A North Carolina teen returned from camp last summer and discovered her parents had abandoned her. After years of hardship, Dawn Loggins did the same thing she had done before. She adjusted.

She went to live with a friend's mother, took a part-time job as a custodian at her school, kept her grades high and beat the odds to graduate this week, earning a partial scholarship to Harvard.

All this despite having to study by candlelight, wear an overcoat on nights when the power had been turned off at her family's home and dealing with the bullying she faced wearing the same dress to school.

The community is helping, generously donating to a fund to help pay her way.

"There are no excuses," she told a reporter from WBTV. "It depends on you and no one else."

(WATCH the WBTV video below, or READ the story in the Seattletimes) -Thanks to Steve G. for sending the link!