NEW ORLEANS — St. Mary’s Academy received the first of ten $100K checks from former NBA star and sports commentator Charles Barkley last Friday.
“We are forever grateful for Mr. Barkley’s gift and his support of our students. This transformative gift will assist students as they excel and achieve whatever dream they create within the walls of St. Mary’s Academy,” says Pamela Rogers, President of St. Mary’s Academy. “His generosity supports the mission of St. Mary’s Academy and reinforces our commitment to educating young people.”
Barkley decided to make the donation after seeing two St. Mary's Academy students featured on 60 Minutes discussing their 'impossible' mathematical discovery.
St. Mary's will continue to receive donations from Barkley over the next ten years.
“Mr. Barkley is thrilled to support St. Mary's Academy and is very focused on transforming future generations through education and opportunities. He has a love and passion for what the academy stands for and how it is shaping the lives and futures of young girls in New Orleans,” a representative from the Charles Barkley Foundation shared.
As high school seniors, Calcea Johnson and Ne'Kiya Jackson outsmarted 2,000 years of mathematicians. They gave a presentation at the American Mathematical Society's Annual Southeastern Conference in 2023. Johnson and Jackson found a way to prove the Pythagorean Theorem using trigonometry without circular logic—something mathematicians have been trying to do for nearly 2,000 years.
After high school, Johnson enrolled at LSU, and Jackson is attending Xavier University of Louisiana.
School officials say they plan to use this ten-year gift to enhance its legendary educational experience and provide students with opportunities to grow and develop in the classroom and the New Orleans community.
"I was so incredibly impressed with the two St. Mary's students, Calcea Johnson and Ne'Kiya Jackson, who did the seemingly impossible - prove the Pythagorean theorem using trigonometry. The two young women were brilliant yet humble. I was equally impressed to learn that producing students like Ne'Kiya and Calcea is in the DNA of St Mary's. The academy has been turning out accomplished citizens for 150 years. It is gratifying to know our report played a role in bringing about this significant and well-deserved gift,” 60 Minutes correspondent Bill Whitaker said.
► Get breaking news from your neighborhood delivered directly to you by downloading the new FREE WWL-TV News app now in the IOS App Store or Google Play.
