Chaminade H.S. student accepted to all 8 Ivy League schools

A Chaminade High School student was accepted to all eight Ivy League schools – a feat his friends and teachers are not surprised by. Jude Okonkwo, a senior with a 98.9 grade point average, says it's still sinking in. "It's emotional. I really don't know what to think. I didn't process it yet. But I mean I have initial feelings of gratitude for having these opportunities," he tells News 12 Long Island. Okonkwo is known for his writing skills as the editor of the...

News 12 Staff

Apr 21, 2017, 6:59 PM

Updated 2,728 days ago

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Chaminade H.S. student accepted to all 8 Ivy League schools
A Chaminade High School student was accepted to all eight Ivy League schools – a feat his friends and teachers are not surprised by.
Jude Okonkwo, a senior with a 98.9 grade point average, says it's still sinking in.
"It's emotional. I really don't know what to think. I didn't process it yet. But I mean I have initial feelings of gratitude for having these opportunities," he tells News 12 Long Island.
Okonkwo is known for his writing skills as the editor of the school newspaper, as well as his musical abilities on the piano and clarinet.
Father Thomas Cleary calls his accomplishment "phenomenal."
"He has stepped up to the plate in all areas and hit it out of the park," says Cleary.
Okonkwo hasn't decided which college he will attend, but he knows he wants to be a doctor. He says he chose the medical field after witnessing the devastation of Hurricane Katrina when he was 7 years old.
"I think the route that I'm going down, I'll be able to help in those situations," says Okonkwo.
He says he owes his success to the lessons of hard work and faith instilled in him by his parents and grandmother.