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Talk about Black excellence! High school senior Dennis Barnes set a new Guinness World Record after accumulating more than $9 million in college scholarships!
The 16-year-old scholar currently attends the International High School of New Orleans. He is the National Honor Society President, fluent in Spanish and has a nearly perfect grade point average, CNN reported.
“I started and didn’t realize where I was going, but as I realized the path I was heading down I rolled my momentum and I ended up farther than I ever would have thought I’d been,” Barnes said.
He has shattered the previous record of $8.7 million set by another Black student from Louisiana, Normandie Cormier, in 2019. Cormier is now pursuing her master’s degree at Louisiana State University.
With only weeks left in the school year, Barnes declares that he isn’t done just yet—his goal is $10 million by the end of this month.
From CNN:
Barnes has a 4.98 GPA and is graduating two years early and hasn’t decided which school he will attend in the fall.
“I don’t know where I want to go,” Barnes said, but added, “I intend to pursue computer science,” and then go to law school.
Barnes credits his family and friends and faith in God for his accomplishments.
“I am a God-fearing young man; I keep God first,” he said.
Barnes has applied to 200 schools and plans to announce his final decision in early May before graduation on May 24th.
And for those coming behind him, Barnes had some advice, “If you keep your school, your education a priority and keep God in the mix, then you are definitely going to be successful no matter what you do.”
Perhaps Barnes will go on to attend a historically Black college or university (HBCU) and become a Fulbright Scholar, like the dozens of HBCU students who were presented with the coveted scholarships last year.
The Fulbright U.S. Student Program offers fellowship opportunities for graduating seniors and graduate students to study or teach English abroad, while exchange students come to the U.S. through the Fulbright Visiting Scholars program.
Howard University, for instance, has participated in the prestigious program since the 1949-50 academic year.
For the current academic year, which is about to end, Howard’s Fulbright Scholars were afforded the opportunity to travel to Greece, the U.K. and South Africa to research and represent their HBCU.
SEE ALSO:
New Orleans Teen Who Received 116 College Acceptances Pursues Degree In Education
Black Teen Sets New World Record With $9M In College Scholarships was originally published on rickeysmileymorningshow.com
