Indian Time - A Voice from the Eastern Door

By Isaac White

"I can't let him beat me." It's one of the most ear-catching things that Riley Thomas, Akwesasronon, Salutatorian of the Salmon River Class of 2023, and entrant to Yale University this fall, said during his time in the offices at Indian Time.

Riley intends to outwork and push himself to the limit of his academic abilities. Even if it means outdoing his father, Nolan Jacobs, in the scholarly realm. Thomas' father holds a master's degree, a point of pride that the son can't hide.

The young man pulls no punches when he delivers the words. Respectful and proud of his father? Yes. But he clearly draws a line in the sand to tell the world he won't be satisfied until he surpasses that level of educational achievement. Such a response from an 18-year-old would seem surprising to most. For the most part, it is. Until Riley opens up and shares both the source of his drive and NEED to succeed in his academic endeavors.

Born in Cornwall, Riley grew up on State Road in Akwesasne, the son of Nolan Jacobs and Fallon Thomas. The obvious question to Riley, the one that would seemingly be the natural first inquiry for any person interviewing him, is "How did we get here?"

It's a question that seemed not to phase the Gen Z'er significantly. Riley said he's done interviews before this one, which is evident as the discussion evolves. The young man is unusually poised. The signs of youth are there, you see glimpses of him being unsure, but those moments are fleeting.

When speaking with an academic phenom who has surpassed all expectations in his public-school education, the origin story of such a youth is ripe for exaggeration. That's not at all Riley's style. He says that his parents relayed stories of his being an unusually advanced child, even as a baby. All the usual things infants and babies do throughout their development were checked off very early for Riley. As he tells stories about himself relayed from his parents, his forthrightness and honesty shine through.

As Riley talks about his very early years, the support he received from his parents quite obviously played a significant role. A function that clearly helped him to work his way into the storied institution that is Yale. Yes, Riley was an early reader. He was exceptional by all standards. And he gives the credit for his development to his mother and father.

While his prodigious abilities were recognizable early on, he wasn't pressured too heavily by his parents. There were no heavy-handed attempts to force him into academic achievement. His parents expected him to take his studies seriously, but he was clear that if scholarly stardom weren't his path, his parents wouldn't begrudge him.

But that's not the path Riley wanted. Pushing himself is what truly drives the young man. As he's discussing his academic prowess, it's evident that language skills come with ease. In fact, when speaking, Riley says that his reading and writing skills have been honed so well that he needed academic adventure outside of the reading and writing part of the "three R's."

While most people either try to avoid or outright run away from the last "R", math, Riley knew the field was his destiny. As he talked about his history regents (where he scored 100), he was not outwardly impressed with that accomplishment, not out of arrogance or disdain for the subject. He said he loves history; it's just that his passion is to challenge himself.

Riley finds that the best way to test the limits of his mind and abilities is to run right into the arms of the subject matter most frightening to the vast majority of people. Mathematics.

While speaking about his most passionate academic pursuits, Riley also continues to exhibit signals of his drive for success. He doesn't want to just get by. Surpassing the expectations of instructors while also distancing himself from other students is no joke for Riley. As he talked about his position as the number two student in his class, he says one thing that pushed him was making sure no one caught him.

"I want to be the best. That's a big part of what drives me. To be the best and make sure I'm pushing myself to be that is important to me," Riley said of his personal drive.

As he speaks, the clarity he has for an 18-year-old is surprising. He has some of the charming characteristics of youth, with a dash of "Isn't this someone who just graduated high school?" wisdom. He knows that life can change as you experience it. With that in mind, Riley mentioned some options for his career path. Maybe a doctor. Possibly a doctorate in mathematics. He is interested in engineering. A running theme you find with Riley is his consistency in knowing that life isn't always consistent.

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) was his first choice according to him. While it's undoubted that MIT is a world-class institution, Riley curtailed the idea of attending the school for himself. He knew from an application process that the school wasn't for him. That he was so self-assured when tossing aside a top-notch institution is a bit disconcerting until you recognize how wonderful it is to see a young man raised to be self-aware.

One who was obviously encouraged and trusted by his family to make good decisions. Riley was so self-assured that he took the leap. He made the decision to stick with his intuition and dropped MIT as an option for his higher education.

Yale became his number one choice eventually. Harvard seemed to be the option most people thought he would take if he decided to make the Ivy League his educational direction. As in most things, Riley took the road he wanted to. In his mind, and everyone else's quite frankly, Yale is one of two premiere post-secondary learning institutions in the U.S.

The sense of community Riley saw when he visited New Haven on a visit prior to his acceptance to Yale sealed the deal for him. Thomas is used to the close-knit nature of Akwesasne, and he felt Yale had something comparable in terms of familiarity with smaller, closely woven together clusters of people. On his visit Riley noticed that the usual talk of community offered by nearly all higher education institutions was not just lip service at Yale. "The schools talk a lot about community. They have to. But when I got to New Haven, I actually felt it. I met a freshman who just offered to take me on a tour of the college. Just because they wanted to and could," Riley said of the communal spirit he saw while visiting Yale.

While at Yale, Thomas will have major decisions to make. Whether Riley decides to become a doctor, an engineer, or whatever other career direction he chooses in life, he made clear that Akwesasne played an enormous role in the trajectory of his existence. He knows home, Akwesasne, will help guide him for the rest of his being.

Riley approaches life with what looks to be fearlessness, something that is undoubtedly a benefit of youth. It's not without potential risks, something he acknowledges, but Riley has a more significant message for everyone in Akwesasne. He encourages all to take the risk. In his view, you will never hit a home run if you never take a swing.

"You just have to do things. You have to take a leap of faith. You have to trust yourself. Get involved with things you never thought you would. Don't be a one-dimensional person."

Wise words from a young Akwesasronon. Good luck, Riley, on your journey to New Haven. All of Akwesasne is rooting for you.