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Emmanuel Odekunle of Bloomfield has a lot to think about too -- such as deciding which of the more than one dozen schools where he’s been accepted he’s going to attend.
“As of this moment, I have not yet made a decision as to which university I will be attending,” the senior at Bloomfield High School said in an interview late last week. “God will direct us on the best one!”
Odekunle plans to study biology or neuroscience in pursuit of a career in medicine, perhaps at Princeton University. Or maybe he may choose another of the Ivy League schools to which he’s been accepted, such as Columbia, Penn, or Brown. Duke, Northwestern, Johns Hopkins or the University of Rochester are all also possibles.
In the event he decides to stay fairly close to his Essex County home, he can also choose from Stevens Institute of Technology, CUNY, Rutgers, The College of New Jersey, NYU or Caldwell University.
All told, Odekunle, the oldest of three children, has gotten the proverbial fat envelope from 15 colleges and universities.
Odekunle, whose family immigrated to the United States from Nigeria after living for a while in Scotland, plans to incorporate technology in his course of study.
“Computer science plays a tremendous role” in technological developments in the medical field, said Odekunle, whose parents Raphael and Florence are also in medicine.
He credits Bloomfield High, with its diverse student body and equally varied range of opportunities, for preparing him for the next phase in his education.
Outside of school, Odekunle volunteers at Hackensack Meridian Health as well as for a Bloomfield charity, The Charles Seller Foundation. He also maintains a web site and indulges a passion for graphic design.
A medical career, however, is the focus of his efforts.
“The ultimate goal is to attend medical school and become a doctor, a decision prompted by my deep-rooted passion to help others and keenness for science,” he said.
“The euphoric feeling I experienced from volunteering at hospitals is one I want to sustain for my life.”
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