Losing a parent is one of the toughest things to go through, especially when you're a child. Trying to reorganize your life without someone special by your side is a hard task to accomplish. But it doesn't mean that their spirit isn't around you. Even if they're not around, it's important to know that they'd still be proud of your accomplishments.
Skylar Hughes always had a dream of attending Duke. It was one her family knew about for some time. So when she got a letter back from the university after applying, she made sure to share it with her biggest supporter — her mom. Sadly, her mom had died four years ago unexpectedly. Still, she symbolically got to share the big moment with her daughter.
The letter said Skylar made it in, which is such a major accomplishment — and also a milestone moment for Skylar.
She even made a video to share with her other friends and family. Not only did her friend Laniece help her post it to YouTube, but she also helped Skylar set up a GoFundMe page to help raise money for tuition. Even though Skylar has been working hard, college is still very expensive — especially on a single-parent income.
"Skylar Hughes, a Senior at Grayson High School located in Georgia, was recently accepted into Duke University's class of 2025!" Laniece wrote on YouTube. "With the unexpected loss of her mother in 2016, she has continuously strived to make her parents and family proud through excelling in academics, ballet, and community activism. She awaited the acceptance results for 16 anxious hours, just to make sure her mother could be a part of this beautiful moment."
In the video, Skylar starts crying to her father James upon realizing that she made it in. It's a beautiful moment to witness, and quite an interesting way for her to celebrate with her whole family — both her mom and the people who love and support her but who couldn't be there in person based on everything happening in the world.
Skylar has been actively practicing ballet since she was just 3 years old. Laniece made sure to mention this on the GoFundMe page. "Skylar’s love for ballet further blossomed her warm and bubbly personality," her friend wrote. "She went on to dance for nearly 15 years, participating in more than 25 performances. She also taught ballet to other young women between the ages of 5-15."
It seems as if Skylar is an important part of her community. And despite suffering from such an untimely loss, she's managed to stay focused to achieve her goals — something that's not easy to do. "Skylar maintains a 4.1 GPA, and received an astonishing score of 33 on her ACT exam," Laniece mentioned. "She was also nominated for the 2020-2021 United States Presidential Scholar Award, and was an Anti-Defamation League 'No Place for Hate' Award recipient."
Her community likely stands behind her since they're quite familiar with her drive. She's also put in plenty of hours of community service in her neighborhood, slowly but surely making the world a better place to live. Two causes she believes in are Black Lives Matter and the DoSomething Club, which focuses on mental health awareness.
Still, that's not all. Skylar also worked with the Marine Conservation Club. Technically, she's already been at Duke working on the Marine Science Field of Studies Program, which she was accepted to in 2019. So she has a clear path in life — with plenty of other hobbies and interests that make her life extra special.
Duke was always her dream, even back when she was younger. It was something her mom was well aware of. So Skylar waited 16 full hours until she could be by her mom's gravesite to make sure she could share the moment at her site. That, in itself, makes the moment even more touching.
Skylar is absolutely overjoyed with the accomplishment and likely didn't expect the attention that her special moment would get. "It was the best feeling in the world," Skylar said to NBC affiliate WRAL. "I was so proud of myself. All my hard work and sacrifices paid off, and it just made me really happy."
Getting accepted into Duke is quite difficult. For the class of 2024 (students who applied in 2019), the university reportedly had an acceptance rate of 7.68%. Based on this year's number of early decision applicants for the class of 2025, this class might see an even smaller acceptance rate. Becoming a student is such a privilege, but Skylar's impressive résumé so far likely made it hard for the college to say no.
While Duke isn't an Ivy League, it's still one of the best colleges in the country. Located in Durham, North Carolina, it's a great place for scholars from all over the world to expand their education. It's also known as one of the richest private universities around.
It's always nice to know when someone worked hard to achieve their goals. But Skylar's accomplishments are so impressive that she's truly one to watch. She has a bright future ahead of her and is bound to make a big difference in the world. According to People magazine, Skylar's mother, Rasheda Hughes, suffered a brain aneurysm when Skylar was only 11. She was fighting for her lifefor about a year before succumbing.
There's no doubt about it that Rasheda would have been so proud of the person her daughter has become. Always motivated, Skylar didn't let the hard times derail her from her path — and she also learned the best ways to honor her late mother. "She was such a vibrant woman, and I get a lot of my qualities from her," Skylar said, per People. "She's definitely my biggest inspiration."
That said, even though her friends and family likely knew Skylar was a shoe-in, she felt nervous when opening that envelope — and that's because she felt her mom's nervous energy around her, too. "Before I opened it, me and my dad and my mom, we just all prayed," she said. "I felt like my nerves were heightened because I felt like she was nervous with me … I was nervous to open it, but I wasn't really nervous to let her down because I knew she would be proud of me regardless," she continued. And she'd have been correct. It's hard not to be proud of the life Skylar's made for herself during these hard years.
