She didn’t just apply to college — she carved out a path that future students will look up to for years to come.

Jada-Symone Batichon, an 18-year-old academic standout from Powder Springs, Georgia, has turned the college admissions process into her own personal victory tour. The recent Wheeler High School graduate was accepted to 53 out of the 58 colleges she applied to, earning an extraordinary $1.8 million in scholarship offers along the way (PEOPLE). But for Jada-Symone, the drive behind her achievements is rooted in family history and the example set by the ones who came before her.

“My mom and dad always talked about how they were the first to go to college, so that always motivated me,” she said, emphasizing that higher education has always been part of her household’s story.

Her mother, Dr. Claudia Batichon — a Haitian-American educator, high school teacher, and founder of THINK Protégé, a college and career readiness initiative — played a powerful role in shaping Jada-Symone’s path. With a combination of strategy, discipline, and heart, Dr. Batichon guided her daughter through a process she teaches other students every day.

“Even though I’m a daughter, I’m a client,” Jada-Symone joked, highlighting the professional-level support she received at home.

That support paid off. Jada-Symone maintained a 4.0 GPA, held leadership roles in student government, cheered for her school, launched a girls empowerment club called EmpowHer, and held a job as a lunchroom monitor at a nearby elementary school. She also pursued dual enrollment at both Kennesaw State University and Chattahoochee Technical College, completing college-level coursework and even earning her nursing assistant certification before finishing high school (CNN).

Her academic acceleration started early. “She was basically done with a semester-and-a-half of high school while she was in middle school,” Dr. Batichon recalled. By the time Jada-Symone reached her junior year, her guidance counselor admitted, “There’s nothing else left here for her to take.”

Still, Dr. Batichon wanted her daughter to enjoy a full high school experience, not just an accelerated one. “I want her to go to prom… I want her to still be a cheerleader,” she insisted, making sure Jada-Symone balanced achievement with joy, friendships, and milestones.

When decision time arrived, Jada-Symone sifted through 53 acceptance letters before choosing a school she fell in love with years earlier: the University of Alabama, which she first visited in ninth grade.

“Roll Tide,” she said proudly, marking the beginning of her next chapter.

At Alabama, she plans to major in business management and aims to complete both her undergraduate and master’s degrees in just four years — an ambitious goal that matches her work ethic. Even before stepping onto campus as an official student, she’s already seeking a summer job or internship to build her skills (USA Today).

Despite her excitement, the transition comes with emotion. “I definitely will miss my parents, especially my mom,” she admitted. “I feel like it’ll be so quiet. I’m used to living in a busy household… I probably will get homesick. But I know how to manage my stuff … I think it won’t be that hard.”

Her mother, meanwhile, sees this as just the beginning. With five children total, Dr. Batichon hopes her sons will be inspired by their sister’s accomplishments. “You know how they always say, ‘You’re supposed to leave it better than you found it’? I felt like with me doing what I did, now she’s able to do it. And my hope is her children will be able to do even better.”

From first-generation roots to multimillion-dollar scholarship offers, Jada-Symone has proven that determination, preparation, and family support can open extraordinary doors.

Congratulations to Jada-Symone — the sky isn’t just the limit, it’s the starting point.