Stephen Thomas, a senior at Bogan Computer Technical High School in Chicago, has received over $1 million in scholarships and admission offers from more than 30 colleges.
The straight-A student from Chicago, Illinois, who is 17, will graduate this summer with a 4.47 GPA and participate in various extracurricular activities both inside and outside the classroom.
“The ones that I know off the top of my head are Loyola, North Central, Northern Illinois, Eastern Illinois, and DePaul,” said Thomas when recalling his acceptance offers in local news clips.
A single mother reared Stephen Thomas in a home with seven siblings. He claims he wants to utilise his experience to encourage others who, like him, have encountered difficulty but still desire to work towards their objectives.
“When I am recognised, I won’t just have been another Black teen on the news for something bad like gang violence or me getting wrongfully shot. I want people to look at me and be like, ‘Wow, he’s out there doing something that we thought we couldn’t do just because of how we looked,’” Thomas said.
Stephen Thomas’ mother, Ericka, is an educator herself and Thomas’ first teacher.
“No matter what life presents, you just go for it and write your own story. We know there are narratives out here about our Black boys, but it is our responsibility to change that narrative,” she said.
The high school student modestly believes that eradicating the negative preconceptions associated with Black lads will inspire others to work hard. He hopes to pursue higher education and eventually become a psychologist.
“As a student, just keep your head down, blinders on, and think about the end goal. Whatever is going on in your life, it will pass—just make sure you’re keeping yourself first and keep doing what needs to be done,” Thomas said.
“It’s not impossible. Again, I am just a kid from Chicago that put the work in and put the time in, and (hopefully) somebody else is seeing this, and they’re like, ‘Wow, I can do it too,’” he said.
