"The head of the class Danielle Allen University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | Age: 21 ""I am proof that hard work pays off and that you can overcome circumstance."" What changed her life: Getting a standing ovation at her high school graduation for receiving $1.1 million in scholarship offers, a rarity in her school, where it was common for students to drop out before senior year. ""I watched my class dwindle from 330 students to 120 by graduation,"" she says. What happened next: Allen, who grew up poor in a high-crime area in Monroe, North Carolina, focused on creating more success stories like hers. As a freshman, she helped research families' attitudes on public education for the Council on African American Affairs. Allen has also taught English to low-income, college-bound students in Texas. ""There was nothing better than to see them have 'aha!' moments when they realized that hard work reaps reward,"" says the Truman Scholar. Words she lives by: ""Love where you've been, where you're going and, most important, who you are."""
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