Raymond’s passion for life, education, and success comes from one person: his mother. Emulating her resiliency and dedication, he has turned a life of struggles into the food for his passion. From walking miles to school to losing countless hours of rest, Raymond refused to allow any obstacle to thwart his enduring goal of success: the only gift that he could give to his mother in return for her sacrifices. Frequently moving about the state of Georgia, Raymond has learned to appreciate the individuals he encounters as quickly as possible and hopes to find a stable community through the Ron Brown Scholar program.
With well-developed standards of education and motivation, Raymond takes pleasure in learning and expanding the faculties of his mind. An avid participant in local events, Raymond is a member of the National Honor Society, attends Model UN conferences, and practices Spanish at any given moment. The highest ranking African-American at the International Baccalaureate Program of Campbell High School with a G.P.A. of 4.649, Raymond has received such prestigious awards as the National Achievement Scholarship, Georgia Tech Career Discovery in Architecture Scholarship, Dartmouth Destination, and the Questbridge National College Match Scholarship to Yale University. He is also in the running for an opportunity to represent the United States through the Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange program with Germany. Reaching out to the community, Raymond helps tutor economically underprivileged children in both English and Spanish, speaks at local middle schools about dreaming big, and helps lead prayer services at his church. He also spends time leading his school’s rugby football team with his closest group of friends.
Through all of his academic, community, and athletic endeavors, Raymond has developed a level of maturity—a maturity that understands that the decisions he makes will affect the ones he loves, a maturity that understands that outstanding work takes time to reap outstanding benefits, a maturity that understands that the mind is truly powerful. Inspired by his time at the University of Notre Dame African-American scholars seminar, Raymond desires to maintain a balance of mind, body, and soul. He intends to pursue Architecture and International Relations at Yale University. Humbled by Questbridge and Ron Brown Scholar successes, he hopes to inspire other students to dream big.
