Orangeburg-Wilkinson High School student is headed to Harvard

ORANGEBURG, S.C. - According to the college prep organization Top Tier issions, roughly 3.4% of applicants were accepted to Harvard’s 2025 class.

One of those freshmen will walk the high school graduation stage this weekend here in the Midlands.

Orangeburg County School District says Tyrese Keitt is the first student to be accepted to Harvard since the district’s consolidation.

And if getting accepted to Harvard wasn’t enough, Tyrese Keitt is going to the Ivy League on a Gates scholarship.

The scholarship covers college tuition to the last dollar for college students that come from low-income households.

Keitt says getting the scholarship and his acceptance were both a testament to his mother and a childhood story that gave him the push to reach for the stars.

The Orangeburg-Wilkinson High School senior says Woody and Buzz Lightyear from the “Toy Story” movie served as inspiration.

“Toy Story has been more than just a series of movies for me. It has been a source of comfort, inspiration and a reminder that I can conquer any obstacle with determination and ,” said Keitt.

While his demeanor is reserved, his accomplishments bring the excitement out of everyone around him.

“I started yelling,” said Keitt’s mother, Joycelyn McFarlin. “And then, I started clapping and I said, ‘You know what?! That’s what I’m talking about! Your name’s got to be called all by itself.’”

After this weekend, Keitt will not only have his high school diploma, with the title of valedictorian, but also a college associate’s degree.

“It’s surreal. I can’t believe it really. Everything came so fast,” said Keitt.

Keitt says his success in the classroom is despite drastic life changes for him and his mom before he started high school.

“When I first started high school, I didn’t really believe in myself that much,” Keitt said.

Keitt says his parents divorced before he started high school which he wrote about in his acceptance essay.

“When my parents divorced, I faced many hardships, including moving and mental exhaustion,” said Keitt.

“We had lost everything during the divorce. I there was times that I didn’t even go to sleep, because I don’t only work at the mill, but I also do hair. So, I may leave the mill and go to the shop...come here. Give him a hug and a kiss. Then wash and go straight to work,” said McFarlin.

Keitt says at first, he struggled academically because of the changes at home.

It was then that he started collecting “Toy Story” replicas to cope. As he filled his toy shelf, Keitt says the movie and his mother’s work ethic began to shift his perspective.

As he silently competed against himself in the classroom, Keitt climbed to the top of his class by his senior year while balancing a job working at a shoe store.

As graduation approaches, mother and son reflected on a tough journey and some of the messages they’ve shared.

McFarlin read a text Keitt sent thanking her.

“It’s the way you raised me. You taught me to show up and to apply myself. To push through anything and give it my best no matter what the situation looks like,” it read.

Keitt says his story is still being written.

“As I look forward to college and a whole new world, I carry these lessons ready to face new challenges and reach for the stars. To infinity and beyond,” said Keitt.

Keitt says he also helped tutor other students in his class. He will walk across the stage with a 5.2 GPA, and a 1300 SAT score.

Keitt says he plans to major in computer science at Harvard. He says he hopes to become a computer software developer after he receives his degree.

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