High school senior in Harlem celebrates Cornell acceptance

NEW YORK (WABC) -- A high school senior in Manhattan is making the most of his mother's hard work to make his future brighter.

There was a celebration at Democracy Prep Harlem High School when Winston Perez found out he was accepted at Cornell University.

It's a dream his mother has had for him since he was little, when she moved to the U.S. from the Dominican Republic, leaving her son behind so she could establish a life.

Winston moved to the U.S. when he was 9 years old.

Now, nearly a decade later, he's showing how hard work has paid off.

He plans to study architecture at Cornell, after his mom helped him build his dream.