"Coming here and seeing all the new opportunities gave me drive to succeed," said 18-year-old Dito Sakhovia, who emigrated to America from Georgia at just 14 years old.
He spoke no English the day he started 9th grade at George Washington High School. But after just a few months he decided to focus, first by learning English, then by joining business competitions and the wrestling team, where he excelled.
"I managed to keep a 3.5 GPA and straight A's," he said.
He then joined Toastmasters International, giving speeches in English about freedom. Last year he came in second place. This year, he took third place.
"I wasn't born or raised here, so I wanted to challenge myself to see how far I could go," he said.
Soon he'll be heading to Penn State University, and soon he hopes to become an American citizen.
"Don't be afraid to challenge yourself," he said.
Dito will join other honorees from around the country, including a teen who started a STEM program for kids and another who created a Traveling Women’s History Museum.
The TD Bank Young Hero Awards honors aspiring youth, age 18 or younger, who found an area where liberty was lacking and took matters into their own hands to make positive change. All honorees will get a medal and be featured in the Liberty Museum's Young Heroes exhibit.