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Shoals student goes Ivy League

The opportunity to go to an Ivy League school is rare, especially if you are from the 4th smallest town in Alabama with a graduating class of just 23. 

Jamin Dowdy, a senior at Waterloo High School, has already been accepted to Yale, but he is not done yet.  He has also applied to the remaining Ivy League schools to keep his options open.

Ronnie Lee, Waterloo High School Principal, said, "We were just elated because probably the first one in history."

The first student from Waterloo to be accepted to any Ivy League school.  A college education wasn't a tradition in the Dowdy family.

Jamin Dowdy said, "I'm the first, actually my parents did not go to college, none of my grandparents."

Getting accepted to Yale took a lot of work and sacrifice.  Waterloo High School does not offer AP or Honor classes, so Dowdy had to rely on distance education.

Dowdy said, "I also set up a video conference math class with Lexington High School."

Dowdy is the 5th generation of family in Waterloo.  His parents always knew he like school.

"They were skeptical at first, I suppose, it's a long way away," said Dowdy.

When he found out he had been accepted, it was a shock.

Dowdy said, "At first, I found out online.  I thought it was a computer glitch."

The principal at Waterloo High School hopes Dowdy will not be the only Ivy League bound student.

Lee added, "We're expecting to have more hopefully."

Jamin plans to study chemical engineering, and eventually go to law school.  He encourages other students who have a goal to attend an Ivy League school, take as many classes as you can.