'I got in!': Watch South Carolina teen's ecstatic reaction to Harvard acceptance

A South Carolina teen will never forget the moment he got into Harvard University and not just because it's a viral video.

Dre'Shon Jackson, a high school senior from Florence, South Carolina, was in disbelief and overwhelmed with triumph after reading his admission letter.

The video, shared by his mother LaShonda NeSmith-Jackson, shows her son completely ecstatic. The post also features a photo of Dre'Shon wearing a hoodie showing his Harvard pride.

LaShonda, a Florence councilwoman, said her son has been dreaming of going to the Ivy League school since the seventh grade and now can proudly say he accomplished that goal.

"I’ve heard the saying if nobody laugh at your dreams, you’re not dreaming big enough," she wrote on Facebook. "We knew it was a long shot, but you miss every shot you don’t take right?"

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'I didn't know what was gonna happen'

Dre'Shon wasn't sure whether he was going to be admitted, rejected or deferred before opening that admission letter.

"I didn't know what was gonna happen," he told Good Morning America. "I clicked the button and all I could see was confetti and the word congratulations. And I didn't care about anything else on the screen, I was just like, 'I got in!'"

LaShonda said she recalls asking Dre'Shon at 4 years old whether he wanted to grow up to be a follower or a leader, according to GMA. She said that simple exchange played a role in her son's ambition and perseverance.

"You can either be a chicken (that's) grounded or you can be an eagle that really soars above the clouds," she told GMA. "Every single day, before he got out of my vehicle, I would ask him this to set the tone for when he goes to school."

Harvard accepted less than 700 early action applicants

Harvard College announced this this month that the school admitted just 692 of 7,921 early-action applicants to the class of 2028, an 8.7% acceptance rate.

Dre'Shon said he is stoked to be one of those 692 students, but his mother's delight rivaled his. LaShonda wrote on Facebook that her son was the president of multiple school organizations, the founder of his high school's newspaper club as well as a Chick-fil-A Shift Leader.

"I'm immensely proud of him," she told GMA. "Dre'Shon is a go-getter. He has the initiative. If he wants something, he is going to go for it. If he sees something that needs changing or something that don't exist, he's a type to try to create it, make a way. And I love that about him."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Watch South Carolina teen's ecstatic reaction to Harvard acceptance