IN A world that measures the confidence of a young man by how proudly he can promote his own interests, how skilfully he can walk with his pants below his waist, or how many girls he can acquire in a night, 17-year-old Darren Neill Gooden is an inspiring enigma.
Anyone who glimpses Gooden, as he walks home from school with his head bowed, a huge knapsack on his back, and an enormous French dictionary in his hand, could easily guess that the boy has a 'liking' for his books; however, few would imagine that he has already been accepted to study at some of America's finest universities.
Gooden, an upper-sixth-form student at Manchester High School in Mandeville, has been awarded a full scholarship to study mathematics and computer sciences at Yale University - one of the oldest and most prestigious Ivy League universities in the United States. The scholarship, which covers tuition, board, books and personal supplies, is valued at approximately US$54,602 (J$4,804,976) per year!
That, however, is just the tip of the iceberg.
Read more at: http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20090531/lead/lead9.html
