Atlanta teen accepted to 40+ colleges, offered $1.6 million in scholarships

By Zac Summers

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    DOUGLASVILLE, Georgia (WANF) — Getting into a good college and paying for it can be a challenge for many students and their families, but one student in Douglas County won’t have to spend a dime after receiving more than a million dollars in scholarships from dozens of schools.

Regis Harris always knew he wanted to go to college, but the 17-year-old never imagined he would have so many schools vying for his talents.

“I’m so blessed to have this opportunity,” he said. “There were several schools at the top of my list.”

Harris has acceptance letters from more than 40 colleges and universities across the country and has earned a total of $1.6 million dollars in scholarships. Some of the schools are highly sought-after institutions including the University of Georgia (UGA) and the University of Southern California (USC).

“It was a lot of sacrifices,” said Harris. “There were a lot of nights I stayed up studying all night long.”

A senior at Chapel Hill High in Douglasville, Harris is a member of the school band, chess club, varsity track team, and National Honor Society. The straight-A student also holds a part-time job and sings in the church choir. He believes community service is equally important as being academically gifted.

“The hardest part for me was that I balanced staying on top of work but also that I maintained being a well-rounded person,” he said.

Harris’s parents told Atlanta News First there aren’t enough words to describe how proud they are of their son. He’s been a fighter all his life. Born with a heart condition, Harris had to have open heart surgery 2 days after he was born.

“The doctors told me he would be developmentally delayed,” his mother, Kia Harris, explained. “They even stated that he might have to have heart surgery again. He is our miracle.”

All these years later, Harris continues to defy the odds, excited for the next chapter of his life.

“I’m looking forward to being able to adapt, to expand my mind, my learning and I can’t wait,” he said.

Harris plans to attend North Carolina A&T, where he’ll study biology (pre-med) with the hopes of one day being a psychiatrist.

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