Kenyan-American Teen Who was Accepted to Eleven Top Universities in the US Finally Settles for Stanford

A Kenyan-American teenager who was accepted to several prestigious universities in the US after completing her high school education earlier this year has finally made her choice.

Sharon Njeri Wambu, whose parents immigrated to the US from Kenya, received acceptance to 11 top universities including Harvard, Stanford, Columbia, Cal Poly Pomona, and Vanderbilt.

Others are University of South California (USC), University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), University of California Irvine (UCI), University of California, San Diego (UCSD), University of South California, Santa Barbara (UCSB), and the University of California, Riverside (UCR).

Sharon, who graduated from Norco High in Norco, California, has chosen to join Stanford University to pursue Computer Science, according to African Warrior Magazine.

"I am excited to study computer science in college. In the future, I would like to use software engineering to work on platforms where people can share experiences with each other. I actually didn’t know I would venture into this field until the summer before my senior year. I feel that computer science gives me a tangible way to solve problems around me, and I appreciate the creativity that computer science requires, " she told the outlet in an interview.

"I now have the opportunity to not only improve my coding skills but also make connections with established engineers and receive funding and mentorship for my future projects. As a Kenyan American, I have faced some of the misconceptions that some people have about Kenya and other countries like it. Perhaps using technology such as virtual reality, I can show people the beautiful country, the value put on education, and the complex issues that Kenya is dealing with."

In April, Sharon's mother Sarah said her daughter’s acceptance to the 11 prestigious colleges did not come as a surprise, saying that Sharon put in all the hard work.