Jamaican accepted to 16 universities

Jamaal Willis, a Jamaican who has been accepted to 16 universities in the United States, six of which are Ivy League schools, is urging Jamaicans to prepare themselves to take up opportunities anywhere in the world.

Willis, 18, is preparing to take his place at the prestigious Harvard University this summer, where he will be pursuing law.

"I chose this career because of the need to stand up for other people and advocating for others; because I'm the type of person, where if someone is being treated unfairly and unjustly, I just can't sit down and watch that," the young Jamaican said.

In addition to being accepted at Harvard, Willis was offered a place at Stanford, Princeton, Columbia, University of Pennsylvania and Dartmouth, which have high academic and social prestige.

This journey to Harvard, Willis shared, has been a difficult one. He migrated to the US with his mother in 2017 in search of a better life. At the time of leaving, he was a second-former at Wolmer's Boys' School. Life in Jamaica, he said, was not easy.

"I grew up in Kingston, close by St Joseph's Hospital. It wasn't much, sometimes it was hard to get food on certain days, and you would just have to work with what was in the fridge -- even if it was bread, water and condensed milk. Sometimes you would see your grandmother making sacrifices just so you can go to school with some clothes on your back. That's how I would have to really adjust myself to grow up, knowing that I would have to push through, no matter what, and make the best of a bad situation," Willis shared.

When he arrived in the Unites States in 2017, Willis enrolled at Barstow High School in the California desert. He took on numerous extracurricular activities, including track & field, speech and debate, student leadership and volleyball. He also became a member of the honour's society and participated in the United States Senate Youth Programme.

Willis distinguished himself academically as well and was named the valedictorian of his graduating class with a 5.0 grade point average, and gained an associate's degree in social sciences as well.

He shared that he applied to 22 colleges.

"I just wanted to ensure that I covered all avenues, and I know that whatever I picked, that I could be satisfied with my decision...I just never wanted to say that I didn't try my hardest. I want to be able to say that I put my best foot forward and I am proud of myself; whether I fly or fall, I knew that I gave it my all," he said proudly.

Willis said that his mother has been a tower of strength for him; always praying for him and encouraging him all the way.

Cornell was the first Ivy League school to offer him a place. Willis said that he was both shocked and excited when he received the acceptance letter. He became anxious when he was placed on the waiting lists at Brown and Yale. All this time, though, his sight was set on attending Harvard, but he was uncertain whether he would be accepted.

"They were kind of on the fence with me, because I had to do three interviews with them before I got the decision. They were still deliberating and taking their time, so I wasn't expecting that one. I feel like they were playing with my emotions at one point, toying with me, saying that, 'Oh, we going accept you', 'no, we not accepting you'," Willis told THE STAR.

On the fateful day of April 6, he received the greatest news -- he was accepted into his school of choice. He was also granted $70,000 worth of scholarship.

"My mother was there in the moment and her 'glad bag' buss. She couldn't stop screaming, and she had the pot covers and started banging. I was elated because I wanted to attend Harvard, having had talks with other persons, I knew that's where I wanted to go for the next four years," the 18-year-old said.

Willis' encouragement to Jamaican youngsters is to remain grounded.

"Stay patient and keep fighting for what you want because you never know what can happen. I never know that I would immigrate to America, I thought that I would stay in Jamaica, attend UWI (The University of the West Indies) and find a job for the next 30 years, and that would be it. Now, I have a different mindset and I pursue everything that the world has to offer. Never look at Jamaica as a small place, always try to think bigger."