REAL LIFE YBF: NY Teen Who Lost Everything In Hurricane Sandy ACCEPTED To 7 Ivy League Schools!

We have some great YBF news for you today! An 18-year-old Long Island teen’s life was flipped upside down after Hurricane Sandy destroyed everything she owned in 2012. But, that didn’t stop this young lady’s drive. She applied to 7 Ivy League schools and was accepted to EACH. ONE. OF. THEM! More inside….

Meet 18-year-old Daria Rose. This fab 18-year-old from Long Island is doing big things! She applies to 7 Ivy League institutions and was accepted to each of them. Yes, 7! And while that’s an astonishing feat within itself, this young lady had to overcome many obstacles to get to where she is today.

Here’s a little back story….

In October 2012, Daria was a sophomore in high school when Hurricane Sandy roared through Baldwin, NY. A fire completely destroyed EVERYTHING, leaving the young teen and her family homeless.

Daria and her family moved around a lot, staying in different hotels as well as lived with her grandmother, which made it extremely difficult to complete her schoolwork. Just imagine trying to focus on your studies when you’re not sure where you will lay your head that night.  Daria decided to pour everything into her school work.  And it paid off.  Tremendously.

The Sacred Heart Academy student spoke to ABC News on how she felt during those times, in which she said,

"It was hard because it's really unpredictable when you don't have a stable place to live. [You] don't know if you're moving here next, or there.”

But, the tragic experience made her realize what was really important in life. She said,

“My mom and my dad and my family, they made me realize what was important," she said. "Stuff is just stuff. What is important is your health, education, your family."

A year and a half later, things started to look up for the NY teen and her family. They were able to move into a new home in their hometown of Baldwin. As a junior, it was time to start applying to colleges and Daria decided to follow her dreams of attending an Ivy League institution. She applied to 7 of the 8 Ivy League colleges. And on March 31st, her wildest dream came true. She was accepted to all 7 colleges!

"I've always known I wanted to go to Yale. But junior year I started looking at all my options and I realized how many great schools there were out there."

Turns out, Hurricane Sandy actually ended up being a blessing in disguise as she wrote about her experience in her college application essay. She shared,

"It talks about the storm, but the focus is how reading helped me cope. I was living in these small spaces but in my head I was able to escape ... find myself in a literary world."

Against all the odds, Daria reflected on the exciting day she discovered she had been accepted to each school she applied to. She said,

"I went home and checked Harvard first, and then Princeton, and then Brown ... and as they kept coming in I was just astonished. I couldn't even breathe. It was an amazing moment. I couldn't believe it," she added. "I thought I'd get in maybe one or two."

Now, Daria must decide where she would like to attend. She said she’s very interested in Harvard and Princeton, but she won’t make her final decision until after she visits her last two selections Yale and Harvard. She has until May 1st.

What an inspiring story. Congrats to Daria and we wish her the best!
 

 

Also, Daria isn't the only one sweeping the Ivy League application pool.  MAJOR congrats to Long Island student Harold Ekeh who applied and was accepted to all 8 Ivy League institutions. Work!

 

Photo: ABC News/Sacred Heart Academy

source: theybf