NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — A Newport News teen proves anything is possible if you put the work in.
Woodside High School senior Aaron Lin will graduate at the top of his class on June 8.
After earning a highly competitive and prestigious scholarship, he won't have to worry about any tuition costs or expenses for college.
"It's like you're breaking barriers," said Lin, who's 18 years old and soon becoming the first person in his family to finish high school.
"Both my parents emigrated from China in the early 2000s. So, it was really difficult because they started from nothing," said Lin.
While at Woodside, Lin also co-founded a club called Students Say.
"It's dedicated to reconnecting students after the pandemic," said Lin. "The goal of Students Say is to teach students leadership skills. So, that is through debate exercises [...] having them write poetry, a little bit of public speaking."
On top of that, Lin served as the Newport News School Board Student Representative for the 2023-2024 school year.
Thinking about his next stop, he chose Yale University where he plans to study economics and statistics.
Lin will break barriers again as the first in his family to attend college. And he's entering the next stage of his education with funds from the Gates Scholarship, a program founded by The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
"It's to create a future generation of leaders," said Lin.
The Gates Scholarship offers last-dollar scholarships to outstanding high school seniors of color from low-income households. That means the program will cover remaining expenses on top of existing financial aid for the student.
"Gates Scholarship, they both provide you financial funding for college, but they also provide you career opportunities, internship opportunities, mentorships to help you be successful after college and during college so you can continue your leadership," said Lin.
Out of more than 50,000 applicants, Lin said he's among roughly 750 students named as a Gates Scholar this year.
"It felt like a relief since one aspect was the financial burden of college lifted off of your shoulders. The second aspect was that you're now part of this network of future leaders," he added.
Lin credits his success to his teachers and counselors, including Ms. Costello, Ms. Keyes and Ms. Frazier.
The teen also extended his gratitude to his parents, who showed a great deal of sacrifice and support for him and his sister throughout the years.
"I saw their dedication, their hard work [...] Then, in 2010, we opened the restaurant," said Lin.
His parents operate a business called Jing Jing Asian Restaurant, after years of hopping from one restaurant to another while Lin was growing up.
Additionally, Lin encourages everyone to stick with their goals even if the journey isn't easy.
"Sometimes, it might the difficult the amount of stress and pressure, but if you put in the effort and if you structure your time well enough, I think anything is possible," said Lin.
The soon-to-be first-generation college student wants to pursue a Master of Business Administration. He thinks he'll enter a career in finance or investment banking.
All in all, Lin said he's excited to explore what Yale and the Gates Scholarship have to offer.