Tyron Marhguy, once denied admission to Achimota school, earns full scholarship to Penn State

Tyron Iras Marhguy, the Rastafarian student whose battle over his dreadlocks and right to education made headlines in 2021, has secured a full scholarship to study Computer Engineering at Pennsylvania State University (Penn State) in the United States.

In 2021, Tyron faced a significant challenge when Achimota Senior High School initially denied him admission, requiring him to cut his dreadlocks, a symbol of his Rastafarian faith as a precondition to enrolment.

However, a court intervention allowed him to keep his dreadlocks and gain admission.

Since then, Tyron has excelled academically, achieving straight A's in all eight subjects of the West African Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (WASSCE) in 2023.

On Wednesday afternoon, Tyron shared his exciting news on X (formerly Twitter), stating:"I'm thrilled to announce that I've been awarded a full scholarship to pursue Computer Engineering at the @Penn. Joining the class of 2028 as a proud Quaker, this incredible opportunity comes after carefully considering breathtaking offers from #UPenn, #Duke, #Williams, and #F&M, all totaling $1.4 million over the next four years! "

Reflecting on his journey, Tyron recalled the challenges and triumphs of the past three years, beginning with his fight to attend Achimota School with his dreadlocks intact.

"My fight for the right to wear my Rastafarian dreadlocks to school sparked a national and global debate on individual rights and education. Through national and global media appearances, I developed my voice, advocating for equality and tolerance," he said.

Tyron's academic accomplishments extend beyond his stellar WASSCE results. In 2023, he earned two awards from the American Mathematics Olympiad, being recognised as the overall national top scorer and a Gold medalist in a competition involving over 150,000 students worldwide.

He also secured a Silver medal in the Vanda Science International Olympiad, competing against 38,000 participants, and was inducted into the International Junior Honour Society, 2023.