With his fellow Achievement First Amistad High School classmates cheering him on, David Guzhnay took the stage at Yale's Woolsey Hall Wednesday to make a very important announcement: where he'll spend the next four years.
“I owe this moment to my teachers, my counselors, my family,” said Guzhnay.
He gave a special thanks to his family, especially his parents, who left Ecuador 20 years ago to come to the U-S for a better life.
“In order to come to this nation with nothing but a burning desire to fulfill not only their hopes and dreams, but to provide their sons and daughter with opportunities to realize their own,” said Guzhnay.
Now, Guzhnay is fulfilling his dream of going to college.
“In order to improve my future, my family's future, my community's future. This fall 2014, I can start calling this place home because I'll be attending Yale University,” Guzhnay announced Wednesday.
Guzhnay says his acceptance came as a shock, and it took him a while to realize he was actually going to Yale. However, his high school principal, Chris Bostock, had not doubt Guzhnay was Ivy League material.
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“He comes into school every day. He does incredible work. He's super thoughtful and reflective, and he's done some incredible summer programs over the past couple years, and he's really worked hard to earn this spot,” said Achievement First Amistad High School Principal Chris Bostock.
The spot will keep him close to his family, who lives in the Fair Haven neighborhood, and it will give him the opportunity to plan for his future.
“I'm thinking biology, maybe medicine, I'm still open minded, but we'll see what happens,” said Guzhnay.
