"I'm the son of a warehouse worker and an immigrant; a first generation student. Today, I graduated from Harvard." Shannon Satonori Lytle

 

Shannon Satonori Lytle, who studied Computer Science at Harvard University and graduated a few days ago, shared this emotional story via his Facebook page. Speaking on his journey, he wrote;  

"In high school, I flipped burgers at McDonald’s so I could afford the privilege of taking the SAT. I fed and cared for my three baby siblings until they went to sleep and stayed up until 4am to do my homework. I walked home through a dangerous part of the city after extracurriculars because I couldn’t afford a car. I stuck my laptop out of my window at night to steal my neighbor’s wifi and finish my schoolwork. I was scoffed at and told, “from this part of Ohio, only the children of doctors and lawyers get to go to Ivy League Schools.” In college, I panicked when my laptop broke because I had worked 150 minimum wage hours to buy it. I scrubbed toilets, shelved books, and sold clothing so I could chase my dreams and travel the world. Throughout my life, I have maneuvered and begged for every kind of subsidy and coupon. I'm the son of a warehouse worker and an immigrant; a first generation student. Today, I graduated from Harvard."