Central Falls valedictorian accepted to Harvard

CENTRAL FALLS, R.I. (AP) - A Central Falls High School senior has been accepted to Harvard University.

School officials say it may be the first time a student from the Rhode Island school has been accepted to the Ivy League university.

The school announced Monday that Jean Paul Valencia has also been accepted to Brown, Yale, Dartmouth and Columbia.

Valencia, the son of Colombian parents, is vice president of his class and valedictorian. He takes computer courses at Rhode Island College. The principal calls him an exemplary scholar and thoughtful leader.

Central Falls High was named among the state’s lowest performing schools in recent years but has been undergoing an overhaul. The city in 2011 became the first in Rhode Island to declare municipal bankruptcy.

A deputy superintendent says Valencia hasn’t yet officially accepted Harvard’s offer.