Graduation season is nearly upon us. Among the the seniors who will get their diplomas at Arlington Martin High School, there’s one who stands out in her class. Noelle Walker has the story.
You have to be smart to take AP classes in high school. Oforitsenere Bodunrin is that smart. The Arlington Martin High School senior is getting ready to graduate at the top of her class, but she stands out for more than her grades.
"I'm 14," Bodunrin said smiling. "I don't really like to be like, 'Hey I'm 14! This is amazing! This is great!' I just like to talk to people normally and if they find out, they find out."
"I think that says a lot about how she carries herself," Arlington Martin High School AP Art History teacher Elizabeth Osbourne said. "The way she behaves and acts, she's very mature for 14."
Bodunrin's fast track is remarkable; everywhere but in her own family.
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"Because my sister did it, like, 4 years ago," Bodunrin said.
Older sister Fifehanmi graduated from the same high school at the same age. Now 18 years old, she's getting ready to graduate from LeTourneau University this year.
"I kind of, like, look at her as inspiration to really see, so I can kind of visualize, like, how it's going to be for me," Bodunrin said. "I really just want to travel a lot and see the world."
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"I love the fact that she says she wants to travel, 'cause I'm like, 'Yes! Go experience the world,'" Osbourne said. "You're young. Literally!"
Bodunrin isn't just academically driven. She is also president of the Key Club, editor for Martin School News, historian for the Black Student Union, and has a second-degree black belt in the martial art of Tang Soo Do; just to name a few.
"Surround yourself with people that encourage you and, like, surround yourself with people that have similar goals to you," Bodunrin said. "But also, like, don't shut people out just because you don't think that they fit your criteria."
Bodunrin has plans to attend UT Arlington in the fall to study computer science and aviation.
