CHICAGO (WLS) — A Beverly teen has a lot to be proud of.
He graduated high school with acceptance letters to dozens and dozens of colleges, and millions of dollars in scholarships.
ABC7 Chicago is now streaming 24/7. Click here to watch
It’s payoff for many years of hard work.
Aaron Williams and his mother, Ericka Smith, sifted through a stack of college acceptance letters Wednesday: only about half of them.
The 18-year old was accepted to 83 colleges, and counting.
“And, they’re still coming in. Daily, he gets emails. They’re a little bit behind,” Smith said.
What’s also added up are the scholarships. Between merit money and offers from colleges, he has earned more than $8 million.
“Knowing that all the time I spent applying for scholarships, logging them on school platforms, and dedicating effort, along with having a community that supported and guided me through the process, is rewarding because it has truly paid off in the end,” Williams expressed.
The Bogan High School graduate is a straight-A student, and had a bold proclamation his first day of class as a freshman.
“Came into the principal and said I would be the class of 2025 valedictorian. And now, it’s safe to say I have done that,” Williams said.
The youngest of seven also achieved another of his goals: earning more scholarship money than one of his older siblings, who earned $1 million.
“It really pushed me to strive harder because, as you know, siblings often have that rivalry, trying to outdo each other. It motivated me to see how far I could go,” Williams mentioned.
As for where Williams is headed in the fall, he’s excited to attend Northern Illinois University, which gave him a full ride.
He plans to major in electrical engineering.
“He is who he is because of community, because of principals who cared, because of biological aunts who cared, the non-biological ones,” Smith said.
Williams says he also wants to be the valedictorian of his class when he graduates NIU.
Copyright © 2025 WLS-TV. All Rights Reserved.
