North Cross student going to M.I.T. in the Fall

North Cross student going to M.I.T. in the Fall (Added: June 01, 2009)

North Cross student Merritt Boyd graduated from the school Monday. He will be attending M.I.T. in the Fall. (more)

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By: Jarett Henshaw | WSLS
Published: June 01, 2009

"There are components of people and components of the universe that are not directly expressed in the observable properties of the universe,” said Merritt Boyd

Meet Merritt Boyd, the smartest student at North Cross and maybe even all of Roanoke. So smart in fact, that he got accepted into all nine schools he applied to including Stanford, Harvard, Cornell, and Berkeley. He decided to go to college at M.I.T. in Boston.

"The culture of the students I think is something that really drew me there,” said Boyd.

Some say he's a genius. He doesn't think so, but plans on studying astrophysics at M.I.T. had to get him to explain exactly what that is.

"Astrophysics is basically the large scale structure of the universe. I've always liked to take the telescope out at night and look at the stars so I think astrophysics would be a lot of fun to study," said Boyd.

Boyd says he's looking forward to studying at such a challenging School.

"I would rather challenge myself than be challenged,” said Boyd.

Boyd's mom says today is bittersweet because she's not looking forward to him leaving Roanoke in the fall.

"I'm very very proud but very sad that he's going to leave. I’m worried about who's going to fix our technology problems when he does. Anytime the TV breaks or a computer problems comes up, Merritt fixes it,” said Donna Boyd, Merritt’s mother.

Something she'll have to figure out in August because Boyd will be seven-hundred miles away, studying things that are a million miles from home.