In high school, I flipped burgers at McDonald’s so I could
afford the privilege of taking the SAT. I fed and cared for my three baby
siblings until they went to sleep and stayed up until 4am to do my homework. I
walked home through a dangerous part of the city after extracurriculars because
I couldn’t afford a car. I stuck my laptop out of my window at night to steal
my neighbour’s wifi and finish my schoolwork.
I was scoffed at and told, “from this part of Ohio, only the
children of doctors and lawyers get to go to Ivy League Schools.” In college, I
panicked when my laptop broke because I had worked 150 minimum wage hours to
buy it. I scrubbed toilets, shelved books, and sold clothing so I could chase
my dreams and travel the world. Throughout my life, I have manoeuvred and
begged for every kind of subsidy and coupon. I’m the son of a warehouse worker
and an immigrant; a first generation student.
Today, I graduated from Harvard.
Source: facebook.com/shannonlytle
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