One high school senior is going viral for his ecstatic reaction after finding out he was admitted to Harvard University this month.
A video of Dre'Shon Jackson of Florence, South Carolina, shared on his mother LaShonda NeSmith-Jackson's Facebook page, shows the 17-year-old's trembling reaction after learning he was accepted to the prestigious Ivy League school.
"I didn't know what was gonna happen. I wasn't sure if I was gonna get in, deferred, rejected and I was just like, my future pretty much [hangs] on this one letter," the Wilson High School student told "Good Morning America," adding he felt a mixture of emotions, including fear and anxiety, at the same time. "I clicked the button and all I could see was confetti and the word congratulations. And I didn't care about anything else on the screen, I was just like, 'I got in!'"
NeSmith-Jackson, a Florence councilwoman and mom of two, said her youngest child's ambition and hard work have been evident since Dre'Shon was a young boy, but one particularly pivotal moment came during his preschool graduation, when a local senator read a book about chickens and eagles that paralleled the relationship between leaders and followers.
"The message was you can either be a follower or you can be a leader. You can either be a chicken as grounded or you can be an eagle that really soars above the clouds," NeSmith-Jackson explained.
The book and the reading unintentionally started a tradition between the mother and son, where NeSmith-Jackson would regularly ask her son whether he wanted to be a leader or a follower.
"And at 4 years old, when I asked him that, I'm sure he didn't understand," NeSmith-Jackson said. "Every single day, before he got out of my vehicle, I would ask him this to set the tone for when he goes to school."
Dre'Shon said that simple exchange would play a big part in his journey so far, one he even wrote about for his application to Harvard.
"Those questions throughout my entire life allowed me to have what I call the eagle mindset," he said. "I will soar above everyone else and I will be a leader in any situation that I'm in. And so that became the basis of my essay to get into Harvard."
MORE: Teen who went viral after college acceptance learns he earned a four-year scholarshipNeSmith-Jackson told "GMA" she couldn't be any more proud of her "baby" and his achievements so far.
"I'm immensely proud of him," she said. "Dre'Shon is a go-getter. He has the initiative. If he wants something, he is going to go for it. If he sees something that needs changing or something that don't exist, he's a type to try to create it, make a way. And I love that about him."
Harvard University admitted nearly 700 students under its early action program last week. Dre'Shon, who aspires to be an attorney and politician, said he is "excited" to commit to his dream school and join the incoming class of 2028 next fall.
Dre'Shon's advice to other high school students is to not write off their big dreams.
"Don't rule out your dream school just because it may seem as if it's unattainable because at the end of the day, you might just be able to get in like I have," Dre'Shon said. "The fact that I was able to apply and get in, I feel like, breaks so many boundaries and I seriously encourage everyone that if you have a dream school and you may think [it] is unattainable, to please still apply and see if you get in."
"It's like you can throw a quarter into a well and wish upon a shooting star and hope your wish comes true, but it may actually come true if you try," he added.
