PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — “No way I got into Harvard, there’s absolutely no way,” said Milanna Brookins.
She did, in fact, get into Harvard. Let’s rewind to how we got here.
WATCH: Pinellas County senior gets full-ride scholarship to Harvard University
Brookins is a Countryside High School senior, the class valedictorian, and she’s been on a mission.
“I knew pretty early on, like sophomore year, that I wanted to get into a top university,” said Brookins.
She dedicated her time to school and extracurricular activities, making sure to take as many upper-level courses as possible.
“Because I saw that colleges prefer a heavy AP course load,” said Brookins.
So that’s what she did. She also earned an associate's degree along the way.
When the time came, she applied to 20 different colleges.
“Which is probably more than I needed to, but I had very low self-esteem about where I’d get in,” said Brookins.
Ivy League schools were at the top of her list, sending applications to schools like Harvard, Princeton, and Brown.
Brookins never gave up, even when people doubted her and told her it would be too difficult to get in. That just made her work harder.
“Because you do want to prove that yes, I know I can do this, but once I’ve done it, then you’re going to know too,” said Brookins.
Raised primarily by her dad, Brookins told ABC Action News that he’s been a constant support, cheering her on and encouraging her along the way.
“He’s been taking on the load of raising me and doing all he can to make sure he provides me with a good life despite all of the adversity going on,” said Brookins.
She will be a first-generation college student, so when she and her dad got to share the moment she learned she got into Harvard together, it was extra sweet.
“The first thing that my eyes were drawn to was that bold 'congratulations.' That gasp was real. I feel like the air had just been sucked out of my body,” said Brookins.
Not only did she get into Harvard, but she also got a full-ride scholarship.
Brookins has a message for other students who have big dreams.
“Never let anyone tell you no. Don’t let anyone tell you that you cannot do something that you feel strongly about, that you know that you want to do,” said Brookins.
Her other message to students is to be yourself.
Brookins got into 13 out of the 20 colleges she applied to. She's interested in computer science and plans to go to business school. She starts her freshman year at Harvard this fall.
