Homeless prom queen graduates, gets full ride to college

Luther Vandross was outed as gay after his death.

When Destyni Tyree was asked by ABC News how she felt upon graduating high school in just 2 years, she said she felt “accomplished.” She was voted prom queen by her fellow students, was captain of the cheerleading squad and had a 4.0 grade average. Sounds like a girl who has it all right? Wrong. Tyree is homeless.

When her mother lost her job a couple of years ago, they were forced to live in shelters.

“It’s OK,” Tyree stated. “At first, I didn’t like it because I was used to my own space.”

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At first, her personal upheavals had a negative impact on Tyree’s school life. She had to pull out of various schools.

“I had a lot of issues with classmates and teachers. It was just too much,” she said.

It was once she began at Roosevelt S.T.A.Y. high school that she began to really find her way.

“She is a joy to be around, she has a good heart,” said Eugenia Young, the principal of the school. She went on to call Tyree a “bubbly person” and a “phenomenal” student.

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In order to graduate high school in just two years, Tyree had to take a large caseload. She also had a part time job at which she worked 25 hours a week.

“I just time managed,” Tyree said. “I just wake up and do what I gotta do.”

“The more and more she’s around people who constantly tell her how smart she is, and how she can do anything she puts her mind to, the more she believes she can do anything now,” said Young.

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Tyree worked so hard for herself but also for her little sister. She said she wants her sister to be able to have someone to look up to.

“Quite frankly, I’m just ready to go and live life,” Tyree said. “I know there’s a better life out there for me.”

All of Tyree’s hard work has paid off. Her grades were so good that she was awarded a full ride scholarship to Potomac State College of West Virginia University.

What would she have to say to others in her position? “It gets better. If you work hard enough, if you have that drive, if you have that motivation, it gets a lot better.”

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