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17-year-old

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17-Year-Old LeAnna Roberts Obtains Master's Degree From The University Of Alabama

LeAnna Roberts is the embodiment of academic excellence! The 17-year-old received her master’s degree in business administration with a healthcare management concentration, from the University of Alabama on May 4, 2024, in Tuscaloosa, AL, WBRC-6 reports. “Looking back, four years ago when I started high school, I would have never have imagined. This was never a plan that I had or something that I had in the cards for myself,” she told the outlet. Two years prior, Roberts had earned an associate’s degree in science from Shelton State Community College while she simultaneously graduated from Central High School in Tuscaloosa. “When I started my 9th grade year, I knew I wanted a challenge, and I began to take dual enrollment courses at Shelton State Community College,” Roberts said, per WBRC-6. Roberts would then head to the University of Alabama as a junior at 16 years old, earning a bachelor’s degree in biology. Reflecting on her academic success, Roberts credits her parents for...

May 7, 2024

Meet Erin Polk, A 17-Year-Old High School Student Who Owns A Coffee Shop With The Help Of Her Business Partner, Khale Hunter

The majority of high schoolers are securing jobs close to home, but Erin Polk is distinguishing herself by managing her own business. WLS-TV 7 reports Erin is the proud owner of Erin’s Cup, a coffee shop located in the Morgan Park neighborhood of Chicago, IL. The 17-year-old spoke the feat into existence when she was just 2 years old, and to her family, her business comes as no surprise. “‘We’ll get Erin a cup, We’ll get Erin a cup,'” her mother, Heidi Polk, remembers saying when her daughter was a toddler, according to the outlet. “And there’s how Erin’s Cup [came about]. She wanted a cup of coffee at a coffee house.” Erin’s Cup has been open for business for a couple months but already has loyal customers such as Ronnie Mosley, who has a liking for several menu items. “Macchiato, lemonade refresher is great, the chai tea is great,” Mosley said, according to WLS-TV 7. “If you come here, we’ll know you by name. Everybody is very close knit, it’s like family right here,” Erin...

Jan 22, 2024

17-Year-Old Kayla Drummond To Be The Youngest Board Member To Vote On Baltimore County's $2.6B Budget

A young student is stepping into leadership. The Baltimore Banner reports that Kayla Drummond, a rising senior at Parkville High School, is set to become the first-ever student school board member to vote on Baltimore County’s $2.6 billion budget. At the beginning of her term, the 17-year-old started receiving training on the budget.

Jul 11, 2023

17-Year-Old Jalaiah Harmon Faced Adversity Early On As The 'Renegade' Originator, But She Triumphed And Earned $1M In 2021

Not even the culture vultures could stop Jalaiah Harmon’s shine! After her famous “Renegade” dance was stolen by popular TikTok star, Charli D’Amelio, the culture rallied behind the young choreographer before she ultimately received an apology from D’Amelio and her well-due credit. As previously reported by AfroTech, Harmon created the dance alongside her 12-year-old Instagram friend back in September 2019. Initially, she was pleased to see the dance gaining attention, but shocked to find that there was no mention of its originator. @jalaiahharmon Lets see you do it ! 🔥🔥❤️ ♬ renegade mashup – roman <3

Sep 12, 2022

Mom Quits Job To Help Her 17-Year-Old Son Achieve His Dream Of Opening His Own Business, Roll-N-Sweetz Rolled Ice Cream

This high school teen is about his business. WLBT News reports 17-year-old a’Ron Burns is the owner of Roll-N-Sweetz in North Omaha, NE, a subsidiary of the Burns Family LLC and home to an array of ice creams and other delights. Burns originally planned to pursue a career in criminal justice, but later realized he could still connect with his community through entrepreneurship. “With entrepreneurship, I can provide jobs, I can provide peace, I can provide comfort. And with ice cream, it’s also an emotional support food. So, it also would help me connect to people who are going through things I might not know, but the ice cream might help,” a’Ron told WLBT News.

Jul 7, 2022

17-Year-Old Imunique Triplett Earns Nursing Degree Before Graduating High School

The kids will forever be alright, especially with a drive like this! Imunique Triplett hasn’t even graduated high school yet, but she is making boss moves with a college degree under her belt — so, the possibilities are endless. According to The Black Detour, the 17-year-old is one of the first students to complete the process of obtaining her nursing degree, thanks to the M-Cubed College Connections program.

Feb 2, 2022

An Early Demo Sung By A 17-Year-Old Whitney Houston Sells For Nearly $1M As An NFT

Whitney Houston’s legacy will forever be timeless, even in the world of technology. Earlier this month, non-fungible token (NFT) green marketplace OneOf announced that a rare full-length demo sung by the legend at age 17 would be auctioned off. Now, that item has become the highest sold NFT on the Tezos blockchain selling for nearly $1 million, Billboard reports. “Whitney is an icon for the ages,” OneOf co-founder Joshua James said. “We couldn’t be more excited to be releasing this historical song from the very beginning of her journey as an artist.” The winner of the auction, which ended yesterday (Dec.14), can not only revel in exclusive access to Houston’s recording, but the lucky individual also received digital artwork and videos crafted by 17-year-old photographer and curator Diana Sinclair.

Dec 16, 2021

Puma Signs 17-Year-Old High School Basketball Player Mikey Williams In A Historic Endorsement Deal

Vertical Academy’s Mikey Williams recently landed a deal that could possibly open opportunities for the futures of high school basketball players. On Oct. 29, the 17-year-old — who is eligible for the 2024 NBA Draft — signed a multiyear footwear and apparel endorsement deal with Puma, making him the first American high school basketball player to sign a sneaker deal with a global footwear company, ESPN reports. The historic announcement was made on social media with a trailer of Williams titled, “Not Yet Rated.” The trailer is here. Welcome to the fam Mikey Williams @619PRESIDENTIAL 🐾 NOT. YET. RATED. pic.twitter.com/JPdr6g0ji4 — PUMA Basketball (@PUMAHoops) October 28, 2021 “I am excited to join the Puma family this early in my basketball journey,” Williams said. “Puma really understands how to mix hoops and culture, two things I am passionate about.” Along with being ranked as the 11th best prospect in his high school class by ESPN, Williams’ has over five million followers across...

Nov 1, 2021

17-Year-Old Shanya Robinson-Owens Receives $1M in Scholarships From 18 Colleges

High school senior Shanya Robinson-Owens applied to more than 25 colleges and in return received offers of more than $1 million — $1,074,260 to be exact — worth of scholarship money from the 18 schools she was accepted into, Good Morning America reports. Shanya — a 17-year-old Philadelphia native who currently attends George Washington Carver High School of Engineering and Science — told CNN that she didn’t have high expectations when applying to her respective schools, but was pleasantly surprised when acceptance letters started rolling in. “I didn’t expect to get this,” she said, “I knew about the scholarships, but I didn’t expect it to be this much, at all.” According to CNN, her family began counting her scholarship packages as she received her acceptance letters and started tracking her progress on social media via the hashtag #KeepingUpWithNya. “I didn’t know if I should cry, laugh, I didn’t know what to do.” – 17 year old Shanya’s reaction when she was awarded over $1 million...

Mar 8, 2021

17-Year-Old Dasia Taylor Receives Recognition For Developing Color-Changing Sutures to Detect Infection

Meet a future life-saving surgeon in the making! According to The Gazette, 17-year-old Dasia Taylor has been named a Regeneron Science Talent Scholar after her development of color-changing sutures to detect infection. A senior at Iowa City West High School, Taylor has often dreamt about becoming a surgeon. A few years ago, she was gifted a suture kit for Christmas which sparked her interest in learning how to make them more effective. As her first science research opportunity outside of her traditional classes, Taylor made the decision to develop sutures that would change colors when a patient’s pH levels altered, in turn making it easier to point out an infection. After conducting research for a year and focusing on the suitable material for the stitches along with learning how to work in a sterile environment to test bacteria, Taylor entered her project into the 80th annual Regeneron Science Talent Search. Out of the 1,760 students who applied, Taylor was named among the top 300...

Feb 11, 2021

Meet Sterling Chandler, the 17-Year-Old Photographer Who Just Made History With British GQ

Time and time again we’re thrilled to report that there is no age limit to success! Sterling Chandler makes history as the youngest photographer to have their work featured in British GQ, Because of Them We Can (BOTWC) reports. For Chandler, his family wasn’t the only ones who supported his vision for photography. After a family friend’s approval, he decided to not only keep chasing his dreams but to start saving money for a camera. “I started off experimenting, taking photos with an old iPhone I was given, and my mum and dad encouraged me to pursue it after seeing some things I’d done, and it just grew from there,” Chandler tells reporters. “Then a few years ago, family friend photographer Lawrence Watson saw some of my pictures and was very encouraging, and since then, I continued exploring it, investing time and energy.” In 2020, Chandler purchased his camera and began his journey as a photographer by running social media for a music initiative by the name of Love Record Stores....

Jan 11, 2021

This 17-Year-Old Won $400K For Explaining Quantum Tunneling in Science Challenge

How many adults can even explain what quantum tunneling is, let alone a teenager? Well, 17-year-old Maryam Tsegaye just won $400,000 for describing the concept in the annual Breakthrough Junior Science Challenge, according to BOTWC. The challenge is an annual competition for students between ages 13 to 18 to compete by sharing innovative videos about complex science or math principles. This year, topics included physics, mathematics, life sciences, and COVID-19. Inspired by her brother’s gaming, Tsegaye simplified quantum tunneling by touching on traveling small particles, nuclear fusion, and DNA mutation. “Imagine if you could walk through walls in real life,” she says in the video. “And it turns out you can—at a quantum level.” Tsegaye got the good news via Zoom from the founder of Khan Academy, Sal Khan, and astronaut, Scott Kelly. The big prize included a $250,000 scholarship, $100,000 for her school’s science lab, and $50,000 for her teacher. “This is an absolutely...

Dec 22, 2020

This 17-Year-Old Founder Raised $160K to Aid Black-Owned Businesses Impacted By Riots

Amid protests against police brutality against Black people, riots erupted throughout the nation. After noticing Black-owned businesses that were looted in the process 17-year-old CJ Pearson — founder and president of Last Hope USA — stepped in to lend a helping hand. According to Face 2 Face Africa , Pearson raised $160,000 in three days to help local Black-owned businesses repair their stores and offset monetary losses. Although Pearson’s initial goal was $30,000, he surpassed it with overwhelming help from contributors. “We blew through that goal in just three hours, raising more than $160,000 in three days,” Pearson said, according to Face 2 Face Africa. “And it blew me away to see the response that we received, but also it filled me with so much hope to be able to help so many people who need this relief now more than ever.” Pearson felt called to action after watching the post protest riots. “I watched so many videos of America burning each and every night and it broke my...

Jul 1, 2020

How Executive Director Dana Loatman Is Upholding Virgil Abloh's Mission To Support Underrepresented Creatives

As the Executive Director of the Virgo Abloh Foundation, Dana Loatman is preserving the late fashion designer’s mission of supporting underrepresented creatives. The New York native credits her time at Bowie State University, Maryland’s oldest HBCU , for sowing the seed of helping overlooked creators, a mission that has guided her career. “That’s where I got my passions really, for investing in our communities and minority communities and really ensuring that we have the same access that our counterparts have,” she explained to “Black Tech Green Money” host Will Lucas. Loatman’s career journey reflects this spirit, including seven years at the Obama Foundation, where she held multiple roles, including senior director, chief of staff, advisor to the CEO, and director of corporate partnerships. Her work helped secure more than $100 million from companies, including Apple, Nike and AT&T, targeting racial and gender equity and investing in future leaders, her LinkedIn notes. As the...

Jun 24, 2025