Pennsylvania student accepted to 20 colleges, earns over $1 million in scholarships after struggling in early education
UPPER DARBY, Pa. (CBS) -- An Upper Darby High School senior who once struggled academically has found a path to success.
Track star Jayden Alston, 18, made the honor roll every semester of high school and was accepted to 20 colleges, which offered him a combined $1.4 million in merit-based scholarships over the course of four years.
"I'm just super happy," Alston said. "Super excited."
Alston is planning to study business at West Chester University. But his journey to get here wasn't easy.
"In elementary school, because I was struggling to pay attention," Alston said, "I was failing most of my classes."
Due to his low grades, Alston was placed into a special education program for four years. But with the support of his parents, teachers and mentors, Alston studied harder and pulled his grades up.
"I'm so happy for my boy," Jamar Alston, Jayden's father, said. "If you know Jayden, you know Jayden is a really good kid."
Alston's track coach, English teacher Kelsey Bierling, has seen the transformation.
"As high school educators, we get to see our kids grow from kids to full-fledged members of society," Bierling said. "[Alston] just blossomed over the last three years, and it's just been so nice to see."
The honor roll student offers this advice to other students facing a challenge.
"Always stay resilient and keep pushing," Alston said.