AMERICA | 17-year-old Nigerian-American girl earns acceptance to all 8 Ivy League universities in US, celebrates success.
A 17-year-old Nigerian-American, Ifeoma White-Thorpe, achieved an extraordinary milestone in 2017, earning acceptance from all eight Ivy League universities in the United States.
The Ivy League is an American collegiate athletic conference comprising eight prestigious private research universities in the Northeastern United States.
The eight Ivy League schools are Brown University, Columbia University, Cornell University, Dartmouth College, Harvard University, the University of Pennsylvania, Princeton University, and Yale University.
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In addition to her Ivy League success, Ifeoma also gained admission to Stanford University, demonstrating her exceptional academic talent. The New Jersey teenager graduated from Morris Hills High School in Rockaway, where she was a student leader and role model.
“I was shaking, I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, like this might be eight out of eight,’ and I clicked it and it said ‘Congratulations,’ and I was like, ‘Oh my goodness,’ and then I was like, ‘What did I say?.I think my love for poetry and writing just really stood out.,” she said.
Morris Hills High School Principal, Todd Toriello praised Ifeoma’s dedication to academics and service. He added that Ifeoma has been a student leader throughout her four years at Morris Hills High.
“She understands the importance of giving back to her school service and currently serves the student body as the student government association president. As a senior, she’s challenged herself in rigorous course work,” Toriello said.
In my relationship with her, she has always been a respectful individual and we are just so proud of her and her accomplishments. Whatever school she decides to go to, she will continue on doing great things and will leave her mark on this world and make it a better place,” he added.
Ifeoma’s mother, Pat White-Thorpe, expressed pride but was not surprised by her daughter’s success.
“She has always been a hardworking girl. Last month, she was one of the 2017 Coca-Cola Scholars and that is one of 86,000 students in the United States. They choose 150 students and she was one of them,” Pat White-Thorpe said.
Ifeoma’s achievements extended beyond the classroom. She was a recipient of the Coca-Cola Scholars award in 2017, a recognition given to only 150 students out of 86,000 applicants nationwide.
In 2015, she was named a winner of the national Selma Speech and Essay Contest. In her free time, Ifeoma volunteered at food banks, homeless shelters, and with the American Heart Association, reflecting her passion for community service.
She planned to study biology and pursue a career in public health, choosing the university with the best financial aid. “I want to go into global health and study biology. Many of these schools have incredible research facilities, so I decided to shoot my shot and apply,” she said.
Ifeoma ultimately chose Harvard University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in Government and Chemistry. She later obtained a Juris Doctorate from Harvard Law School.
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