University of Connecticut Reneges on Commitment to 13-Year Old Autum Ashante

This blog shared some good news about 13-year old Autum Ashante being accepted to the University of Connecticut last month. Autum is reported to have an IQ of 149. We are very sorry to learn that UConn decided to renege on their commitment. [SOURCE]

Ben Ashante, Autum's dad, says that the institution has caused his family a lot of grief for “going back on their word,” and as a result have been dragged through the media. He said that he was told that he and his daughter needed to formally enroll, but upon doing so, the admission’s office told him that Autum was not “academically” ready.

Ashante condemned the institution and accused them of “covering their ass."

Meanwhile, the Ashante’s had to halt initial plans to relocate to Connecticut, as they originally were under the impression that Autum would begin classes at UConn this fall. Instead, Mr. Ashante is looking into enrolling Autum at other institutions such as Hampton University, a historically Black college in Virginia, and the University of Bridgeport.

Good News Tuesday: 13-Year Old Autum Ashante Heads to College

Soulclap to Your Black World for sharing this good news message with us.

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Autum Ashante is not your typical 13-year old. She’s a poet with a high IQ who has mastered three different languages, has a strong sense of her culture and is headed to college this fall. Shante is going to be a freshman at The University of Connecticut after being home schooled by her parents.

Her father, Ben, was able to put all of his time into educating his daughter. He’d retired early and also worked with teachers in the community to ensure that his daughter had access to a high quality education.

“What she’s doing is groundbreaking but this is not about vanity,” he said. “It’s about setting the tone for other Black and Latino children who will come behind her. They’re always being told they are underachievers. We want to show this can be done.“

The Ashante family isn’t just shining the light on themselves for personal reasons, they want to make it clear that their daughter is an example for all to see the potential of their own children. They fully expect their child to serve as a role model to African American and Latino children everywhere. Well, from first glance, it appears that this young lady can also provide a good example for many adults as well.

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This blog will continue to seek out Good News stories about people of African descent and share them with you each Tuesday. We need to tell the positive and upbeat information about OURstory. We can't depend on others to do it for us. Please pass along any Good News story that comes your way. In the case of bloggers ... we want you to join our Good News parade every Tuesday.