A senior at Westlake High School has been offered admission to more than 50 universities and has been awarded scholarships totaling over $1.3 million. Daya Brown, a former student council president and member of the Harvard Diversity Project, stated that she eventually did not want to pay for college.

She added that because she started the process so early, she was able to complete her scholarship and college application applications.

“I was already looking at scholarships. In each quarter, I’m writing down a different goal,” she told 11Alive.com. “Colleges have made it so easy. You have virtual visits. Go to those visits, make sure you do your research.”

Dedicating three hours a day to applications, over nearly four months, Brown further indicated that “colleges love the uniqueness about applications.”

“Sign up for those internships and go apply for that job. Go to that volunteer experience because they want to see who you are as a person,” she advised.

There were tough times along the way for Brown, but she overcame all those challenges and sought help financially when necessary. She said pain became her inspiration. “Black people were once in a point where education was not an option. And I think with this accomplishment specifically, it has really made me like think I am my ancestors’ wildest dreams.”

Besides academic work, Brown has her own production company, with a nonprofit podcast called The Scholar Social, which teaches teenagers what is going on in the world, but in a creative way, she explained. “I think simple conversations is our way to showcase our voice in this generation.”

Brown’s parents, particularly, her mom are proud of her achievements. At the moment, she plans to attend Duke University, where she will study production or journalism. She chose those two because she really loves telling stories and impacting people, the Atlanta teen said.

“It’s all about how I make people feel. I don’t care if you remember my name, it doesn’t matter how many accomplishments I have. At the end of the day if I impacted you, that’s all that matters,” Brown said.