18-Year-Old African-American Named Valedictorian, Receives $8M in Scholarships from 80+ U.S. Colleges

18-year-old Aaron Williams graduated as valedictorian of Bogan High School in Chicago, earning straight A’s, receiving $8 million in scholarships from over 80 colleges, and will attend Northern Illinois University on a full ride to study Electrical Engineering.

Aaron Williams, an 18-year-old African-American student from Bogan High School in Chicago, has made headlines after graduating as valedictorian and receiving a staggering $8 million in scholarship offers from more than 80 colleges and universities across the United States.

Aaron, who has now been accepted into 83 schools, says his success came from relentless effort and the strong support of his community.

“It’s relieving to know that all the late nights, scholarship applications, and community support paid off,” he said.

From the first day of high school, Aaron set a clear goal: to graduate at the top of his class. He maintained straight A’s throughout all four years, keeping his promise to himself and his principal.

As the youngest of seven children, Aaron was also driven by sibling rivalry. One of his older siblings had earned $1 million in scholarships — a benchmark Aaron was determined to beat. He surpassed it by eightfold.

His mother, Ericka Smith, credited his success to the people around him:

“He is who he is because of community — because of principals who cared, because of those biological aunts that cared, the non-biological ones.”

Aaron will begin studying Electrical Engineering at Northern Illinois University this fall on a full-ride scholarship. He’s already set his next goal: to graduate college at the top of his class.

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SOURCES: ALLSCHOOL, SCHOLARSHIP REGION