDINGLY RARE SINCE I DON'T THINK ANY STUDENT HAS GOTTEN INTO HARVARD THE HIGH SCHOOL SITS IN AN UNDERSERVED COMMUNITY OF SAN BERNARDINO. 88% OF ITS STUDENTS ARE ELIGIBLE FOR FREE AND REDUCED LUNCH IN A DISTRICT FOR WERE ALMOST A QUARTER OF ITS STUDENTS FALL BELOW THE PROPERTY LINE. 20% ARE ENGLISH-LANGUAGE LEARNERS MEANING THEY TAKE SPECIAL CLASSES IF THEY ARE PROFICIENT ENOUGH IN ENGLISH BUT THE PROGRAM THAT VASQUEZ WAS THEN UNTIL FOURTH GRADE. >> I KNEW VERY LITTLE ENGLISH BUT I PUT IN AN EFFORT TO LEARN ENGLISH REPORT AND NOW SHE IS VALEDICTORIAN RANKED FIRST IN HER CLASS. SHE HAS A 4.87 GPA AND SERVICES STUDENT BOARD MEMBER. A PASSION FOR LEARNING SHE SAYS SHE GOT FROM HER PARENTS. >> IT DOESN'T MATTER WHERE YOU ARE. SHE WILL BE THE FIRST IN HER FAMILY TO GO TO COLLEGE. >> IN MY INTERVIEW I SAID IMPOVERISHED COMMUNITIES NEED MORE ATTENTION BECAUSE WE NEED TO GET STUDENTS OUT THERE. IS THAT THOSE ODDS WEREN'T TOUGH ENOUGH HARVARD IS ONE OF THE MOST COMPETITIVE SCHOOLS BUT SHE WAS SELECTED FROM 50,000 APPLICANTS TO BE PART OF THE FRESHMAN CLASS OF LESS THAN 2000. >> MY DAD WORKS AT A GAS STATION AND HE WAKES UP AT 4:00 IN THE MORNING BUT HE'S THE MILLETE TO GIVE TO EITHER MY FAMILY REPORTED BECAUSE OF THAT HARVARD WILL BE PAYING FOR EDUCATION. IT'S AMAZING. I CAN'T BELIEVE THEY GOT FULL TUITION TO HARVARD REPORTER: THANKS TO HARD WORK AND A PLAN THAT BUSY YOUNG LADY

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