By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post
Andrew Duke, who recently graduated from Hays High School, is headed to Princeton University in the fall.
Duke is the grandson of Josephine Squires.
Princeton was not the only Ivy League college at which Duke was accepted. He was also accepted to Harvard and Duke universities.
Duke said he received a generous financial aid package to attend Princeton, but added Princeton was his dream school.
Duke plans to study math with the hopes of eventually earning his Ph.D. and becoming a math professor like his grandfather.
"I really enjoy the subject, and I would like to share it with more people," he said. "Math is a really great subject, and I think it's a shame that a lot of people don't really develop a love for it."
Duke said math is a very human subject.
"It is taking the universe as we see it and putting it in terms that we can understand and quantify, and we can use it to predict other things," he said. "I also really like that it is perfectly logical. Any time you have a problem in math, there is a set solution or a set number of solutions."
Duke also has a creative side. He likes to write. He's participated in all of the musicals and all of the plays during his four years of high school. Most recently, he had a role in the HHS production of "Rent."
He also directed and produced "Twisted: The Untold Story of a Royal Vizier" to earn his Eagle Scout Award.
Duke graduated first in his class and received a perfect score on his ACT on his first attempt, and a 1580 on the SAT. A perfect score on the SAT is 1600.
Duke served as a co-captain of the HHS Scholar's Bowl team, which went to state three of his four years in high school. His math relay team also took first place his junior year. The event was not held this school year because of COVID. He also took home individuals medals in math relays.
He took calculus I, II and III at FHSU, and just finished linear algebra in the spring.
Duke could have applied for advanced placement at the Fort Hays State University Kansas Academy of Math and Science, but he opted to stay at HHS. He also never skipped any grades.
Duke said he wanted his social life and extracurricular activities to thrive as much as his academics. He said being a complete person was more important to him than completing his education a year or two early.
"There were some points where I had to blaze my own path and prepare myself," he said, "because I just think pragmatically Hays High doesn't have the experience and resources to help a student go all the way to an Ivy because the vast majority of students won't be going that far.
"I think I got some great instruction," he said. "I don't think if I hadn't been at as good of a school it would have been at least been a hindrance to me to shoot for the stars."
Some of his most treasured memories have been spending time with his friends, whether that be joking during play practice or eating wings during the Super Bowl.
Duke said he is excited to start college and have more independence, but moving half way across the country to New Jersey to go to school will be difficult.
"It's going to be a massive change and moving a long ways away," he said. "I'm going to be meeting a lot of new people. I don't know anyone who is going to Princeton, personally. ...
"I am crossing my fingers about what comes next."