student Archives - SHOPPE BLACK

Published on April 13, 2022

3 mins read

Florida Teen Accepted into 27 Colleges, Receives $4 Million in Scholarships

Jonathan Walker, a high school senior from Florida, has been accepted into almost 30 of the most prestigious colleges in the country and has more than $4 million in scholarships offers.

Walker has applied to 27 colleges, and all 27 have accepted him.

“It’s so crazy to think about, that I applied to all these colleges and I got in because that’s such a rare thing to occur. But the fact that it did happen, I’m so excited about it,” Walker said.

Stanford, Harvard, Yale, and Duke were among the 27 schools he was admitted into.

Walker is still trying to whittle down the choices and take a few more college visits, with under a month to make a decision.

“The whirlwind of like decisions coming back, that’s over now. So I’ve just really been trying to soak it in just how much of a blessing that this is that I got into these colleges. So just like sitting back, smelling the roses,” Walker said.

Walker hopes to pursue a career creating medical devices to serve underprivileged communities and he’s already working on multiple patents.

Walker invented a braille system, created an air filter to turn gas emissions into oxygen, and created a pill dispenser to keep track of drugs— on a TI-84 calculator.

florida — Jonathan Walker with his invention

“Right now, I’m very interested in engineering and entrepreneurship. I’ve always loved creating devices to help people so I definitely want to further that,” Walker said. “I’m looking at majoring in electrical engineering and possibly biomedical engineering to hopefully develop medical technology in order to help disadvantaged communities that have health problems.”

He said he’s working with colleges to create his own major.

Walker plans to study engineering, computer science, business and psychology, in hopes of one day creating his own company.

“Jonathan has not been a typical student. He has continued to persevere despite all the challenges that we faced you know with the hurricane,” Rutherford High School IB and AP Coordinator Cathy Rutland said.

Walker has also played on the Rams football team for the past four years while maintaining a 4.85 GPA.

Published on February 26, 2022

2 mins read

Chicago Student Achieves the First Perfect ACT Score in his School’s History

Mario Hoover, a student at Providence St. Mel School in Chicago achieved a perfect score on the ACT standardized college admissions test.

The perfect score of 36 is the highest any student performed on the test in the prestigious private school’s 42-year history.

The bright and ambitious junior was born and raised on the West Side. He studied hard to earn a high score because he dreams of being a neurosurgeon.

Mario said that he hopes his accomplishment encourages others in the neighborhood to recognize they are capable of excellence.

mario hoover

“It means that not only can I achieve this. But others can as well. It breaks the notion that people from the West Side can’t succeed,” Hoover said. “I hope people look at me and think they can do it as well.”

His success is proof that when young people are lifted up and given quality resources and opportunities, they can achieve beyond expectations, Hoover also said.

“Not everybody has the best access to education. But once provided with those tools and resources to succeed, a lot of people have the potential to. I see potential everywhere as I walk through my neighborhood,” Hoover said.

He has his sights set on the Ivy League and hopes to go to Columbia University in New York. According to his mother, he has already been contacted by the school.

“I get emotional because it is a great accomplishment,” she said. “It’s a huge accomplishment for our neighborhood and for our family.”