A Plus: Worcester Academy's Ian Gachunga

THE CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK AND INTRODUCING US TO THIS EXCEPTIONAL STUDENT. >> IAN HAS ALWAYS HAD BIG DREAMS. >> IF I DIDN'T WORK HARD ENOUGH FOR IF I-- IF I JUST DIDN'T DREAM HARD ENOUGH, THIS WOULDN'T EVEN BE A POSSIBILITY. >> AND PERHAPS THOSE DREAMS WERE FORMED EVEN BEFORE HE WAS BORN. HIS MOTHER MOVED TO THE U.S. FROM KENYA I '90S FOR OPPORTUNITIES AND A BETTER LEFT, A SINGLE MOM WORKING LONG DAYS AS A NURSE, SHE INSTILLED HARD WORK FOR HER SON. >> NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE. WITH ENOUGH HARD WORK, YOU CAN DO ANYTHING. >> AND THAT'S HOW IAN ENDED UP HERE AT WORCESTER ACADEMY, AN ELITE PREP SCHOOL HE THOUGHT WAS OUT OF REACH. >> ESPECIALLY WITH THE COSTS OF EVERYTHING, I WASN'T SURE IF IT WAS FEASIBLE OR POSSIBLE, BUT LUCKILY, AND WITH HARD WORK, REALLY, I WAS ABLE TO BE ABLE TO ATTEND HERE. >> HE WAS NOT ONLY ACCEPTED, BUT HIS GRADES AND THAT WORK ETHIC GOT HIM A SCHOLARSHIP. WHILE HE CONTINUES TO IMPRESS HIS TEACHERS ACADEMICALLY, IAN HAS FOUND HIS TRUE PASSION IN LEADERSHIP. SERVING ON WORCESTER ACADEMY'S BOARD OF MONSTERS, IAN SAYS IT'S IMPORTANT FOR KIDS HIS AGE, PERHAPS WITH THE SAME BACKGROUND, TO FIND THEIR VOICE AND TO BE THAT VOICE FOR OTHERS. >> IN MY OPINION, I JUST THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO SPEAK UP AND BE CONFIDENT IN WHAT YOU BELIEVE IN. >> ALSO ON HIS ACADEMIC RESUME', IAN'S INVOLVEMENT IN THEATER AND VOLUNTEERISM IN THE COMMUNITY. >> HE'S MORE THAN JUST A STUDENT IN THE CLASSROOM. HE INVESTS IN ALL AREAS OF GROWTH FOR WHETHER THAT'S HIS PROFESSIONAL FUTURE OR THE COMMUNITY. >> COLLEGE COUNSELOR AARON GOING SAYS HE WOULDN'T BE SURPRISED IF IAN GOT INTO ALL 15 COLLEGES HE APPLIED TO. >> THE BIGGEST PROBLEM COULD BE WHERE DO I GO, RIGHT? AND THAT'S NEVER A BAD THING HAVING THAT MANY OPTIONS. >> I'M REALLY HOPING FOR THE BEST. I'M HOPING THAT MY HARD WORK WILL SHOW AND I CAN ATTEND THE COLLEGE OF MY DREAMS. >> DREAMS COMING TRUE, THANKS TO DEDICATION AND DETERMINATION. IAN OF WORCESTER ACADEMY, THIS WEEK'S A-PLUS. AND AGAIN, WE VISITED WORCESTER ACADEMY BEFORE SCHOOLS WERE SHUT DOWN STATEWIDE. AS FOR IAN, HE'S HOPING SCHOLARSHIP MONEY COMES THROUGH, BUT HE ALREADY KNOWS THAT HE WANTS TO MAJOR IN PSYCHOLOGY. HE WANTS TO USE THAT DEGREE TO REACH OUT AND H