Recently, 8-year-old Jordin Phipps made history at the University of North Texas (UNT) after her social media video went viral. The video featured Phipps wearing a UNT t-shirt and chanting a motivational slogan from her elementary school: “I will pay attention and I will do my best and I will study hard for every test!”
This message caught the attention of UNT’s President, Neal Smatresk, who was so impressed that he awarded Phipps the President’s Award for Excellence in Leadership along with a $10,000 scholarship. Additionally, he guaranteed her admission to the school’s class of 2030, making her the youngest person to ever be accepted.
At a recent assembly at Phipps’ elementary school, she was surprised by UNT’s representatives who presented the scholarship and had cheerleaders perform for and pose with Phipps. When asked what she intends to major in, Phipps said she is unsure but is considering engineering.