A 17-year-old Guyanese girl, Kelly Hyles, has gained acceptance to 21 colleges across the United States, including all eight Ivy League universities.
Among the schools to which Hyles has gained acceptance are Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Columbia, Dartmouth, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Northwestern and New Michigan.
While a great academic record definitely contributed to Hyles’ success, the teen, who is a dancer, cheerleader and one of three founders of a Black Student Union at her High School, admitted to CNN during an interview that being well-rounded was also a contributing factor to her being accepted to her colleges of choice.
According to the CNN Money report, the club, which was started to allow students to voice their outrage about the unrest that stemmed from the shooting of unarmed black teens, consists of weekly meetings to discuss social issues and black “excellence,” and hosts a “Blackout day” once a month to celebrate black culture.
During the interview, Hyles, who grew up in Vryheid’s Lust, East Coast Demerara and migrated at the age of 11, recalled students in the village being “a bit more serious about school.” “Teachers are allowed to beat you—it wasn’t anything severe, but it keeps kids in check,” she said.
For Hyles, the secrets to her success are nothing more than dedication and a good work ethic.
When Hyles took the SAT exams the first time in 2014 and her performance fell short of her expectations, she wrote it again, this time dedicating more hours to studying and less to sleep.
She told news personality Kori Chambers of Pix 11 News, that she in no way considered herself a genius, stating that she went to tutoring for Advanced Placement Chemistry nearly every day, a subject she now has a passion for. She related that she was able to overcome her hurdles by accepting she was only human, “putting herself out there,” reaching out to teachers and simply doing her best.
Hyles attributed her work ethic to her mother, who works two jobs, as a home aide and a certified nursing assistant. Her motivation to do well was knowing that her mother would not have enough money to put her through school, and so she worked toward attaining academic scholarships.
She succeeded in this regard, as she, having gained full scholarships for most of the institutions she was accepted to, is also a finalist for the Ron Brown Scholarship Fund, which is awarded to “young African Americans of outstanding promise who are offered academic scholarships, service opportunities and leadership experiences.”
Her advice to students? “Make sure whatever you’re doing, you’re doing because you like it and because you’re interested in it, not because you think it’s gonna make your family happy or make your parents happy, make sure you’re doing it for you.”
She has not yet decided on what college she will be attending, but promises to give them all a chance before she decides.
