Teen, Augusta Uwamanzu-Nna accepted to all 8 Ivy League schools makes her choice

Story highlights

• Student accepted at all 8 Ivy League schools, plus four more decides where she'll go
• Augusta Uwamanzu-Nna recently met President Obama at the White House Science Fair

By Stephanie Gallman, CNN Updated 8:21 PM ET, Mon May 2, 2016

(CNN)A Long Island teen who received acceptance letters from all eight Ivy League schools has decided where she'll attend college in the fall.

Augusta Uwamanzu-Nna

Drum roll, please.

Surrounded by her classmates donning their own college choice T-shirts, Augusta Uwamanzu-Nna approached the podium and unzipped the black jacket she was wearing to reveal a crimson T-shirt revealing her decision: Harvard. Uwamanzu-Nna said getting into all 12 schools she applied to has been an "exciting and surreal experience," but making the final decision was not easy.

Uwamanzu-Nna said she approached the choice with an "open mind" but when it came down to selecting her school, Harvard's "dedication to excellence .. in all students" stood out. Uwamanzu-Nna, who is the daughter of Nigerian immigrants, said the school's "strong Nigerian presence" was also attractive.

Today's announcement comes on the heels of an exciting spring for Uwamanzu-Nna, who recently attended the White House Science Fair, where she got to meet President Obama.

She was also named her school's valedictorian and was a finalist at the 2016 Intel Science Talent Search for her research on cement that could help prevent underwater oil rigs from rupturing."I stand before you exuberant, but also humbled by my recent accomplishments," Uwamanzu-Nna said. Uwamanzu-Nna is the second Elmont Memorial High School student in two years to gain acceptance at all eight Ivy League schools.

The class of 2015's Harold Ekeh chose to attend Yale. Elmont Principal Kevin Dougherty said hardworking students and families, a supportive community and administrations past and present deserve the credit for the school's accomplishments. They put their "blood, sweat and tears into making sure Elmont is successful and these kids reach their fullest potential." more

MUST READ : Who is to be blamed for classism in Jamaica? Classism is Kingston’s greatest enemy, second only to crime. WHAT DO YOU THINK?

Sashakay Fairclough  Monday, May 02, 2016 

I had never experienced this thing called classism until I moved back to Jamaica. I had left at age 16 and after almost 10 years in a foreign country which has been labelled the most expensive place to live in the world, it took returning to this small third world nation to experience my first real bout of discrimination.

The poor, black Jamaicans who are most affected by classism
have done a lot for their country, so why are so many still
 made to feel like second-class citizens?

As a young lawyer, things are clearly difficult. I moved to Kingston and met a young architect who was doing quite well for himself. He had dark skin and was from uptown Kingston. I noticed straight away that Kingston was quite segregated. Like most other people I had met there, he sized me up after introducing himself.

He concluded after asking me several questions that I was not good enough for him, simply because I did not own a car. “You have to call taxis?” he asked with a disgusted look on his face. This shocked me, as living in the UK most people decide against buying cars because taking the tube is much faster, plus parking is terrible.

I had no idea that in Jamaica owning a car was a must, it was this great status symbol that separates the ‘haves’ from the ‘have-nots’. I was unaware that it helped some men to decide if certain women were good enough for them. Mind you, this was the same man who had complimented me earlier for being ‘brown’ and so worthy of an actual conversation with him. The fact that people in my own country are judged for something so minuscule broke my heart. I was even more disappointed in myself, as, for a split second I had allowed this ignorant person to make me feel inadequate and unimportant. I worked hard all my life and had returned to Jamaica under the naïve belief that I could actually contribute and make a difference in some way.

Sashakay Fairclough

Discrimination from someone of the same race and country was completely new to me and led me to ponder if my experience was unique. I had lived in Kingston for only two months and already it felt like a different planet.

Classism is Kingston’s greatest enemy, second only to crime. At first glance, the city appeared more segregated than southern parts of the United States. I wondered if the segregation was a derivative of the classism or if the opposite was true. I noticed soon after that although the elite have made attempts to separate themselves (no fault of theirs as some places are quite violent) they were failing miserably as garrisons seemed to pop up close to a lot of these so-called ‘uptown’ communities in Kingston. That probably explains why owning a car is now used to judge those worthy of relationships rather than place of residence or even skin colour. more

Boscobel in St Mary, Community grieves after 2 American missionaries found dead.... 48-year-old Randy Hentzel and Harold Nichols

By RENAE DIXON Observer staff reporter dixonr@jamaicaobserver.com  Monday, May 02, 2016    

PORT MARIA, St Mary — Sunday afternoons are traditionally spent at home with family members in Jamaica; however, for the residents of Boscobel in St Mary, Sunday, May 1 was spent searching for a man they loved, even as they grieved for another.

Residents gather at the Port Maria Police Station to assist with
 the search yesterday.

Their hope was to find Harold Nichols alive; however, they were left disappointed and overcome with grief as Nichols’ body was discovered after 4:00 pm yesterday. The body of 48-year-old Randy Hentzel had been found a day earlier on Saturday afternoon, after 12:00 pm. However, there were no signs of his colleague, missionary Nichols, after the two went on a trail in the Albion Mountain area on Saturday.

Reports from the St Mary police are that the two men rented motorcycles in Ocho Rios and went on the trail. Residents stumbled on Hentzel’s body after 12:00 pm and the police were summoned.

Deputy Superintendent of Police Dwight Powell said Hentzel’s body was found face down with his hands bound with a piece of cloth believed to be torn from his shirt. One of the motorcycles was seen beside his body. The second motorcycle was found approximately three chains away. However, there was no sign of the second missionary. While residents hoped for the best on Sunday, they were left disappointed after the body of the second missionary was found. His head was reportedly bashed in.

The police, along with approximately 70 residents, searched for Nichols from approximately 7:00 am Sunday morning until after 2:00 pm. They later returned to search with the help of canines when the body was found.

The two men, who have been visiting Jamaica for the past 14 years, have done much work in the Boscobel area.

“They have Bible study at their homes; every day the children go there,” Councillor for the Boscobel Division Fitzroy Wilson said.

“I have been working with him for the past six to seven years,” Wilson said of Nichols.

Such was the evidence of their work, that residents turned out in their numbers to aid in Sunday’s search.

“When the children go to Bible study, he provided refreshments for them. He helped some of the kids with money for school, with their back-to-school,” Wilson said. He said Nichols and his team also built homes in the Boscobel area for indigent people. more

Malia Obama is officially going to Harvard

Malia Obama

After months of rampant speculation, The White House announced the Malia Obama has chosen to attend Harvard University.

The high school senior at Sidwell Friends School will take a gap year after she graduates, according to a statement from the East Wing. She will begin her freshman year at Harvard in the fall of 2017, graduating with the class of 2021.

She sparked rumors about her college choices after she went on a tour of the Ivies, Stanford and NYU last year.

Prez Obama & Malia

Many believed that demonstrated her interest in film studies and an internship in New York City on the set of HBO's "Girls," would lead her to choose NYU, which has a top-ranked film program.

Other top guesses were first lady Michelle Obama's alma mater of Princeton University or President Obama's undergraduate institution Columbia University.Her pick, however, still connects her to her parents, both of whom attended Harvard Law School.

PRESS RELEASE : PALAS 6th Annual Scholarship Application Opens Online May 1st to June 7th 2016 at PALAS1.org

IMMEDIATE  PRESS  RELEASE

  PALAS 6^th Annual Scholarship Application Opens Online

   May 1^st to June 7^th 2016 at PALAS1.org

(High School, University/Tertiary and Re-Awardees)

ATLANTA, GA – May 1, 2016: Peace and Love Academic Scholarship, Inc. (PALAS) will open its online application process from May 1^st to June 7^th 2016 to award scholarships to financially disadvantaged students in Jamaica and the Caribbean.  PALAS, whichhas awarded 282 scholarships since its inception in December 2010, was established to honor the memory of then 18-year old Vanessa Campbell—Bridgeport High School student & an aspiring reggae artist. Vanessa was brutally murdered in Portmore, Jamaica on November 20^th 2010.

According to Executive Director Rula Brown, this year’s goal is to award 100 scholarships and computers to PALAS 2016-17recipients.  Applicants are required to fill out the online application as well as submit grades, a 300-500 word essay, and extra-curricular activities.  
PALAS has devoted its human and financial resources to help make a difference in the lives of underserved children in Jamaica, West Indies as the well as the wider Caribbean region.

PALAS MISSION

The Peace and Love Academic Scholarship program is dedicated to recognize and honor outstanding academic performances. Scholarships are awarded on an annual basis to students residing in the Caribbean region. The awards ceremony will be held at the Pegasus Hotel on August 13, 2016 in Kingston, Jamaica.

The mission of PALAS is the pursuit of the following principles, CERPS:

Commitment: PALAS is committed to inspiring pro-social friendships, strong interpersonal skills, and instilling a sense of hope in the future.

Empowerment: PALAS endeavors to provide the necessary educational tools for the each to uplift and empower themselves.

Responsibility: The focus of PALAS is to empower youth in establishing goals and following through on commitments.

Possibility: PALAS desires to expand the perspective of young people to make them aware of life's possibilities.

Support: It is our belief that an individual is dramatically influenced by their support system.  Therefore PALAS endeavors to surround young people in a caring, inclusive learning environment.

PALAS believes in accountability, transparency and honesty, therefore all funds will be invested in the scholarship program.

Help us in "Preserving Young Minds for Posterity" by making a donation online by July 7^th 2016 at www.PALAS1.org or send a check payable to PALAS, P.O. Box 5461, Alpharetta GA 30023 USA or via PAYPAL. PALAS is a non-profit, 501 (c) (3) entity.   Emails can also be sent to peaceandlovescholarship@gmail.com. For additional information about PALAS including sponsorship opportunities for scholarships in yours and/or your loved ones name or business through Partnering with PALAS (PWP), please visit us at www.palas1.org.  Thank you for participating.

ONLINE APPLICATION
                                                                                             

Mr. Rula Brown - Executive Director                                                                                                                                                       PALAS   (Peace and Love Academic Scholarship)