FORT WORTH, Texas — On Tuesday, Dickies Arena was filled with music, cheer and energy, as students filled the seats for Senior Decision Day for the Class of 2024 at Uplift Education.
And for Uplift, Decision Day is a big day to celebrate and uplift this generation for the future. That's because every single senior -- 1,024 in all -- were accepted into college.
The Class of 2024 saw 4,243 different college acceptances in all, with a total of $124 million in scholarships awarded. All of the school's seniors will now go on to attend college or workforce training programs.
Uplift Education is a free public charter school that serves Dallas and Tarrant County students. Students are selected by a random lottery; 80% of their students face economic hardships and 78% are first-generation college attendees.
For the last 14 years, they've held Senior Decision Day, a day to celebrate their students plans after high school.
Bemnet Asafa, a senior, stepped on stage to announce his decision.
"My name is Bemnet Asefa, and I'm going to MIT!" he exclaimed.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology only accepts 4% of all applicants. Asefa will study mechanical engineering in the Fall.
Asefa's family is from Ethiopia. His parents moved to North Texas in 2004.
"I hope to make their sacrifice worth it," he said.
His mom and siblings sat in the bleachers waiting for Asefa's turn to announce his decision. They stood and screamed with joy.
"I'm so excited, I can't explain my feeling," his mom, Rahel, said. "That's his first choice. He did hard work and he got it."
Mykala Williams, a senior, has been at Uplift Education since she was in pre-k.
"I'm going into the pre-med track so I can become a travel nurse," she said.
Williams walked on stage, stood in front of the microphone and announced, "My name is Mykala Williams and in the Fall of 2024, I'm going to UT Austin!"
She is fulfilling her mom's aspirations to be a nurse.
"My goal is to hopefully go into low-income societies and bring in new healthcare opportunities for them," Williams said.