Anyone familiar with the rituals of college life knows that we are in the midst of college acceptance and rejection season.
Last week, Lamar High School student Micheal Brown of Houston, Texas made national headlines when he gained acceptance to all 20 colleges and universities he applied to, including four Ivy League institutions: Harvard, Yale, Princeton and the University of Pennsylvania. Stanford, Northwestern, Johns Hopkins and 13 other top-notch colleges and universities said “welcome,” as well.
The story doesn’t stop there. Each institution awarded him a full scholarship – a remarkable accomplishment, indeed!
Videos of the young Brown yelling ecstatically as he was surrounded by equally ecstatic friends upon learning the wonderful news made headlines across the globe.
When I first got wind of the story, I immediately went to social and print media publications to peruse initial reactions. Indeed, a story of this magnitude was bound to attract considerable attention and reaction. I was elated to see such a hard-working young man achieve such a well-deserved milestone.
As it turns out, it seems that most other people were happy, as well. The young Mr. Brown was showered with numerous congratulations and well wishes from friends and strangers both domestically and globally. Congratulations poured in from numerous celebrities, reporters, academics, readers and others. Former president Bill Clinton gave a shout-out and saluted the young man for his impressive accomplishments.
That said, unfortunately, there were others who wanted to rain on Brown’s parade. Rather than join in the ample chorus of good will that was directed toward the teen, a group of Washington. D.C. Fox News affiliate anchors – Holly Morris and Allison Seymour along with podcast host and contributor Sarah Fraser – attacked and belittled Brown, referring to his decision to apply to 20 schools as “ridiculous,” “obnoxious” and “showing off.”
