Florida Teen Gets Accepted Into 30 Colleges and Is Offered Over $1 Million in Scholarship

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A graduate from Miami Jackson Senior High School in Florida has triumphed against the seemingly impossible odds by becoming the first in her family to go to college. The senior was not only accepted by 30 colleges but also offered over $1 million worth of scholarship.

Shirley Campos is an outstanding student who not only was the president of her class but was also nominated for a Silver Knight award, honoring the best high school seniors from the Miami-Dade County area.

However, Campos didn’t just excel at academics during her time in high school; she led the way in every area. In addition to her 4.7-grade point average (GPA), she was also the Marching Band Majorette captain, College Club president, Women of Tomorrow vice president, National Honor Society vice president, Leading with Love secretary, and also held the title of Miss Miami Jackson for her school, according to a post by Campos on a Facebook group called Adopt a 2020 Senior-Miami Dade County.

While she had 30 universities that offered her an acceptance letter and $1,002,528 worth of scholarship money, Campos chose to stay local and attend Florida International University. “I chose FIU because the program there they accepted me to I feel like it’s diverse, and it’s a place where I will fit in and feel at home,” Campos told WSVN.

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According to her post on the Facebook group, Campos wants to major in Health Science, as she is inspired to give back to the community by providing access for those who lack health facilities and further improve them. Due to the limited health care system her family faced in their native country of Nicaragua, Campos wants to make a difference for future generations. “My family members have passed away due to poor health facilities and I want to increase and better the health facilities, and help people to get better,” Campos told WSVN.

Additionally, the recent crisis due to the pandemic has spurred her to pursue a career in nursing.

Apart from academics and extra-curricular activities, the hardworking student is also a co-founder of a non-profit organization called Chances for Change with her friend Stephanie Jean Charles. They focus on serving low-income communities in every way possible. “We wanted to help low-income communities have a chance for a change, so that’s where the name originated from, Chances for a Change,” Campos said.

The organization so far has done breast cancer walks, back-to-school drives, homeless drives, and a book drive. This youngster has become a beacon of hope in her community. Through her non-profit, “[P]eople can have a chance to better their lives and have a change in their lives,” she states.

Campos’s family is incredibly proud of her for all that she has achieved so far.

The determined youngster, who wants to “leave a legacy and break in barriers that come her way,” has shared her advice for all upcoming graduates.

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She said: “Hard work and dedication, as well as enjoying yourself because if you’re not passionate about something, you’re not going to work as hard or be motivated as much to complete the task.”