Getting into Harvard University has been a childhood dream for Adam Abu Ghaida, one that the 18-year-old Lebanese pupil at Dunecrest American School has accomplished with sheer grit and determination.
He was seven years old when he discovered his love for computers and created an animated, digital novel.
“We were still living in Lebanon and I was really bored one day, when my dad exposed me to a platform called Scratch, which is a children's programming language,” Mr Abu Ghaida said.
"That's where I got my start and it's been small steps until today."
Since then, Mr Abu Ghaida has gone on to develop many iOS apps.
In getting a place at Harvard, he joins an elite list that includes the likes of former US president Barack Obama, former Microsoft CEO Bill Gates, American theoretical physicist Robert Oppenheimer, and American lawyer Ruth Bader Ginsburg, among others.
Mr Abu Ghaida visited Harvard in the summer of 2022, when he found that "the real value of education is in the people you meet and the connections you make for the future".
It's about "being surrounded by people who are probably going to change the world" that he is "super excited about".
Mr Abu Ghaida aims to use the "same resources" as them, and is looking forward to being "involved in innovation and pushing the boundaries of fields".
“I'm also really excited to take advantage of a programme called the Harvard Innovation Lab, which is like a start-up incubator and has been the birthplace of many different ideas," Mr Abu Ghaida said.
“I really want to be involved in that. Mark Zuckerberg cofounded Facebook in the dorms of Harvard University, and I want to explore how he was able to do that and all the resources he had."
'A very proud moment'
Mr Abu Ghaida has been preparing for Harvard's admissions process since his early teens. He was accepted this year and will begin his education at the Ivy League university in September.
“We were all waiting around the computer in the early morning and (getting accepted) is such a huge honour," said Mr Abu Ghaida.
He has been accepted for the bachelor’s degree in software engineering and computer science.
"It was a very proud moment for me and my family," Mr Abu Ghaida said.
"I think I am the first person from my village in Lebanon to attend Harvard University."
Mr Abu Ghaida has created a weather application that tracks unique meteorological metrics and data. He also participated in the national iOS Design Challenge and created an application that was like a social media platform teaching people about different parts of the world and allowing them to share their experiences.
“It's like a social media platform, except there's no feed," said Mr Abu Ghaida.
"The feed is the globe, and you can click on different parts of the globe to be able to see different posts.
"It's main premise is essentially teaching other people about your world, but just based on location, and where you're from and how unique your experience is.”
The application is in the design phase now.
For his achievements, he was recently honoured by Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak, Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence, at a ceremony in Abu Dhabi.
What the future holds
Mr Abu Ghaida will now turn his attention to his university education, and developing new ideas and start-ups.
Apart from computers and coding, Mr Abu Ghaida is a self-taught guitarist and an amateur photographer.
“I've been playing instruments ever since I can remember. It's been a huge part of who I am," he said.
The pupil said the faculty and community at his school had supported him every step of the way.
Jeff Smith, Director at Dunecrest American School, said Mr Abu Ghaida was an inspiration to other students.
"We are extremely proud of Adam, he has enriched our school community in so many ways,” he said.
“Apart from his outstanding academic achievements, Adam has been the National Honour Society president, and he spearheaded after-school clubs teaching other pupils how to code.
“By emphasising real-world project-based learning, we strive to elevate student achievement in diverse ways, preparing students to make a meaningful difference in the world.
“A true leader, Adam is intrinsically motivated to try new things and succeed at whatever he undertakes.”
Ivy League universities - in pictures
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Former Harvard students include US Supreme Court Justices Elena Kagan and Ruth Bader Ginsburg, actors Matt Damon and Tommy Lee Jones, former US presidents Barack Obama and John F Kennedy, and actresses Natalie Portman and Stockard Channing. Photo: Nick Allen -
Kayaks at the John W Weeks Bridge and clock tower over Charles River in Harvard University's campus in Boston, Massachusetts. Getty -
Despite popular opinion, and this statue, John Harvard did not establish the university, but he was the first major benefactor, donating half of his estate and his library. AP -
Harvard University is one of cheaper the Ivy League options. AP -
Harvard, the first university in the American colonies, was founded On September 8, 1636. Reuters -
US presidents Woodrow Wilson and James Madison graduated from Princeton University. Getty -
Michelle Obama, US Supreme Court Justices Samuel Alito and Sonia Sotomayor, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and actress Brooke Shields are a few of the notable people to attend Princeton. Reuters -
Former US president John F Kennedy left Princeton University to attend Harvard. Alarmy -
The library and McGraw bell tower on the Cornell University campus in Ithaca, New York. Getty -
Cornell graduate Sandy Weill is an American banker and philanthropist who was chief executive of Citigroup for more than a decade and has an estimated net worth of $1.8 billion. Getty -
Another notable Cornell billionaire is software pioneer David Duffield who co-founded Workday and PeopleSoft. AP -
Brown University is in Providence, Rhode Island. The Boston Globe / Getty -
Ivy League students such as Zoe Fuad have pushed officials to end legacy admissions, saying it is rooted in racism. AP -
Actress Emma Watson left Hogwarts for a real education at Brown University. AP -
Brown University is the seventh oldest in the US. Alamy -
Four female students filed a federal class action lawsuit claiming Brown University systematically and repeatedly failed to protect women from assault. AP -
Yale University is in New Haven, Connecticut. Reuters -
Former president Bill Clinton met his wife and former secretary of state Hillary Clinton at Yale. Both Bush presidents went there as did Meryl Streep, James Franco, Jennifer Connelly, Jodie Foster, Claire Danes, Anderson Cooper and Hunter Biden. Reuters -
Vice presidents Gerald Ford and Dick Cheney attended Yale. AP -
The highly respected Yale University went co-ed only 51 years ago. AP -
US Supreme Court Justices Clarence Thomas, Sonia Sotomayor, Samuel Alito and Brett Kavanaugh attended Yale. Alamy -
Columbia University is on the northern end of New York City, New York. Getty -
Former president Barack Obama, actors Jake Gyllenhaal, Amanda Peet, Julia Stiles and Casey Affleck, musician Alicia Keys, investor Warren Buffett and aviatrix Amelia Earhart all attended Columbia University. Reuters -
Hundreds attend a December 3, 2021 candlelight vigil for Columbia University graduate student Davide Giri, who was killed in Central Park while cycling home. Getty / AFP -
Ivy League University Dartmouth College is in Hanover, New Hampshire. EPA -
Dartmouth College’s endowment returned 47 per cent in the fiscal year that ended in June 2021, giving the university some of its strongest investment gains in decades. Bloomberg -
Shonda Rhimes, Fred Rogers, Mindy Kaling and Theodore Geisel (Dr Seuss) are just a few of the interesting people to attend Dartmouth. Bloomberg -
Henry Paulson and Timothy Geithner, two former US Treasury secretaries, attended Dartmouth. Bloomberg -
The University of Pennsylvania is in Philadelphia. Reuters -
Former president Donald Trump went to Pennsylvania University's Wharton School of Business. Reuters -
Elizabeth Banks, Elon Musk, Beau Biden and Shakira are just a few notables to have attended the University of Pennsylvania. Photo: US National Register of Historic Places -
The University of Pennsylvania has the largest number of billionaire past students of all Ivy League schools, at 25. AP
