AMERICA | Benjamin Holmes, an 18-year-old boy from Birmingham, has achieved an extraordinary feat. He graduated as valedictorian of Woodlawn High School in the United States with an impressive 4.05 grade point average.
In addition to his academic achievement, he has been awarded scholarships totaling $1.1 million and acceptance letters from 31 colleges and universities across the United States.
Benjamin began his high school journey through Woodlawn High School’s Early College Program.
This dual enrollment initiative allows students to take college courses at Lawson State Community College and the University of Alabama at Birmingham, with all expenses covered, including books and transportation.
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The credits earned count toward both high school and college requirements, giving students a significant academic head start.
By the time he graduated, Benjamin had accumulated 52 college credits—just eight credits shy of being classified as a college junior.
During his senior year, Benjamin applied to a total of 60 colleges and universities. His first acceptance came from the University of Montevallo, an experience he described as nerve-wracking.
“My first offer letter was Montevallo. At first, I thought it was a rejection letter because it came in a small envelope. So, I’m like ‘Oh my God, rejection,’ but it was an acceptance,” he said.
“I contacted college admission counselors over the summertime and spoke with them. When August came around, I got to moving, got to applying. It was stressful, very stressful, but I made it,” he added.
Benjamin was astonished by the total scholarship amount he received. “I thought maybe $200,000, $ 300,000, or just stay to full-ride or a couple of full-rides from my top choice, but I didn’t know it was going to be a total of a little bit over $1 million,” he said.
Benjamin narrowed his choices to his top five universities, with Howard University and Fisk University leading the list.
He plans to major in secondary education, anthropology, and biology, with a clear goal in mind: to return to his community as a teacher in the Birmingham City School System.
“It’s important for me because I want to help the community where I came from. I don’t want to forget it. One of the issues in today’s society is that people leave and don’t return to support the communities that raised them,” Benjamin said.
“I know that Woodlawn, East Lake, and the surrounding areas need help and support. They need mentors and tutors, and I’m going to do my best to be all of that as a teacher,” he added.
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