THE Science Park High School in Newark, New Jersey, United States (US) has honoured a Nigerian graduate, Achunike Okafor, for his record-breaking performance.
According to an online publication, TapIntoNewark, Okafor received an International Baccalaureate diploma with a record-shattering 4.625.grade-point average from the school, with his GPA being the highest among Newark’s 2,649 graduates in the Class of 2023 and highest-ever for the city’s public school district.
That feat earned Okafor over 40 scholarship offers, many from the country’s top universities, including Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Duke, Princeton, Penn State, Stanford, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Southern California, and Rutgers.
Speaking on the offers, an elated 18-year-old Okafor, who plans to attend Harvard University to pursue a neuroscience degree, said: “I am grateful for the opportunities to attend such esteemed universities and to represent my family and community.
“I do not take lightly the privilege and responsibility to be among the few individuals selected for such honours.”
The school’s Principal, Darlene Gearhart, said: “There’s absolutely nothing average him.
Achunike is an extraordinary (person). He’s humble, driven and industrious. He has always been a great kid. He is always eager to learn.”
Superintendent of Schools, Roger León, while acknowledging Okafor’s exceptional performance as a source of pride for Science Park High, the school district and the Newark community, stated: “We are extremely proud of Achunike Okafor.
“His achievements are a testament to his perseverance, resilience and dedication to excellence. We wish him continued success at Harvard and look forward to more accomplishments from him in the future.”
His father, Godfrey Okafor, a high school Maths teacher, said his son’s achievements are also a source of family pride, adding: “We place a high premium on education in our home. Education, and continuing to learn in life, allows young people to provide for themselves and their families, and build their future.”
He disclosed that his five other children, including two older sons and three daughters, were studying computer engineer and pharmacology or enrolled at nursing school and law school.
