Cedric Jennings

Born into poverty, Cedric grew up in the urban ghetto of southeast Washington, D.C., protected and strictly disciplined by his mother, Barbara. His life was completely consumed by school work and church, leaving no time for the drugs, sex and crime so prevalent all around him. As a high schooler, Cedric was a straight "A" student, an accomplishment that earned him ridicule, disdain and bullying from the majority of fellow students. Despite a rather low SAT score, Cedric was admitted to Brown University, thanks to affirmative action, a host of scholarships and the financial support of a wealthy mentor. Admission did not guarantee success and social acceptance, however, and the freshman year was a struggle. An honor student from an inner-city public high school, Cedric soon discovered, was far behind middle and upper-class peers who had experienced the rigorous curricula of top notch public and private...