Booker T Student Hopes Her Experience At Harvard Inspires Others

Delashay Lawrence is the first in her family to step foot on a college campus and she's already inspiring other students.

Delashay just started her Junior year here at Booker T but she's already a straight A student at one of the most prominent universities in the country. Now she's encouraging her peers that they can do anything they put their mind to, no matter where they come from.

"It opened my eyes to a lot of different things and a lot of different people," said Delashay.

Delashay says it's difficult to explain how she felt when she first stepped on Harvard University’s campus.

"Coming from North Tulsa and coming from a very big family from North Tulsa, it was like, 'Okay, yeah, I've always done good at school,' but I didn't know these types of opportunities were here for me," said Delashay.

Delashay took an African American Studies and Law Psychology course and excelled at both.

"My baby got an A and an A-minus, in a college course and she's just a junior. I don't know what parent wouldn't be excited about that," said Delashay’s father Terrance.

Now Delashay's experience is inspiring other girls in North Tulsa to think outside the box and apply to college.

"She's from North Tulsa, I'm from North Tulsa too. If she can do it, maybe I can," said Aaliyha Nelson a sophomore from McClain High School.

Aaliyha met Delashay through the Soaring Eagles Program, a non-profit that encourages young girls to break the cycle of incarceration and teen pregnancy.

"There's been a lot of people in my life telling me, I'm not gonna do nothing with my life, that I was going to end up pregnant like my momma did, and I felt like, 'I'm gonna prove them wrong," said Aaliyha.

"We're encouraging and we're helping teen girls to believe in themselves," said Soaring Eagles Executive Director Premadonna Braddick.

Braddick says it is a wonderful feeling to see girls like Delashay and Aaliyah realize there is something more out there for them.

"Everything is possible. The sky is not the limit," said Delashay.

If you would like to donate to Soaring Eagles to help other students from North Tulsa go to college summer programs or even to help pay for college visits, you can head to Soaring Eagles Website or Facebook Page.