[MUSIC PLAYING]
So you prepped me for college.
All the things you taught me, I'm going to do it in college.
You're going to see how great I am at doing it too.
We met in sixth grade but we became like, best,
best friends in eighth grade.
Yeah, last summer we was like the big fish in a little pond.
Now we're like little fish in a big pond.
You ready?
We out of here.
I know, I-- no choice.
No, it is a choice.
But you made the best choice.
I did.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
Hello, Papi.
Hi.
When Ellen and Wal-Mart gave me a scholarship I was like, wow,
this is an amazing blessing because I
didn't want to put my parents into all that debt.
I don't want to be a burden.
You know like, oh you got to pay for college, you know.
[SPEAKING SPANISH]
My dad had an injury, before I was born
and before my sister was born, when he came to America.
My mom was the only one working and I would see her,
you know, leave every day and only come back at night.
So it's like, you know, I only had my dad.
So I grew up with my dad, like cooking for us,
and being there for us.
And, yeah, I'm going to miss them, yo.
I was just thinking about how much
I'm going to miss them now.
[SPEAKING SPANISH]
In a community where only 4% of the kids go to college,
students come from homes where the homes sometimes
have no food.
These kids have overcome all kinds of things
and all they want to do is go to college.
We reached out to the people at Wal-Mart.
They want to give each one of you a four-year scholarship.
[CHEERING]
I cannot wait to see, in four years,
what these young people are going to do.
I can't wait to see how we helped launch their lives.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
Oh my gosh.
I'm ready to go.
Yeah, this is crazy.
Are you crying?
No, no, I can't.
I'm not trying to get emotional right now.
We haven't even gotten to the college.
We're going to be together so it's all right.
This day came by so fast.
I'm going to keep repeating it, how extreme this is.
It doesn't feel real, right?
It doesn't.
No more home.
Stop, no-- don't say no more home!
This is going to be our home for--
We'll be back in November.
I told my parents, I was like, you
don't have to worry about it.
I'll see you guys often.
Are you ready to hit the road?
I'm ready to hit the road.
Let's go!
Let's go.
We can meet up when we're there.
You're getting me emotional.
Yeah, we got to stop!
Oh my gosh, guys.
Are you ready?
College road trip!
[MUSIC PLAYING]
Take advantage of everything.
Campus life is what you make it.
You have to take initiative and make things happen.
Don't sit there and wait.
This is our home place right here.
OK, then I go down around--
I know where I'm at!
We're here.
Yeah, we are.
We made it.
We're here!
There's nothing else to do but to do it.
My name's Quincy Phillips.
All right, Quincy.
So what to do-- the staff has gone through,
they've inventoried the space.
We have two keys in here-- key to the room,
key to the building.
We've got an orange wristband for you.
This is going to be your meal ticket for the next few days
until meal plans start on Saturday.
OK.
You want to head into Crossroads?
Yes.
All right.
Stings?
Bins?
You want to go see the room first?
Yes.
OK.
How's it going?
Quincy.
Pierce.
I know, we met.
Nice to meet you, brother.
Nice to meet you.
I know.
So, I see you got here first.
Yeah, I got here around one-ish--
Nice.
So just to give you a rundown--
Yeah, yeah.
You have a PlayStation.
Nice.
We'll do something with that.
And in there's a lot of the clothes over there.
And I think there's, like, all the games and all my DVDs
and stuff that I brought.
Christmas-- Aliens--
Yes.
My roommate he's super cool.
We met through text or whatever because we didn't
get to meet during orientation.
And he seemed pretty chill then but now we're in person
and we're speaking and we're clicking just fine.
So I think we're going to be super, like, besties.
Like cool friends and stuff.
I think this is going to be an interesting year together.
Oh, absolutely.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
This is the best room of them all.
This is the living room area.
We really don't-- I don't use it.
I'm in Corning Community College and I've been here for a week.
This is huge.
I know, right?
And I took the couch form the living room and put it in here.
It's nice in here, isn't it?
Thanks to my mom.
My mom, she decorates.
I don't.
I just watch and go along with it.
The kids here are great.
I've been loving it here, you know?
New place, new people, new things.
Hello, gorgeous.
Do you know I really say this, like, a lot.
I hear stuff that I don't hear in Brooklyn.
I saw a cricket for the first time in my life.
I thought it was a roach.
That's what I hear.
It's like, please tell them to shut up.
Like, why can't we make it go away?
I have two of these beds in my room at home,
like my mom's house room.
And my room is half this size.
So it was like two rooms and then
you barely could walk through the middle.
Honestly, you bump into the dressers and stuff.
And then my grandma's house is not that big.
There's one big bed and like four of us
sleep on that one bed.
So, you know, it was different.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
Welcome to Albany!
Ah!
This is crazy.
We're actually here here.
Hi.
OK, welcome to Albany.
Thank you.
Hi.
Welcome to Adirondack, I just need this from you.
I'm so excited to meet my roommate.
It's going to be so different living with someone
that I don't know.
Hi Ariel.
Nice to finally meet you in person.
This is cool.
Oh my gosh.
The closets are not that bad.
Like you say, they're--
Oh, this is nice!
Oh, this is cute!
OK, OK.
That's your side, that's her side.
The view is beautiful.
I know, with the view!
I am overwhelmed, overjoyed, ecstatic.
I'm just so--
I feel like I'm on an emotional roller coaster right now.
The campus is really big.
You see green grass, trees, and the view is spectacular.
We got lost, went around in a circle a couple of times,
but we made it.
OK.
Can you bring me that one?
I think I'm excited.
I'm a little excited to just start the college life,
you know?
It's been four years of waiting.
I feel like I'm that much closer to the real world, which
is kind of scary.
But I'm ready.
I like this view better.
Because you see the big circle, the whole campus, and the sun's
right there not too, too in the room, you know?
Perfect.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
I won Best Actor Award of 2016.
I also got a community service award
for doing work in my neighborhood.
I'm going to miss my baby.
He's my right hand man.
I told you that.
I'm going to miss him a lot.
I know he's going to do what he's got to do.
That's one thing I know, from the heart.
Because he's a smart kid.
I just want him to watch his back in this surrounding.
At least I know that train will come
to see my baby where he's at.
That's the only thing.
Grandma.
You better behave yourself.
I will.
[INAUDIBLE] I will.
I know.
I love you.
I love you too.
The opportunity Wal-Mart and Ellen
gave me made me appreciate life more.
It made me more grateful for what I have.
I'm at a place where I can relate to everyone,
which is a really good feeling.
I don't have to worry about not being in a safe environment.
I know I'm at a better place now.
I definitely feel like I made it out the hook.
Wal-Mart helped me a lot.
My microwave came from Wal-Mart, my laptop
came from Wal-Mart, what else?