Homeless prom queen finishes high school in 2 years, gets full ride to college

WASHINGTON -- Destyni Tyree grew up homeless, but that didn't stop her from finishing high school in two years with a 4.0 grade point average and snagging a full-ride scholarship to college.

The 16-year-old was also voted prom queen by her peers and was the captain of her school's cheerleading squad.

Tyree and her family lived in claustrophobic conditions with 243 other families in one of the most notorious homeless shelters in Washington, D.C.

The difficulties and stress from her living situation bubbled over into Tyree's academic life. She pulled out of several schools before she enrolled in Roosevelt S.T.A.Y. School, where she excelled.

"If you work hard enough, if you have that drive, if you have that motivation, it gets a lot better," she told ABC News.

Tyree starts school at Potomac State College of West Virginia University in August.