Emmanuel Gitu, a senior high school student from Springfield High School in Philadelphia has been accepted in 31 Universities out of which four are Ivy League higher learning institutions.
Gitu, who is of Kenyan origin, said he has decided to pursue Neuroscience at Harvad university with the hope of figuring out the difference in how people in the autism spectrum think to that of people outside the spectrum.
“Out of all the excellent institutions that I have been admitted to I am happy to share that I’ve committed to Harvard University to study Neuroscience!” he stated in a social media post.
According to Emmanuel his fascination with Neuroscience was inspired by his elder brother Ian Gitu who has autism.
“I believe if we can understand the key biological changes in the brain and physiology of people with autism spectrum disorder, “I think then we can give them better specialized therapy treatment,” Emmanuel said in an interview with CBS.
While explaining how he earned so many spots in prestigious universities, Emmanuel noted that he shared the story of his love for Ian.
He wrote about the relationship he shares with his brother in the college admission essay, which he notes significantly contributed to his acceptance letters from 31 colleges, including four Ivy League institutions.
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Emmanuel narrated that he has made it a Sunday tradition to bake rice bread for Ian who is also allergic to wheat.
“This is usually the sandwich bread that Ian is going to have, so that he can make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, so that he can have it for lunch,” Emmanuel narrated as he cut the bread into pieces for his bother.
Emmanuel Gitu Makes History at Springfield
Having received acceptance letters from 31 colleges, Emmanuel has made history at Springfield High School as no other student in the past 15 years has received such approvals.
The Ivy League universities he received acceptance from include Harvard, Princeton, Yale, and Cornell, among others.
Emmanuel termed receiving 31 acceptance letters from some of the best institutions an extremely exciting experience.
“Today I opened the letters, it was like extremely exciting,” he stated.
While reacting to Emmanuel’s achievement, the Springfield School staff members highlighted that his passion for learning was apparent since his earliest days.
The Chief Academic officer at the school Monica Conlin remarked, “Emmanuel did get into more Ivy League universities than any other student we’ve had, and I honestly couldn’t say how many years it’s been, but truly has made history here at Springfield High School.”
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Other Interests
The Springfield high school senior’s interests extend beyond academics. He has a love for music and enjoys playing the violin something he also intends to pursue at Harvard.
In addition, Emmanuel acknowledged his parents hard work and attributed it to their Kenyan roots, adding that he plans to study in Kenya as well to connect with his roots.
“My parents are the hardest working people I know, and I know they got that from their culture,” he said.
His parents also expressed how much Emmanuel has made them proud.
“I’m very proud of him,” said his mother, Anne Gitu.
