From cars to vacations, we're used to seeing daytime talk-show hosts give fun gifts out to their audience members (cue Oprah voice). But one gift Ellen DeGeneres gave during her show this week tops them all.
On Thursday, the entire senior class of the Summit Academy Charter School in Red Hook, Brooklyn, visited The Ellen DeGeneres Show, along with their educators Cheryl and Natasha. Ellen surprised every one of the students with a full scholarship to the state college of their choice, thanks to a donation from Walmart. When she shared the news, Cheryl, Natasha, and the students all broke down in tears and screams (as did everyone at home watching, we assume).
Summit Academy is a small, publicly funded independent school with a central goal of preparing its students to get into college, according to the school website. The first class graduated last year, with 93% of students going off to college. Cheryl and Natasha told Ellen that they hope 100% of the class of 2017 will be accepted into college. When the two women first visited the show two weeks ago, Ellen and Walmart presented the academy with a $25,000 donation—so the last thing they expected was an even greater gift when they returned to the show this week.
Before presenting the scholarships, Ellen sat down with three of the students to learn more about what Summit Academy means to them. "For me, [Summit Academy] made a whole turnaround in my life," said one of the students, who plans to be the first college graduate in her family. "I feel confident, and I really think I could do something with my life and be a role model for my younger siblings who are looking up to me. ... I'm not going to be a disappointment. I'm going to be somebody," she continued, to thunderous applause.
"I consider each and every one of these people my family members. We are a family," another student told Ellen.
Watch the clip, below.
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