By Charles Wilson-
An 18 year old genius from Philadelphia who is a Gates Scholar, and the author of 62 pieces of legislation has been hailed as a future star and role model for teenagers and youths all over the United States.
On Tuesday, Jemille Duncan, of Nicetown,(pictured) graduated second in his class from Multicultural Academy Charter School with a 4.24 GPA (he surpassed 4.0 by taking AP classes), coming in just behind his girlfriend, who got a 4.29.
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He has been accepted in 13 schools and will attend Swarthmore College, where he received a full scholarship. He plans to study law and become an appellate lawyer and law professor.
In fact, it is not an understatement to hail the hardworking genius as a role model for youths all over the world. This teenager has a very bright future, one of the reasons he has already been asked if he aspires to one day be president, an office which would suit him, but which he does not want.
A position of that level would blend smoothly with his predilection for knowledge and advancement, but he is contented with his current interests in writing legislations and harnessing the skills of other youths to bring out their greatness.
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Impressive Jemille Duncan is a legislative aide for City Councilmember Cindy Bass, a recent graduate of Multicultural Academy Charter School, and one of only 300 people nationwide to be named a Gates Scholar this year.
State Sen. Sharif Street, who hired Duncan as an intern during his freshman year. “described him as having gravitas since he was 14.”
The ambitious and hardworking youngster is one of four inaugural fellows of Citizen Teen, a journalism mentorship program funded by The Solutions Journalism Network to amplify the voices of youth from the School District of Philadelphia.
Some of the emerging journalists from his excellent mentorship program will be contributing to this publication in the weeks and months ahead.
Duncan began his career in politics as a 14-year-old intern for State Sen. Sharif Street. Now 18, he works as a legislative aide for City Councilmember Cindy Bass. He is known to have been a conscientious reader from a young age, before his teens, reading ahead of his class, and expanding his mind through academic material outside of his curriculum. His mother told reporters he always asked for Christmas books for his present.
His achievement is to be used as a standard to motivate other teenagers in America to aim high. Duncan, who is the eldest of three brothers showed a love of history and critical thinking at an early age.
He has long been fascinated with the U.S. Supreme Court, the Constitution, and “the political process that flows from the authority of the Constitution delegates. He is to be be presented with the task of joining this publication in appraising the controversial issues facing America in relation with abortion, and join some of the thinktank members of The Eye Of Media.Com in assessing the big challenge facing the U.S Supreme Court.
Duncan secured a policy internship in Street’s office for three years. He wrote 104 legislative analyses and four pieces of legislation, two of which passed.
“One of the things I fell in love with about this job immediately was the writing,” Duncan said. “I got to write about policy and share those opinions with people that mattered.”
Duncan went on to work as legislative aide in City Councilmember Bobby Henon’s office until Henon was convicted of federal bribery charges in November. In December, Duncan was hired as a legislative aide for Councilmember Cindy Bass, where he remains employed part-time today.
In his time with City Council, Duncan has written 58 pieces of legislation, 28 of which have passed, including a bill to change the fine for sidewalk parking from $50 to $300 and a resolution authorizing hearings to investigate racial bias in development.
“It is very rare for someone so young to have such an extensive command of policy issues as well as an ability to develop sound, impactful legislation that has a high probability of Council-wide support and final passage,” Bass said. “When I was his age, I certainly didn’t have the skills to do what he seems to do so effortlessly.”
But being the youngest person in the room isn’t always easy for Duncan. Some have been threatened by a teenager doing the same job they are, and others underestimate his abilities.
“I’ve never seen anyone not underestimate Jemille because of his age,” Street said. “Some people get a rude awakening, but more likely, I see people pleased beyond expectations.”
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Duncan is also the director of research for the nonprofit education group UrbEd; a member of both the Philadelphia Police Department’s Youth Advisory Commission and SEPTA’s Youth Advisory Council; and a published writer who’s authored pieces for the Teen Magazine and the Philadelphia Citizen.
The exceptionally bright teen credits his work ethic to his mother who had him as a teenager and worked her way up to a manager position at McDonald’s .
”My mum has always been my hero and the embodiment of hardwork and dedication, he told The Eye Of Media.Com. I think I got my aspirations and drive from her .
“Even when she didn’t explicitly say, ‘You’ve got to work hard to get what you want,’ she lived that and still lives that every day,” Duncan said
Duncan’s top college choices were the University of Pennsylvania and Swarthmore College, both of which accepted his application. He decided to attend Swarthmore when he returned from a public safety event this year to find his block cordoned off by crime scene tape because a triple shooting happened near his house.
“I said, ‘I can’t be in the city anymore.’ Nothing happens at Swarthmore, so that’s where I’ll go,” Duncan said.
His mother said: “I feel like part of my purpose in life was having him,” she said. “I feel like he’s the next generation of the youth that will have a positive impact.”
Researchers and psychologists are already keen in understanding exactly what has been the motivating force behind his focused and enviable development, numerous questions await him as part of studies.
He is a standard for many teenagers to aspire to, a very bright future lies ahead for this handsome well brought up young man.
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