Shadther has been admitted to 6 out of the 8 universities she applied to. She is anxiously waiting to hear from those last two, including her dream school, University of Washington. Her positivity, self-motivation and initiative masks how hard she has worked to reach this moment of opportunities. She is grace under pressure.

Given her college choices, you might think that Shadther can enjoy the remainder of her 12th grade year. But being admitted to any university can be a soul crushing experience when you are unable to come close to meeting the costs of attending. News media have made it a point of ritual to tell a story of the rising costs of college tuition across America, but few stories describe just how difficult it is to be eligible for Pell grants and other forms of federal financial assistance. We’re cheering Shadther on, but we’re also looking forward to the day when real change comes about for making college affordable. Our sincerest thanks to JMU School of Media Arts and Design students, Hannah Rios and Toria Dieburg, for capturing the best of Shadther when she was in the 11th grade.