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by WLS/CNN Newsource
TOPICS:
CHICAGO (WLS/CNN Newsource/WKRC) – Aaron Williams has achieved a remarkable feat by earning over $8 million in college scholarships. The 18-year-old from the Chicago area, who graduated as the valedictorian of his class at Bogan High School, has been accepted to 83 colleges and counting.
"And they're still coming in daily," said Ericka Smith, his mother. "He gets emails, so they're just a little bit behind."
Williams attributed his success to the support of his community and his own dedication. "To know that actually hours of me applying for these scholarships and having to log on my school links and just putting in effort and having a community to support me and guide me through this whole process it's kind of relieving to know that it actually paid off in the long run," he said.
Williams, the youngest of seven siblings, was motivated by a friendly rivalry to surpass the $1 million in scholarships earned by one of his older siblings. "It kind of pushed me harder because you know how siblings have that sibling rivalry to see who can do better and stuff like that? It kind of motivated me in a way to see how far I can go with it," he said.
This fall, Williams will attend Northern Illinois University on a full scholarship, where he plans to major in electrical engineering. Williams aspires to be the valedictorian upon graduation.