Ellen DeGeneres is known for her big heart and generosity, but her latest good deed has taken her acts of kindness to the next level.

Together with Walmart, DeGeneres has given 41 gradating seniors the opportunity to go to college on a full scholarship. The $1.6 million donation will cover the tuition for the graduating class from Brooklyn’s Summit Academy Charter School to attend any State University of New York.


DeGeneres first connected with Brooklyn’s Summit Academy Charter School after the founder of the school, Natasha Campbell, wrote a letter to The Ellen DeGeneres Show. Campbell and Cheryl Swift, principal of the school, then appeared on the show where they shared the inspirational story about the school and their students.

Campbell and Swift explained that the school is located in a very poor neighborhood in Brooklyn where only 4 percent of the community has access to higher education.

“Many of the students are homeless, some come from single-parent households, live in bad areas and have difficult home lives,” shared EllenTV.com.

Campbell and Swift’s main goal is to send their students to college. The 2017 class is currently on track for a 100 percent acceptance rate.

See Campbell and Swift’s first interview below.

During Campbell and Swift’s second appearance on the show, they brought the entire graduating class of 2017, where DeGeneres gave them a surprise of a lifetime.

The students from Summit were completely stunned to learn about the scholarships.

“Our mission is for them to go to college,” Swift said to NBC News. “Now they don’t have any obstacles.”

Thanks to DeGeneres and Walmart, anything is now possible for these students.

“Their wildest dreams can be achieved,” Campbell told NBC News in an interview.

See the full interview below, including the big reactions from the students.