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Date: 5/9/2023
CHICOPEE — Thomas Sibilly, 18, has been on a journey over his seven years at Hampden Charter School of Science and now in his senior year, his grit and determination are paying off. Sibilly has received a half million dollars in scholarships and been accepted into seven prestigious colleges and universities, including two Ivy League schools.
Everyone around him may have thought this straight A student with a grade point average above 4.5 was destined for scholastic stardom, but he wasn’t taking anything for granted, waiting nervously after applying to attend colleges and universities across the country.
“Every senior has this feeling of dread because their whole future is in the hands of admissions officers. It can be devastating if the news is bad,” he said.
After considering his options, Thomas has decided to attend Columbia University in New York City. The tab for tuition, room and board is nearly $90,000 a year, but Columbia dropped the cost and offered him $200,000 in scholarships, allowing him to attend the school at virtually no expense.
“I am so proud and happy for Thomas because he’s put so much effort into his high school studies. I feel this helped tremendously with his college acceptances,” said Jennifer Sibilly, Thomas’s mother. “Thomas showed an early interest in reading from story groups at the Chicopee Public Library, and he’s continued learning on his own ever since,” she said.
Sibilly wants to study computer science and minor in biology with the goal of working in computational biology.
“I’m inspired by how people use computers to sequence genetics and do protein folding—basically helping with very rare diseases and seeing how human life works in a much faster way than regular biological methods. I find it fun and fascinating,” he said.
Sibilly transferred to Hampden Charter from the Chicopee school system when he was in the sixth grade. As much as Thomas has been an academic achiever, he has also made an impact outside the classroom. He has been a product reviewer for AppleInsider for six years. He has also been on the award-winning Hampden Charter East Robotics team, vice president of the high school student council, a member of the National Honor Society and he’s been on the Hampden County District Attorney’s Youth Advisory Board.
Sibilly never had to be pushed or prompted to do well, he said, in fact those around him may have told him to slow down.
“I set an expectation of myself from a young age and I kept driving toward that. It manifested itself in unhealthy ways at times. As I got to know myself, I still wanted to see how far I could go, but I pushed myself in a healthy way with a growth mindset,” he says.
Sibilly has no brothers or sisters. His parents have vested their hopes and dreams in him, and, they said, he didn’t disappoint them.
“When Thomas’ acceptances started to roll in, I was a proud pop. But the extent of his success was far beyond my most outlandish expectations. He has an amazing level of determination to not just learn but self-direct his own learning. By the time he landed in middle school, I saw how well he adapted, and I was certain he was college-bound. But nonetheless, wow,” said Duane Sibilly, Thomas’s dad.
Even as Thomas promised to attend Columbia by signing and sending his commitment letter to the school, he drove hard to the finish line until his final day at Hampden Charter.
“The job wasn’t done,” he said. “I wanted to finish the year strong and celebrate in the summer.”