A Cleveland native who has seen his share of ups and downs will soon walk the campus of the prestigious Ivy League Harvard University.

Life wasn’t always promising for 18-year-old MC2 Stem High School student David Boone. Boone once had to get rest on park benches using his book bag as a pillow.

Boone’s family split after a drive-by shooting at their home, which he attributes to his sister’s boyfriend, according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer. His mother went to stay with her boyfriend, while his three sisters went to stay with friends, he said.

Boone was left to fend for himself.

Boone told the Plain Dealer he would sleep in a park during the daytime because “people don’t bother you.”

“You’re just taking a nap,” he said. “It’s acceptable.”

Boone was accepted to 22 of the 23 schools he applied to, including Harvard, Princeton, Yale, Brown and Penn State University. Boone also earned a Gates Millennium Scholarship, which will cover all college costs not covered by other aid, according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

Boone will study engineering and computer science at Harvard University next fall.

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