She found out she had been accepted to Duke University by her mother’s gravesite. Skylah stated that she wanted her mother to be part of her joyous moment, so she checked for her acceptance by her side.

“I knew that since my mother had missed a lot of things with me in my childhood, growing up, and since this was mobile, I could take my computer to open the email anywhere, I knew I wanted to do it with her,” Skylar told Good Morning America.

“I thought whether I get accepted or denied, I wanted to share this moment with her because I knew it would be filled with emotion,” she added.

While in Grason High School, Skylah took Advanced Placement courses and at the same time worked two jobs. Skylah was also involved with local activism, dedicating over 200 hours to community service.

She participated in a mental health awareness campaign called DoSomething Club and the Black Lives Matter initiatives, and volunteers with the Marine Conservation Club. “It was the best feeling in the world. I was so proud of myself. All my hard work and sacrifices paid off, and it just made me really happy,” she said.

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Skylah expressed her gratitude to her father, aunts and grandmother for encouraging and pushing her to excel. She was awarded a scholarship by the Robertson Scholars Leadership Program here at Duke University.

Skylah is currently studying psychology with a minor in Policy Journalism and Media Studies at Duke University as a Robertson scholar.