Adrienne Le: She sees opportunity in the Ivy League

High school: Raleigh Charter School

Headed to: Yale University

Adrienne Le, 18, of Raleigh, is excited about joining the other students at an Ivy League school and "being around people who are really motivated." And, she said, Yale has a diverse student body.

She is nervous about leaving home.

"Raleigh Charter is a small, supportive community, and Yale is a large environment, and I don't know anyone up there."

Le is paying for college with a combination of money from her parents, financial aid, student loans and a few scholarships.

She wants to go to graduate school or law school and then live in a developing country for a few years. She's not sure whether that means the Peace Corps or something else, but she thinks that's where she can make more of a difference.

Eventually she wants to work in government doing constitutional law.

"I just think it's interesting how we interpret this document and our rights in different ways, and I think it's something important to protect and study," she said.

Le said it's harder for young people now than when her parents were graduating from high school.

"The college application process is very competitive," she said. "But in my case, Raleigh Charter gave me a lot of opportunities I know my parents didn't get. But with the economy, it's definitely harder to find a job now than it was back then."