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A Black high school senior has just received acceptance letters from 65 colleges.
Seventeen-year-old Lamont Newell is a senior and valedictorian at Verbum Dei Jesuit High School, an all-boys institution in Los Angeles. Among the colleges that accepted him, Newell ultimately chose to attend Columbia University on a full-ride scholarship, according to ABC News.
“The main reason [I wanted to apply to so many schools] was my mom didn't get to go to the college she wanted to go to,” Newell said in an interview. “She didn't really get to apply as many as she wanted to. So my plan was to do the direct opposite.”
Upon graduation, Newell will be the first person in his family to finish high school and attend an Ivy League institution.
His family reportedly moved several times during his childhood, experiencing financial troubles and becoming victims of gang violence. At one point, they even became homeless and were forced to live in their car.
“I couldn't give you an age where we were homeless because it was from a time span, but those were the main issues,” he said, explaining that the birth of his younger brother inspired him to step up despite the circumstances. “I had to be a role model. Growing up, I didn’t really have as many role models as he does, so I felt I had to be there for him. I have to be someone different than what he’s used to in our family.”
Newell credits his family, teachers, and various extracurricular activities, such as basketball, for providing him with stability and encouraging him to focus on academics despite his circumstances. He is also calling on anyone else in similar situations not to let their environment dictate who they should be.
He reportedly plans to major in industrial engineering in college and study abroad in Egypt.
Verbum Dei President Fr. Travis Russell, S.J., told ABC that he and the school community “could not be prouder” of Newell’s accomplishments.
“Great education is not a mystery. It is dedicated teachers, real relationships, corporate partners who believe in our students, high standards, and the formation of character,” he said. “Lamont’s success is his own — but it also reflects the excellence and resilience of the entire Verbum Dei brotherhood.”
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