Harvard-bound grad turns down $40,000 in scholarship money for community college student

A Harvard University-bound teenager from the Boston area is getting praise for a selfless gesture that will help someone else go to college.

Verda Tetteh moved to America with her mother and siblings from Ghana at 8 years old. A decade later, she was nervous turning down $40,000 in scholarship money. However, she was bold enough to announce such a decision at her high school graduation.

"I would be so very grateful if administration would be, would consider giving the, general excellence scholarship to someone who's going to community college," Tetth said on stage while wearing her cap and gown.

The graduating class at Fitchburg High School gave her a standing ovation for her choice.

"Someone else needs it more than me and there just was no excuse why I wouldn't give it up when that was the right thing to do," Tetteh said.

Tetteh's mother, Rosemary Annan, went to community college at 39 and was moved by her daughter's kindness.

"That touched my heart," Annan said. "I would do that, I know I would do that, she's learned from me over the years."

Fitchburg High School principal Jeremy Roche plans to help her determine what to do with the scholarship money.

"What she did, it represents the best of humanity in a sense," Roche said.

Tetteh wants to study chemistry on a pre-med track at Harvard.