Waterloo High School Student Headed To Harvard

Waterloo West High School's valedictorian is going to one of the most prestigious colleges in the world.

Get our free mobile app

High school graduations are just around the corner, and by this time in the school year, many students already have an idea of what they will be doing next year.

Whether they will go off to college, go to trade school, or even just take a year off; now is just about the time when these students are just gunning to get ready for their next big adventure.

One Waterloo West High School student's next step will have her heading to Massachusetts in the fall and attending Harvard.

Jorden Wallican has been academically challenging herself all throughout her time in school. For the past two years, she's been a part of the Waterloo Community Schools’ International Baccalaureate Diploma Program.

Wallican is her class's valedictorian and has the highest grade point average in her school, according to a report from the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier.

The young woman applied to 31 schools and got into 24 of them, but Harvard was always the ultimate dream school.

Her top three college picks were Harvard, Brown, and Williams College.

College isn't cheap these days, but the Waterloo student won't have to worry too much about that. She was offered a near full ride to the Ivy League school. PLUS the rest will be covered by the Gates Scholarship.

Funded by Bill and Melinda Gates, this scholarship is "eliminating the financial barriers to college, a last-dollar scholarship can enable high-potential, low-income minority students to excel in their course work, graduate college, and continue to be leaders throughout their lives."

She has not set in stone what she plans to study in school, but according to a story from the Courier, she is thinking of pursuing a degree  in women, gender and sexuality studies with a minor in African-American studies.