Booker T. Sophomore Accepted To Harvard Summer Program

A Tulsa high-schooler is already an ivy leaguer. 

Delashay Lawrence is a sophomore at Booker T. who is hoping to have 8 college credits by the end of summer from one of the most prominent universities in the country.

She was accepted to Harvard's Summer School Program but needs your help to get there

"I thought Harvard is the top college in the United States, so will I even have a chance?" Lawrence asked. 

Lawrence is a straight-A student but when it came to applying to Harvard, she was a little nervous.

"I applied and I was like okay I am probably not going to get accepted,” said Lawrence, but she said she always knew there was a chance.

One of her mentors from Soaring Eagles first encouraged her to apply to the program.

"I shared it with her and I said hey I think you’ve got a shot at Harvard and she looked at me and said no way," said Founder and Director of Soaring Eagles Premadonna Braddick. 

Delashay said she reluctantly applied and was surprised to see the words "You have been accepted" on the email she got back from Harvard. 

"I didn't believe it, I kept looking like is this really for real?” said Lawrence. 

Delashay grew up in North Tulsa with 12 brothers and sisters and a very supportive single dad. 

"This will be my first child to actually see a college campus and it's making me proud every day," Delashay’s father Terrance said. 

And he knows he couldn't do it without the support of the community and Premadonna at Soaring Eagles. 

"To have so many women that are doing something positive in the neighborhood and in the city and to have my daughters a part of it. it’s a godsend," Terrence said. 

Soaring Eagles is a program that helps low-income and moderate families in inner cities and rural communities attain better opportunities in life. 

"It’s a wonderful honor for them to allow me in their lives and for their parents to allow me to work with them on a day to day basis," said Braddick.

Premadonna has mentored girls in North Tulsa for several years. 

"North Tulsa often gets a bad rap of things that happen here but I like to say there is a lot of great things and great people like Delashay," Premadonna said. 

But right now a pretty large barrier stands between Delashay and Harvard. 

"She has a partial scholarship and is in need of the rest of the tuition," said Braddick.  

Because opportunities like this will open doors to new places that Delashay has never been.  

"I’ve like never really been out of Oklahoma in my whole life," Delashay said. 

"This will help further the education of my daughter and it will let other men and women who are teens know that there will be people that will help you accomplish your dreams," said Terrance.

Soaring Eagles covered Delashay's application fee for the program but she still has to raise about $7,000. 

She has a GoFundMe page set up to help raise money.

If you would like to learn more about Soaring Eagles & Girls Teen Summit which is coming up in June, call Premadonna at 918-739-8336.