Fernando Rojas, 17, appears with literature from the eight Ivy League universities where he was accepted. Photograph: Leonard Ortiz/Orange County Register/AP Sal Tinajero, Rojas’s speech and debate coach at Fullerton, told the newspaper that Rojas is a tenacious self-starter who thrives on competition. “His biggest motivation was his parents to know that their hard work meant something,” Tinajero said.
After visiting several campuses, he settled on Yale, which costs $ 64,000 a year with room and board. He is responsible for $ 6,000; Yale scholarships and federal grant money cover the rest.
“I loved Princeton,” Rojas said. “It was a beautiful campus, but it felt very stressful. Stanford was too big and overwhelming.”
“The (incoming) Yale kids were a little bit more enthused to get started and get going,” Rojas added.
With Fernando Rojas translating, his mother said she didn’t initially realize the magnitude of her son’s accomplishment. But once the media outlets started calling, she knew it was a big deal.
Rojas attributes his academic success to hard work and the guidance of his older siblings. “I went into high school knowing what I was supposed to do,” he said.
He’ll mostly take it easy during the summer before heading to Yale in late August. He’s considering majoring in Latin American studies and perhaps a career as a lawyer or in international affairs.
Free time is mostly hanging out with cousins, having movie nights and sleepovers. “Nothing too crazy,” he said.
