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WINSTON-SALEM--The Governor's School of North Carolina is celebrating their 50th anniversary. The state's summer program for gifted students is the oldest of its kind in the country.

At 17, Dawn Loggins was abandoned by her drug-addicted parents. She says she turned a bad situation into motivation to succeed. "I looked towards the future and used education as a away to escape by surroundings instead of dwelling on them," said Loggins. She then went from homeless to Harvard. She will head to the university this fall to become part of the 2016 class.

She says Governor's School helped her with the journey."I don't think words can emphasize how important that I feel like it is to keep governor's school running," said Loggins.

The organization says they have over 32,000 alumni and nearly 70 percent stay or return to North Carolina to work. Jim Hart, Alumni Association President, says it provides youth with a lot of opportunity. "It can change the lives of people where they live in a community where it's rural or poor and it can open up doors for them."

The program, which has been helping students for more than half a century, almost closed their doors. The legislature cut their funding last year, and this year's camp was completely privately funded, but the state funding will be reinstated next year.

"So this is sort of a celebration of success of funding Governor's School and our success in terms of advocacy with the legislature to restore funding for this program which has done so much good for so many people," said Hart.

"I've met lasting friends at governor's school," said Loggins.