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New Orleans teen headed to Columbia University to pursue dream of becoming an astrophysicist

NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — He’s about to blast off to the big time. He’s a Jesuit High School senior who just got accepted into Columbia University in New York City.

WGNO Good Morning New Orleans features reporter Bill Wood has the continuing story of the student who’s a real New Orleans star.


He’s Kaden Oqueli-White.

And he’s been singing his song since he was a kid. That’s when he really was singing at morning mass at Jesuit High.

And that became a moment to think about the life he wants to live and the kind of career he wants to have.

Bill Wood says to Kaden, “You’re on your journey to become an astrophysicist, so what exactly does an astrophysicist do?”

Kaden says, “Well, I’m mainly concerned with figuring out the fundamentals of the cosmos and how all the moving parts of our universe together form the things we see today.”

Kaden spent the summer working for NASA as an intern at the Infinity Science Center on the Louisiana-Mississippi line.

Now, looking back on what seems like a lifetime on his laptop, Kaden is landing in his dream.

You never know.

When you wish upon a star, you might just get a job looking at them.

Kaden Oqueli-White is a lion of an astrophysicist.

He’s ready to soar.

And about to be a Columbia University lion, he’s ready to roar.