Samantha Garvey, the homeless high school senior gaining recognition for becoming a semifinalist in the Intel Science Talent Search, will soon have a home thanks to officials in Long Island.

Suffolk county official Steve Bellone said in a press conference this morning that Garvey and her family can move into a rent-subsidized home in about 10 days. The teen and her family have been living in a homeless shelter since Jan. 1.

Against all odds, Garvey has excelled in school, maintaining a 3.9 grade point average along with studying Italian and learning to play the violin. Her work in science, specifically studying the effects of predators on mussels, landed her on a list of one of 300 semifinalists in the nationwide competition. She will find out next month if she becomes a finalist. The top prize is $100,000.

"I get so excited to tell people about my mussels and crabs that I become a completely different person," she said.

Garvey and her family have lived in shelters and hotels since she was a little girl. Seven years ago, they were able to move into a house, but in February 2010, her parents were involved in a car accident. They were forced to leave.

"It hurts leaving everything behind and just having to be rushed out of your home," she said of the experience.

Now, it seems, she will be able to focus on her work in her own home - thanks to the community.