Chicopee student accepted into 7 colleges, receives $500,000 in scholarships

CHICOPEE, MA (WGGB/WSHM) - A senior at Hampden Charter School of Science East in Chicopee has had an academic run like no other. In fact, he has been offered hundreds of thousands of dollars in scholarships.

Thomas Sibilly is a senior at the school and a young man with a brilliant mind. Since he was young, he has become invested with computers. That being said, he looks to help people in the near future by studying computer science and minoring in biology when he gets into college.

“I want to move into something called computational biology where you use computers to work with biology. Specifically, Google has done a lot of work with gene sequencing and protein folding and that kind of work can help cure very difficult diseases,” Sibilly said.

After starting at Hampden Charter School of Science East in sixth grade, Sibilly gained many achievements including being part of the school’s robotics team, National Honor Society, and vice president of the high school student council. He has also been a product reviewer for Apple Insider since December 2022 and this year, he has received around $500,000 in scholarships from seven different colleges, including two Ivy Leagues.

“I’m just taking it all in. Despite everyone’s reactions, I think I’m just proud of myself at the end of the day and I think it’s just a self-fulfilling thing,” Sibilly added.

His parents believe their son’s accomplishments set a good example for other students.

“Thomas doubts, like anybody does, but at the end of the day, he knows he has the capability to do what he sets out to do…try your hardest to be a person you can be proud of. Don’t worry about making anyone else proud. Be a person you can be proud of and everything else will follow,” said Duane Sibilly.

Both of them could not be any more pleased.

“He really has done so much work over the last four years and he deserves every bit of what he got…A lot of kids have a sense of fairness of what should be in the world and Thomas really takes that next step and says ‘What can I do to help other people and lift them up?’” Jennifer Sibilly said.

Sibilly told Western Mass News he plans to attend Columbia University in the fall after receiving a scholarship of $54,000 each year he’s there. For now, he is focused on completing senior year and plans to take this message with him as he continues his journey to success.

“As long as you have that determination and that feeling in you to chase your dreams, then you can make it anywhere that you want to go,” Sibilly added.

Sibilly said he is ready to take on the world and will make his decision to attend Columbia official on Friday.

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