By BOTWC Staff
Jeremiah Daniels IV is a senior at Boca Ciega High School in Gulfport, Florida. Recently, the scholar made history as the first Black male to be named salutatorian at the school, a goal his parents said he set for himself at the beginning of his high school career.
“He told his father and I four years ago that he wanted to be the salutatorian and we knew that he could achieve it in the end. For him to work at it, year after year, straight A’s since third grade,” his mother Brittney Daniels told reporters.
His mom said he’s always excelled academically and she’s not surprised he’s made it this far.
“He’s very academically inclined. As a kindergartner he taught himself how to get on a laptop, get on a computer and go into programs by himself,” said Daniels.
The teen credits his teachers with helping him get here and said he’s happy to have accomplished his goals and made history in the process.
“I would say the teachers, for sure, that definitely challenged me on the challenges itself, like learning something new and being able to say, ‘I can understand it,’ and actually being able to use it and apply it to different situations…I’m just glad for the opportunity to be able to create Black history and be a part of something bigger,” said Jeremiah.
After graduation, Jeremiah is planning to attend college at Florida State University where he’ll be majoring in computer engineering. He hopes his story can inspire others his age to just set goals and never give up.
“Don’t let obstacles stop [you in your] way and just continue to grow and push through,” he said.
And that’s exactly what he did. Congratulations, Jeremiah!
Photo Courtesy of Jeremiah Daniels IV/Fox 13 Tampa
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