Formerly homeless teen's hard work pays off as he's accepted to 17 colleges


Dylan Chidick refused to let anything get between him and his dream of going to college.
The 17-year-old high school senior from Jersey City, New Jersey, has been accepted to 17 colleges, a difficult feat even under the easiest of circumstances. Chidick came to the United States from Trinidad when he was 7 years old, and after his mother lost her job, the family — including his younger twin brothers, who have serious heart conditions — had to live in a homeless shelter. A local nonprofit, Women Rising, recently helped the family get on their feet, and they now have housing.
Through it all, Chidick excelled at Henry Snyder High School, serving as senior class president and a member of the Honor Society. "My family went through a lot and there has been a lot of people saying, 'You can't do that,' or 'You're not going to achieve this,' and getting these acceptances kind of verifies what I have been saying — I can do it and I will do it," he told CBS New York. Chidick, who will be the first person in his family to go to college, wants to study political science, and is waiting for the acceptance letter from his top choice: The College of New Jersey. Catherine Garcia
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Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
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