ST. LOUIS — "I have been able to catch my breath and take it all in. It feels great," said 17-year-old Mya Grimes.
Grimes is all smiles and with good reason.
"It just feels really good to have achieved this. I'm glad to be a part of some positive news that I can share with the world," Grimes told 5 On Your Side's Robert Townsend.
Mya is a senior at Metro High School near midtown St. Louis. She's an honor-roll student with a 3.5 G P A and she's also captain of her school's track and volleyball teams.
"I'm just honored and really grateful to be in this position," said Grimes.
And what a "position" to be in.
It all started last November when Mya got on her computer and applied for college admissions.
"The University of Nebraska was the first school that I applied for. I was like let me submit a few applications," said the high school senior.
Her "few applications" quickly soared.
"And I saw the scholarship offer from the University of Nebraska and then I was really pumped," added Grimes.
The Metro High School senior so "pumped" that she kept on applying.
"It felt like a game. I was enjoying it. I submitted 30 more applications and got 29 more acceptances. I saw online that so many students from around the nation had set $1 million goals, so I said I can also do that, and, I set the goal of $1 million for myself in college scholarships," said Mya.
In just five months, she actually exceeded her goal.
"I was so excited. I received at least $1,033,591 in scholarship offers and yeah I was very, very happy," said the St. Louis teenager.
"I told her that I would always keep the two sticky notes that I wrote down her 30 scholarship offers on because these are the moments at which time she did it," said Tamara Johnson, Mya's ecstatic high school counselor.
Metro's million-dollar-plus scholarship winner "did it" on her own and Mya kept her awesome achievement a secret from her parents until last week.
"I just wanted to surprise my mom and dad," said Mya.
"I am very proud that Mya got all the scholarship money. I'm glad that she's graduating in May, but to say that she is a great person and that she has a great heart, that's what's most important as her parents. Mya has proven that she does not fit in a box and whatever she determines as excellence, that is what she's going to go for," said Tina Grimes, Mya's mom.
Wait, there's much more to Mya.
"I just love a good challenge and following my passions," said the multi-talented, high school senior.
In November 2020, during the coronavirus pandemic, the girl who has always dreamed big, started her online clothing and apparel business called, "Mya's Tees."
"I just wanted to put all the time at home during the pandemic to good use and so I started my business and I'm proud to say it's going well. I have decided to attend Jackson State University in Jackson, Mississippi in August. I plan to study business administration. JSU is my mom's alma mater and I'm really excited to go there. As for advice to other seniors applying for college scholarships, I would say believe in yourself, follow your passions and just go for it," said Mya Grimes.