Student with Autism and PTSD Gets Accepted into 9 Colleges with 8 Full-Ride Scholarships

 

18-year-old Chicago resident, Kymera Mitchell, was diagnosed with autism and PTSD at age 6. 12-years later, she has successfully graduated high school with honors and has been accepted into 19 colleges with 8 full-ride scholarships.

“I wouldn’t let anyone who doesn’t have a disability try and stop me from what I’m doing,” Kymera told CBS.

Aside from her educational feats, Kymera received more than $500,000 in scholarships and financial aid. Her victory brought relief to her mother, Kalaveeta Mitchell. “I was like, ‘Oh my gosh,’ she has this amount of money and she has full rides to some of these schools. All of the agony, it just left me,” she said.

Howard University, Tuskegee University, De Paul University of Illinois Chicago, and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago are among the schools Kymera has been accepted to.

With a 4.0 GPA, the 18-year-old graduated from Alcott College Prep High School in May. According to Good Morning America, she has garnered more than 30 Special Olympics trophies from local and state events, where she competed in track and field, shot-put, bocce, and floor hockey.

Kymera told GMA, “I kept pushing myself [through] the challenges that would be thrown at me. I feel proud of myself.” She also added that she received support and motivation from some of her teachers.

Kymera’s mother, Kalaveeta, noted that her child did not always receive support from the school system. She had to fight for her kid to have the same education as other students. She also mentioned how difficult it was to convince others to view her kid as a person rather than just someone with a disability.

Kalaveeta believes that persons with disabilities cannot compete with people who do not have disabilities. According to her, she has always been aware of her daughter’s greatness, even if others found it difficult to embrace.

The 18-year-old intends to study fine arts in order to pursue her dream of becoming a graphic designer. She fantasizes about creating her own characters for comic books or web series.

Kymera has yet to reveal which college she intends to attend, but she expects to announce her decision during a graduation party later this week.

She advised other students with disabilities who are also on their path to college to focus on their “studies [and] ignore negative energy from people.”