One Hartford high school student has their college future set, Getting a full ride scholarship at an Ivy League university. It’s an accomplishment he hopes inspires other students who may not be thinking about a future in higher education.
“My dream came true. It was just kind of unbelievable,” Shaunavahn Reid, a senior at Weaver High School, said.
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It’s a moment he won’t forget for the rest of his life. Reid found out he was getting a full-ride scholarship to Columbia University. He says his mother was overjoyed.
“Screaming, crying on the phone. Praying, thanking God,” he said.
Reid says he fell in love with Columbia after visiting New York City when he was a sophomore.
“The community just felt very welcoming and warm, and I really liked all that, so it became my dream school,” he said.
A school where he plans to major in creative writing to become an author.
Reid applied for a scholarship with help from Hartford Promise, a program aimed at getting more students in Hartford Public Schools to attend college. He and another student at Weaver who’s going to Wesleyan University got their scholarships at the same time.
The organization says it’s all about changing the narrative about what’s possible.
“A lot of the students that grow up in low-income, inner-city areas, you don’t see that often that you’re supposed to be at these elite institutions,” Jordan Green, director of reaching back services at Hartford Promise, said.
Reid says he had initial doubts whether he would get accepted, but the staff at Hartford Promise like Green helped him realize his potential. He hopes his story inspires other students considering going to college.
“Never give up and surround yourself with people who are going to encourage you and push you to your highest limits,” Reid said.
