Teen who was once homeless gets accepted into 17 colleges

NEW JERSEY (FOX 35 ORLANDO) - A New Jersey teenager is the talk of the internet after overcoming homelessness and getting himself accepted to 17 colleges.

Dylan Chidick, 17, is an honors student at Henry Snyder High School. He's also a member of the National Honor Society and president of his class. 

But his life hasn't always been easy. Dylan tells Fox 35 that he moved to the U.S. from Trinidad when he was 7-years-old and faced non-stop struggles throughout his school years.

His younger twin brothers both needed heart surgery and his mother, Khadine Phillip, ended up losing her job, forcing the family into homeless shelters. 

"What kept me motivated was becoming a role model for my brothers and getting out of the shelter," Dylan tells Fox 35.

Through it all, the intelligent teen was determined to make a better life for himself and his family.

"It was a very dark time and I did not want to end back up in that situation again, so I worked harder."

That hard work paid off. His first acceptance letter came in October and he says he couldn't have been more excited.

"I couldn’t stop talking about it! There was this point in time where one came every Saturday and I used to stand by the mailbox just waiting for the mailman!"

Not only does Dylan have his pick of colleges to choose from now, but he's setting his sights on law school.

Dylan hopes his story will inspire others who may be going through similar life struggles.

"I would say, just keep pushing through. What you’re going through now should not define you in any way and you should keep working hard. The work you put in now you will foresee in the future."