With prestigious scholarship, formerly homeless teen pursues her dreams

NEW YORK (FOX5NY.COM) - In 2016, Fox 5 introduced you to Sebastian Robeck and his mother Shari. After struggling with homelessness, they had something to celebrate when Sebastian was admitted to American University with a scholarship and all.  Now, the Robeck family is recognizing another milestone.

Brianna Robeck, Sebastian's sister, is one of just 10 New York Times college scholarship recipients this year. The scholarship offers her financial assistance, a summer internship at the Times, and mentorship as she prepares for the next stage of her life as a college student.

For Brianna, this is just her latest victory in a childhood paved with adversity. She says getting into college was so exciting, but hearing about the scholarship made it more amazing.

Shari says she is very grateful that the Times awarded Brianna a scholarship because she worked so hard and deserves it.

Beyond her academic achievement, Brianna has also put 200 percent into helping other young people. Because she has lived in several homeless shelters over the years, she raised money to buy Christmas presents for young kids currently living in a shelter. She was their Santa Claus.

But growing up in a shelter was never easy. She says keeping that a secret when she was in school was really hard. Other kids had playdates, but she couldn't invite friends over to the shelter. She says she always looked to sports and athletics to help her get through it. She says being a part of a team made her feel less alone.

And these days, athletics fuels everything Brianna does as she begins to pursue her dream of becoming a personal trainer. She says he has always loved helping people. So her dream is to use her passion for fitness to help others.