An Atlanta senior has received over 50 college acceptances and over $1.3 million in scholarship offers.
The scholar sacrificed multiple hours each night, working toward her goal and proving that dedication and focus can accomplish something that many believe to be impossible.
Now the teen has launched a podcast set to share some of the information she has gathered along her journey.
For four months, Daya Brown, a Westlake High School graduating senior, put three hours aside to research and apply for colleges and scholarships, which she shared with WXIA-TV 11Alive.
The National Society of High School scholar said when she was a sophomore she had already been looking for scholarships and started a list of all of the colleges she was interested in attending. Each quarter, Brown said, she was “writing down” new goals for herself.
She said one of her goals was to “ultimately not pay for college.”
Brown, who served as student council president for each of her high school years, said, “I knew I had to be not only better for myself, but better for my family.”
Education became a pathway out of struggle, and for Brown was a way to pay tribute to those who sacrificed for her.
“Pain became my inspiration. Black people were once at a point where education was not an option,” Brown said. “And I think with this accomplishment specifically, it has really made me like think I am my ancestors’ wildest dreams.”
Her mother, Farrah, said she was proud of what her daughter has accomplished.
She also believes the success of her daughter, whom she describes as having a “good heart,” shines a spotlight on members of her generation.
“I just love to see this generation thriving,” the mother added. “We can’t be who we are without this generation coming up. And they can’t be who they are without us leading the path.”
According to the teen, she learned a few tips about applying to a college that she could share with other young people her age. She said, “Colleges love the uniqueness about applications.”
Brown further explained, “Sign up for those internships and go apply for that job. Go to that volunteer experience because they want to see who you are as a person.”
One really interesting line item on her application is her participation in the Harvard Diversity Project. Through the program, she was able to start her production company called Elom & Co and produced her nonprofit podcast “The Scholar Social.”
The Scholar Social was launched on May 5, 2021, with the show addressing a variety of controversial subjects from a youth perspective, including education, art, trauma porn and colorism.
“The Scholar Social is a podcast to kind of teach teenagers what is going on in the world but in a creative way,” she said. “I think simple conversations is our way to showcase our voice in this generation.”
Other unique additions to her applications were all of the clubs and organizations she was a part of, including being the co-president of the BETA Club, a member of the 21st Century Leaders and a Chick-fil-A leader member. She also made history by becoming the Southeastern Jurisdiction’s youngest delegate to the Global Youth Conference.
The teen is also a staff writer at VOX ATL, a publishing website featuring stories written by teens for teens.
Brown said this upcoming fall she will be attending Duke University, hoping to major in production and journalism.
Her desire is to continue the work she is doing with The Scholar Social and VOX, saying, “I really love telling stories. I really love impacting people.”
