Along with 734 other students from across America and the world, George Huynh, a high school senior at the selective public school Boston Latin School, was accepted early action to Yale’s Class of 2018 on Monday evening. While some students’ collegiate success may be celebrated in their local newspaper or high school announcements, Huynh’s story has garnered national attention as a modern-day example of the ‘American Dream’ come true.

In December 2011, the Boston Globe published a feature on George and his brother Johnny, two teenage boys in Dorchester, Boston. The brothers were the children of Vietnamese immigrants and faced extreme hardships in their lives. Their father had committed suicide, their mother did not speak English, and the family often was in dire straits financially.

After following the boys as part of an extended series on the Boston Latin School, the Globe’s journalist Billy Baker took a personal interest in the Huynh brothers’ lives. Baker helped support and mentor the brothers for nearly two years as the two boys received outstanding grades and excelled at the rigorous Boston Latin School. Baker often bought school supplies, Christmas gifts, and prom tickets for George and Johnny.

When George was accepted to Yale, Baker publicized the entire story in a series of tweets that have since been picked up by a number of media outlets including Buzzfeed, Yahoo, and the Daily Mail in Britain.

4,750 students applied early action to the University this year.