BOSTON -- A local program offers minority students from lower income towns the opportunity to attend high school in more prestigious neighborhoods.

Program Gives Students 'Better Chance'

"If you want something I think you should go for it all the way," student Kamilla Souza, 16, said. "Sometimes, I'm doing six hours of homework."

"I just saw a better opportunity than Lawrence," student Yina Cordero, 15, said.

NewsCenter 5's Bianca de la Garza reported Thursday that the Lawrence natives were both selected by the Wellesley ABC: A Better Chance program.

They left their families to move in with four other girls in a home in Wellesley with their housemother to attend the public high school in the town.

"At first, it was really clicky. Everyone came out of middle school and that's pretty clicky. I'd say ninth grade was very hard," Kamilla said.

Senior Wendy West said moving from family in Springfield was a hard decision, but ultimately the right one.

"I was very passionate about my education, and I really wanted to be a doctor," she said.

Sacrifice and hard work come with opportunity. Jill Creevy and Mariann Youniss, co-presidents of Wellesley ABC, said that they know there's pressure

"They are known at Wellesley High School as the ABC Girls and they know there is a standard they have to live up to," Youniss said.

"(For some), they are the first ones to graduate from high school from their family," Creevy said.

"I defiantly think my future changed. I couldn't imagine getting the same kind of education that I'm getting here somewhere else. I think from here I'm only going to move forward," Kamilla said.

ABC is a national organization with local chapters. The students looking to apply in Wellesley must be a minority and come from New England families with lower incomes.