What an amazing accomplishment!
Dennis Barnes, a senior at International High School of New Orleans, set a new national scholarship record by receiving scholarships worth more than $9 million from 125 colleges and universities.
According to his school, Barnes, a New Orleans native, applied to 200 colleges nationwide and plans to announce his college decision on May 2.
Barnes received more scholarship offers than the previous record holder, a Lafayette high school senior who was offered $8.7 million in scholarships in 2019. Barnes' new record will be officially recognized by Guinness when the school contacts them.
“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 said.
There are still more decision responses coming in from other schools, according to IHSNO. He hopes to reach his goal of $10 million in offered scholarships by the end of April.
In addition to the millions of dollars he earned in scholarships, Barnes has also received several awards in academic achievement. He holds leadership positions in the National Honor Society and maintains a cumulative grade point average of 4.98. Barnes is fluent in Spanish and has earned an official qualification from the Institute Cervantes for the Ministry of Education, Culture, and Sport of Spain, and was recently awarded the Jose Luis Baños Award for Excellence in Spanish Language by Maria Page, Honorary Consul of Spain in New Orleans.
In the future, Barnes plans to pursue dual undergraduate degrees in computer science and criminal justice. The past two years, he has earned college credits Southern University of New Orleans pursuing his high school diploma; he is set to graduate from IHSNO on May 24.
Dr. Adierah Berger, Head of School at IHSNO, praised Barnes' commitment to academics. IHSNO said Barnes was motivated by college admissions counselor Denise James.
When asked for advice to seniors applying to colleges and scholarships, Barnes said, “The road to a successful future is to plan ahead, network with the collegiate partners, and know that If you can see your vision, you can achieve your goal."
Congratulations to Dennis Barnes, we can't wait to see what you achieve in your bright future!
Source: WWLTV
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