Before he was rocking Juilliard stages and teaching kids in D.C. how to act their hearts out, Jawaun Hill was just a determined teen from Dumfries, Virginia, flipping burgers and dreaming big, NBC Washington reports.

Back then, the dream felt a little out of reach. Working part-time at Burger King while hustling to raise tuition for one of the most prestigious performing arts schools in the country, Hill had the vision, but not the funds. That is, until the DMV community stepped in.

When News4 first shared his story, donations poured in from strangers, neighbors, and believers who saw something in the young actor. Fast forward four years later, and Jawaun Hill is now a proud graduate of The Juilliard School—one of the respected and prestigious acting programs in the world.

“I would not be here if four years ago I didn’t do that interview and people helped me pay for my schooling,” Hill said. “I feel forever changed as an actor and a human, and I’m just grateful I got the opportunity.”

And he didn’t just attend Juilliard, he graduated from the rigorous program. We’re talking 13-hour days, five days a week. It was intense. But it also transformed him. When things got hard, he thought of his grandmother—the woman who paid for his Juilliard application fee and stayed up late helping him write his essays. Just two months before he got his acceptance letter, she passed away from ovarian cancer.

“I think she’d be really proud, which makes me very happy,” Hill said. “I think she’d be happy that I stayed the course. Juilliard is a hard program. It’s a really hard program. But you come out a stronger artist than ever.”

Now, with his diploma in hand and auditions lined up for roles on Broadway and the big screen, Hill is already living out the next part of his dream—giving back.

This summer, he’s teaching theater to young people through a powerful program run by the D.C. Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services. The initiative helps youth explore heavy topics like police brutality while opening their minds to future career paths.

“You have to see a physical manifestation of your dream, and so sometimes that means someone that looks like you,” Hill said. “More than anything, I’m just excited to come back and be like, ‘Hey you can do this, and you just need somebody to tell you can.’”

Let the church say full circle. From Burger King hustle to Juilliard graduate to hometown hero, Jawaun Hill is the kind of story we love to see—and a reminder that community, dreams, and a little belief can take you all the way.

Check out his full story below!

Cover photo: Virginia Teen Able to Attend Juilliard Thanks to DMV Community Donations Now Pays It Forward/Photo credit: NBC4 Washington