Elmont Memorial High School located in Long Island, has proven academic excellence once again, with their second student in two consecutive years being accepted into all 8 Ivy League schools. If you recall, last year salutatorian Harold Ekeh was accepted by all 8 ivy league schools and went on to attend Yale. This year, valedictorian Augusta Uwamanzu-Nna, will also have the luxury of picking from all 8 schools, as she too has been granted acceptance to each one.
Ekeh and Uwamanzu-Nna are both Nigerian. Uwamanazu-Nna, specifically, was born in America but is of Nigerian decent.
“Though I was born here in America, I visited Nigeria many times,” Uwamanzu-Nna told CNN affiliate WABC. “And I’ve seen that my cousins don’t have the same opportunities that I have. So definitely, whatever I do, I want to make sure that it has an impact on Nigeria.”
She plans to pursue a science related field at a school that supports her varied interests; which include biochemistry and environmental studies.
She currently has a weighted GPA of 101.64, and was a finalist in the 2016 Intel Science Talent Search for her research on cement that could potentially help prevent underwater oil rigs from rupturing. On Monday, she received an invitation to the White House Science Fair.
Despite these successes, everything hasn’t always been peachy keen with her academics. She told WABC “I’ve struggled with numerous classes in the past, but I guess what allowed me to be successful is my persistence and my tenacity.”
Ultimately, Uwamanzu-Nna hasn’t made a final decision on what school she will attend, but with acceptance to the ivy 8 and 4 additional schools, she has a total of 12 schools to choose from — and a hard decision to make!
