She didn’t just apply to college, she blazed a trail!
Jada-Symone Batichon, the 18-year-old powerhouse from Powder Springs, Georgia, was accepted to 53 out of the 58 schools she applied to, securing a staggering $1.8 million in scholarship offers along the way, PEOPLE reports. But her motivation? It goes deeper than ambition.
“My mom and dad always talked about how they were the first to go to college, so that always motivated me,” she explained.
Jada-Symone, a recent graduate of Wheeler High School, is the daughter of Haitian-American educator Dr. Claudia Batichon, who herself is blazing trails. A high school teacher and founder of THINK Protégé, a college and career readiness initiative, Dr. Batichon played a pivotal role in her daughter’s journey.
“Even though I’m a daughter, I’m a client,” Jada-Symone said.
And what a client she’s been. From maintaining a 4.0 GPA and participating in student government and cheerleading, to starting her own girls empowerment club EmpowHer and working as a lunchroom monitor at a local elementary school, Jada-Symone has exemplified excellence both inside and outside the classroom. As a dual-enrolled student at Kennesaw State University and Chattahoochee Technical College, she even completed college-level coursework and earned her certification as a nursing assistant, all before finishing high school.
“She was basically done with a semester-and-a-half of high school while she was in middle school,” her mother said. “By the time she got to junior year [at Wheeler], her guidance counselor was like, ‘There’s nothing else left here for her to take.’”
Still, Dr. Batichon insisted that her daughter experience all the hallmarks of a “normal” high school life—cheerleading, prom, softball, and all. “I want her to go to prom… I want her to still be a cheerleader,” she said.
So, when it came time to choose among 53 offers, the accomplished senior was ready, choosing the University of Alabama, which she visited as a ninth grader.
“Roll tide,” she said with a smile.
Jada-Symone plans to major in business management, aiming to complete both her undergraduate and master’s degrees within four years. But even before her college journey officially begins, she’s already looking for a summer internship or job.
“I definitely will miss my parents, especially my mom,” she admitted. “I feel like it’ll be so quiet. I’m used to living in a busy household… I probably will get homesick. But I know how to manage my stuff … I think it won’t be that hard.”
Her mother shares a vision even bigger than their family’s current success, hoping that her other four boys will follow in their sister’s footsteps as well.
“You know how they always say, ‘You’re supposed to leave it better than you found it’? I felt like with me doing what I did, now she’s able to do it. And my hope is her children will be able to do even better.”
Congrats Jada-Symone! Sky’s the limit!
Cover photo: Georgia Teen Accepted to 53 Colleges With $1.8M in Scholarships, Inspired by Her Parents’ Legacy/Photo credit: Dr. Claudia Batichon/PEOPLE