Fernando Rojas recently graduated from Fullerton High School. After applying to all eight Ivy League schools, he ended up being accepted in each of them. These include Yale University, Dartmouth College, Brown University, the University of Pennsylvania, Cornell University, Columbia University, Harvard University and Princeton University.
Apart from the surprising clean sweep, Rojas was also accepted in other universities such as the Stanford University, the California State University, Fullerton and the University of California, Irvine.
"I didn't think I would get into any," said Rojas. "When I got all eight, it was a blessing and a curse because I had to choose. I was excited and scared and everything at the same time."
17-year old Fernando Rojas is one of four children of Raul Rojas (59) and Maria (56). His parents, who came from Jalisco, Mexico, moved to Fullerton in the early 1980s. Raul works as a machine operator while Maria is a seamstress.
Rojas said that his academic success is largely due to hard work along with the guidance of his older siblings.
"I went into high school knowing what I was supposed to do," said Rojas. "Once you have had three siblings going through the same high school, you sort of have the reputation by the time you get there...My brother had already taken AP classes, so I had to take AP classes."
Sal Tinajero, Rojas' coach on speech and debate at Fullerton, said that Rojas thrives on competition. When he was a freshman, he joined the speech and debate team at Fullerton. In his junior year, he became a National Speech & Debate Association National Champion in poetry reading. Tinajero added that Rojas' biggest motivation was his parents. He wanted to give back to their hard work.
As a young student, Rojas was a constant achiever. He belonged to the honor roll at Valencia Park Elementary. He also attended honors classes at Parks Junior High School.
Baylee Rogers, Rojas' friend and teammate in speech and debate, said Rojas has the potential to adjust easily to the way of life perceived in any Ivy League campus.
"He's very dedicated," said Rogers. "Whenever he needs to get something done, he gets it done."
After visiting the campuses, Rojas, who has a GPA of 4.8, decided to pursue his studies in Yale. Out of the $64,000 yearly total costs that include room and board, Rojas is obliged to pay only $6,000. The rest of the total amount will be covered by Yale scholarships and some federal grant money.
Rojas plans to major in Latin American studies. His career options include becoming a lawyer or an international affairs officer.
