Kenneth

Kenneth’s college counselor describes him as a “gifted intellectual” and a “deep and philosophical thinker with a profound curiosity about the world and its complexities.”

That is immediately apparent to anyone who listens to what Kenneth has to say about any number of topics. For example, in a critical-thinking workshop one summer, there was the way he discussed the topic of Muhammad Ali and his impact on the twentieth century.

“Kenneth demonstrated a sophisticated sense of culture and politics,” according to the co-executive director of the Bridge Golf Foundation, which sponsored the workshop as part of its year-round golf and education program for young men of color, which Kenneth attends. “He articulated a noteworthy definition of genius: not necessarily innate but rather synthetic, seeing connections between disparate ideas and outlooks, and presenting them to the larger world in a new way. This inspired the group to talk about how Ali brought together the athleticism of Sugar Ray Robinson, the cultural politics of Malcolm X and the showmanship of Gorgeous George to forge his unique contribution to the world.”

Kenneth is among the top students in his class, excelling in both STEM and humanities. In college, one of the passions he will continue to embrace is film studies. 

“The concept of time in film—specifically films that scramble chronological time—is such an engaging idea that it makes me lose all concept of...well, time,” he wrote in his essay, adding that he has “started to write my own short stories experimenting with chronology, trying to apply what I learned from directors and other authors. I enjoy it when artists break the rules in their particular field.”

My algebra I and AP Calculus teacher Professor Faybyshenko impacted me the most because his class pushed me to my limits, forcing me to hone in my learning skills, ultimately contributing to the student I am today. All the wonderful teachers I have had over the years are still amazing as well.