This is so exciting.
OK, so where did all of you choose to go to college?
Where'd you go?
I'm Linc, and I chose to go to University at Albany, SUNY.
OK.
My name's Sharinel.
I decided to go to University at Albany.
My name's Nyasha.
I chose go to University at Albany, SUNY.
My name is Ruddy, and I go to go to SUNY Broome Community
College
My name is Quincy, I go to SUNY at Purchase College.
My name is Keanna.
I go to Corning Community College.
- All right.
[CHEERING]
That was that cool, to say that.
Yeah.
It felt good.
I'm just a little nervous.
I'm going to admit, I was a little bit nervous saying that.
I don't know about him, but that felt great.
It feels great to say it.
I love it.
It's official, to say like, where you go.
Yeah, to say you're in college.
So this is very exciting.
I can't wait for you all to see this,
we partnered with Wal-Mart, to create
a digital series for Summit And it follows these six college
students.
And then we're going to premiere it today.
So take a look at this.
[CLASSICAL MUSIC]
This community has been challenged.
And if you looked up Redhook two years ago,
you would see drugs and crime.
Our mission is college.
Our mission says, hey, we're going to get kids in college.
They're going to excel in college.
And you know what?
They're going to graduate from college.
We've never done anything this big before.
We reached out to the people at Wal-Mart.
And they want to give each one of you a four-year scholarship.
[EXCITED SHRIEKING]
[LAUGHTER]
[CHEERING]
[APPLAUSE]
The scholarship afforded our scholars a loan-free education.
I feel nervous.
But I feel excited at the same time.
I'm going to make it out the door.
Kids aren't graduating thinking, how
am I going to pay this back?
Our kids are going to graduate saying,
how will I pay it forward?
All of 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, you know?
We grew up in a tough environment.
And showing weakness showed like you're not
ready for that type of lifestyle.
If I didn't come to this school, I think I'd be in jail.
There wouldn't be no me here.
He's a smart kid.
I just wanted him to watch his back, and his surroundings.
Last summer we was like, the big fish in a little pond.
Now we're like, little fish in a big pond.
It feels like he's forgetting about me.
They believed in me.
I have to work hard.
And I have to show them that this wasn't a mistake.
I didn't want to put my parents into all that debt.
I don't want to be a burden, you know, like,
oh, we got to be for college.
Melick, we love you.
We bless you.
We appreciate you.
(CRYING) I can't do this no more.
He gonna get a brain that you and me, ain't nobody else got.
There's nothing else to do but to do it.
[MUSIC - SIA, "BIRD SET FREE"]
(SINGING) I don't care if I sing off key.
Oh man, it's really happening.
(SINGING) I find myself in my melodies.
I sing for love.
I sing for me. i shout it out, like a bird set free.
Oh, oh, oh!
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.
(SINGING) Like a bird set free.
[MUSIC - SIA, "BIRD SET FREE"]
[APPLAUSE, CHEERING]
I don't think I spoke.
So isn't that amazing?
So Cheryl and Tasha are in the audience today.
How does that feel, to watch--
[CHEERING]
First of all, Ellen, thank you so much,
for really creating a ripple that we don't know
how far this is going to go.
We just want to thank you.
And we are just proud.
I sit here like a peacock, because our children
are doing some amazing things.
And it's because of you and Wal-Mart.
And we couldn't be prouder.
Thank you so much.
[CHEERING]
We are so excited to be a part of this.
And thank you, Wal-Mart.
Yes, thank you, Wal-Mart, for stepping up to do that.
That's the biggest thing we've ever done.
But we so excited to be a part of this.
And I'm sure they're inspiring your students
that you have now.
Oh, of course, absolutely.
Would you say, how have you changed since this experience?
Ever since I stepped foot in college,
I can't depend on my mom to do my laundry, or like, do dishes.
Like, I'm just going be honest.
This is my first time--
I learned how to do my own bed.
Like, I know how to make my bed.
[LAUGHTER]
Good for you.
You have to smooth it out.
You don't want it ruffled.
I know how to do laundry now.
So that's good.
Fluff pillows?
Yeah.
I agree.
I used a pod.
You know, you can just put them inside the washing machine.
Yeah, 'cause you can't overdo it that way.
- Nope.
That's right.
- You don't mix the reds with the whites,
or else you're going to pink clothes,
and you learn all that stuff.
Good, I'm glad.
All right.
Well, Wal-Mart has something else for you,
to help you continue succeed, and to succeed in college.
Wal-Mart is giving each of you $10,000.
[EXCITED SHRIEKING]
[CHEERING]
[SHRIEKING]