18-Year-Old Homeless Boy Wins Scholarship to 22 US Universities, Sets to Bag Engineering Degree at Harvard

18-year-old homeless boy, David Boone wins full scholarship to 22 US universities, sets to bag engineering degree at Harvard.

David Boone, an 18-year-old who faced homelessness, has overcome incredible odds to earn full scholarships and acceptance to 22 universities across the United States.

Despite the challenges of being homeless, David’s determination and perseverance have paved the way for him to pursue an Engineering degree at Harvard University.

David’s journey to success began when gang members burned down his home after he refused to join their gang. This event forced him and his family to scatter and seek shelter wherever they could find it. Despite these hardships, David managed to graduate from high school while moving from place to place.

“Being homeless was a very challenging time in my life, but it was probably the most productive as well. During this time, I was able to make some observations about myself, learn some life lessons, strengthen my faith, and grow into adulthood,” David reflected.

David had limited contact with his father and had not lived regularly with his mother since eighth grade. After the gang attack, his family was forced to split up and live in different places for safety.

Throughout his difficult circumstances, David found support from his school community. At times, he stayed with the school nurse from his elementary school, who encouraged him to apply to MC2STEM High School in Cleveland, as well as the John Hay School of Science and Medicine and the district’s gifted program.

He enrolled at MC2STEM High School and lived with his principal during his first two years there. “I saw studying as the way out. I saw going to any college as the way to escape and a way to ensure that these types of things don’t continue to happen to my family,” David explained.

David dedicated countless hours to studying, both in school and in an extracurricular program called Minds Matter, which he credits for much of his success. Minds Matter’s mission is to help high-achieving high school students from low-income families achieve college and academic success.

“I mean this with all the sincerity possible; I would not be going to Harvard if it weren’t for Minds Matter. Minds Matter for me has fostered an environment that was not only comfortable but productive in the sense that when I did something well, they didn’t spend an eternity celebrating it because the people there truly believed that I could do better,” David said.

With the support of his teachers, mentors at Minds Matter, and family members, David was awarded 1,000 Gates Millennium Scholarships. He also received the Ron Brown Scholarship and was accepted to 22 colleges and universities, including Harvard. He applied to 23 universities in total, and his only rejection came from his top choice, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

David plans to major in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at Harvard. He eagerly anticipates the challenges that studying at Harvard will present.

“I plan to study engineering in college because engineering is a field where there is always a new challenge and there is no ultimate accomplishment because you are trained to constantly improve,” David said.

“I believe that engineers are the key to solving the world’s most pressing issues, both technological and social. The way that engineers think leaves the door open to immeasurable possibilities and that is very important to the progression of society,” he added.

David is driven by a desire to change the world and is determined not to consider himself a success until he has made a significant impact.

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SOURCES: ALLSCHOOL, SCHOLARSHIP REGION