Bosun Lapite, a graduating senior at KIPP’s Newark Collegiate Academy, has received a full scholarship to Princeton University. Bosun, whose family hails from Nigeria, shared his excitement with NJ Education Report regarding his “full ride” to this elite college, what he plans to study, and how he got there.

There was no lack of inspiration right at home: His parents immigrated from Nigeria in 2002, first settling in Brooklyn, where Bosun was born. They moved to Newark when Bosun was an infant; his father earned a college degree and his mother works in Newark as an advocate for students with disabilities. Inspiration also comes from KIPP, a public charter school network which he and his sibling have attended since kindergarten, first at KIPP SPARK, then KIPP TEAM, and, for high school, KIPP Collegiate Academy. Bosun notes in particular that his high school teachers and counselors encouraged him to take advanced coursework, including  AP and IB courses, dual enrollment classes, and honor’s classes.

Why did his parents choose KIPP for their children’s education? “My parents thought KIPP was the best school for us, compared to Newark Public Schools and North Star,” he explained. “They thought it was the best public school system in Newark.”

Bosun’s dream is to be a software engineer, a passion he first discovered through a class during his freshman year when school was still remote  and then through KIPP Collegiate’s robotics program. “I always liked to take apart and build toys when I was young,” he said. “Being on KIPP’s robotics team allowed me to go through trial and error as my team built robots and faced deadlines to compete in statewide competitions. This is definitely related to my intention to major in computer science at Princeton! Computer science and robotics are two of my biggest interests, and I plan on joining a robotics club at Princeton.”

What is it about KIPP’s educational approaches that allowed him to delve into academic areas that sparked his interest?

“It is the teachers and staff,” Bosun said. “They show you every opportunity that’s available and help you reach it.” He recalled how during his junior year of high school his counselor encouraged him to apply for various summer opportunities. He ended up attending a three-week program on artificial intelligence at Brown University, 

Here’s Bosun: “That whole experience would normally cost $7,000, but KIPP paid for it all. They want kids to get hands-on experiences that lets us determine what we want to do post-high school, and you don’t find that at many other Newark high schools.”

In addition, said Bosun, “our teachers are willing to be honest with us and not sugarcoat anything.” He gave this example:

“I initially thought I was going to Dartmouth before I got off the waitlist at Princeton. When I told my computer science teacher, Mr. Brown, an alumnus of Dartmouth, he was excited that I got accepted but was also honest about his time there and told me stories about what it meant to be at an Ivy League school as a Black man. He knew I was going to have a great time but also wanted me to be prepared for experiences I wouldn’t find in Newark, and it came from the perspective of a person who actually went there.”

Right now, Bosun says, he is simply excited to get to Princeton University,, take classes, and  make new friends.

Watch this video of Bosun announcing his choice of higher education to his peers at KIPP Collegiate Academy!