A high school student from Louisiana has finally made his decision about which college he will be attending after receiving millions in scholarships.
Dennis Barnes, a senior at the International High School of New Orleans managed to secure himself a whopping $10 million in scholarships from a total of 125 colleges and universities.
Barnes' journey started when he applied to a total of 200 different educational establishments back in August last year. Fast forward eight months and the 16-year-old has managed to reach new levels.
Speaking to WWL-TV of his amazing achievement, the teen, who has managed to maintain an impressive 4.98 GPA throughout the year, said: "I submitted college applications in August, with an eye on raising the bar high for college admissions. Decision letters were an overflow in my mailbox and hundreds of scholarship offers."
Barnes not only has leadership positions in the National Honor Society but is also fluent in Spanish. He received the Jose Luis Baños Award for Excellence in Spanish Language by the Honorary Consul of Spain in his native state of New Orleans.
At the time he spoke to the outlet, he was still waiting on three more results which he managed to secure, earning him a new US record that was previously held by fellow Louisianan Normandie Cormier.
Cormier was offered total aid of $9.4 million from more than 130 schools in 2019.
Now, just a few days later, the student has finally made his decision as to where he will be continuing his education.
On Friday, during a press conference, Barnes announced that he will be attending Cornell University at their prestigious school of engineering to pursue a degree in Computer Science.
"It is an honor and a privilege to be accepted to the Ivy League," he said surrounded by friends and family members.
Despite having lots of options to choose from, Barnes said that he always knew where he would be going.
"Once I received the admission, I knew that's where I was going," Barnes said before adding that he chose Cornell due to the strength of its engineering program, as well as its location in New York City.
"I love my city, but I do want to venture out and experience new things and see different things that I haven't seen before," he added.
In a prior interview, Barnes cited his belief in God, prioritizing his education, and staying focused on his goals as keys to his success.
"It's easy to get distracted as a teenager," the 16-year-old said. "There's nothing wrong with having fun and doing different things, but I think that whenever you have your mind made up and you're determined to get something done then it can have a definite effect."
"Where there's a will there's a way," he continued. "So when you have a will to get done what you want to get done, it's definitely going to happen and your dreams and aspirations are going to come true."
Congratulations, we hope this new chapter in Barnes' life brings him joy and fulfillment!
