MACON, Ga. — A Westside High School student Mackenzie Mcduffie is ready to hit the ground running at her dream college.
With over 40 college acceptances and half a million dollars in scholarships, Mcduffie is now headed even west to Tuskegee University on a full academic scholarship.
"It's an HBCU," Mcduffie said. "The number third HBCU in the country so I was like 'yeah I'm loving this!'"
Mcduffie is turning her dreams into reality. She graduated sixth in her class and is excited about her next steps.
"I'm just proud of myself," she said. "I came a long way, I was able to manage four sports at a time, four clubs at a time and still come out with a 3.9 GPA."
Mcduffie was active in her school community and her mentors see her as a prime example of what students can accomplish.
"A student of Mackenzie's caliber, you have to be careful that you don't throw all the resources at her to overwhelm her, but be specific about what she needs for her path and journey to her higher education," Academic Coach Teleah Jackson-Walker said.
Mcduffie was also able to build college credits at Westside High School and will start college as a sophomore.
"She wasn't afraid to ask for help," said Assistant Principal Tamara Serls Morrison said. "Anything that she needed in order to be successful, she was going to ask to make sure someone supported her."
Mcduffie will study occupational therapy starting in the fall and plans on joining the track and cheer teams.
"Thank you for the teachers that I would know and look back and tell stories about for the rest of my life," Mcduffie said. "I can't thank y'all enough. I just hope the same energy they poured into me is poured back out to the other students at Westside High School. To my classmates that I graduated with, I love you all and hope you all the best!"