Fresno teen accepted into 4 Ivy League schools, 2 other top universities
Thomas Stewart's hard work has made his dream of attending one of the country's top schools a reality.
FRESNO COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) -- A Fresno County teenager has accomplished an incredible feat after being accepted into four Ivy League schools.
Thomas Stewart, a senior at Edison High School, says he has always dreamed of attending one of the country's prestigious campuses.
"I've received acceptances from Yale, Columbia, Brown, Cornell, Stanford, and UC Berkeley, as of recent. So, it's pretty exciting," Stewart explained.
The chances for admission were low, considering Columbia accepted just 3.7% of its applicants and Yale took 4.3% of applicants, which was the lowest rate in history.
"It was just a big relief to just know that the hard work did pay off and it was worth it," said Stewart.
The AP Honor Roll student is interested in English, Creative Writing, and Journalism.
Stewart is hoping to be a top editor for a company like the New York Times one day.
He already got a head start by writing an opinion editorial for the local paper.
Thomas is the Senior Class Vice President and participates in other extracurricular activities like Band, Speech and Debate, and the Black Student Union.
Plus he is in Varsity Water Polo Plater, Swim Team and the Dive Team among many others.
Thomas' AP Human Geography teacher, Patricia Renfro, wrote one of his recommendations, highlighting his contributions to the community.
"It's not secret that students are competitive at Edison, that they are wanting to be that top, that valedictorian, Thomas was never an island, wherever he was always with other students he was trying to lift up," said Renfro.
Thomas calls his room his comfortable healing space, pointing to some of his favorite things like his plants, music, and even his collectibles.
He tells me wants to leave a legacy like his grandmother, who is an author, and his parents, who are both surgeons.
"My husband and I couldn't be more proud, we are very proud. We guide him, but he has been the one that burns the midnight oil. He's the one that goes out and gets opportunities," said Stewart's mother, Dr. Edythe Woodruff Stewart.
Dr. Woodruff Stewart shared so many amazing accomplishments with me -- including this (FCOE) recent award.
His mother says while she is proud of his grades and accomplishments, she is most proud of the type of person he is.
"It does not happen in a vacuum, and it does not happen just because of my husband and me, or just because of Thomas, it truly takes a village," Dr. Steward explained.
The Class of 2027 student says his family will use this time to go and visit his top choices Yale and Columbia and will make a decision very soon.
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