Texas Teen Cancels High School Graduation Party to Buy Pizzas for Homeless Women and Kids

A high school senior in the United States got a standing ovation and hugs from homeless people after she celebrated her graduation day with them.

Leanne Carrasco recently graduated from Waltrip High School in Houston, Texas. To celebrate the occasion, she skipped the big graduation bash and hosted a pizza party for homeless residents at Star of Hope's Women and Family Development Center.

"Not a lot of people have the same options as me. It's not fair," she told CNN. "There are a lot of people who need help. So I give it."

A month ahead of the party, she enlisted a bunch of her friends and they collected toothbrushes, toothpaste, hand wipes and deodorant. They packed them into 400 hygiene bags for residents of the shelter, according to a CNN report. The students also provided 90 pizzas for approximately 200 residents.

Scott Arthur, a spokesman for Star of Hope, praised the students for showing "respect for the these people" and seeing them as peers."The residents saw this as a validation that people do care."

"It was a very magical day," Arthur said. "It gives you a hope for the youth of today. They (the high schoolers) were able to think of other people."

Residents of the shelter were so moved by her compassion that they gave Carrasco a standing ovation and lined up to hug her, the report said. "I told her this was her final exam, and she got an A plus," Arthur said.

Carrasco now plans to study nursing at the Briar Cliff University. "I think you should always know you're lucky to have what you have," she said. "Don't take that for granted and continue to give."