JERSEY CITY -- At a young age, Cameron Clarke had dreams of becoming a doctor. It was at McNair Academic High School in Jersey City where he was given an opportunity to explore his career options.

Now a senior at Howard University, Clarke is preparing to study at Oxford University after he was selected last month as a 2017 Rhodes Scholarship recipient. He graduated from McNair in 2013.

The prestigious scholarship -- there are only 32 recipients from the United States each year -- is awarded to students for their academic achievements and leadership qualities. This year there were more than 2,500 applicants.

"I was a little surprised," Clarke said of the scholarship. "It's been a goal I've wanted to achieve."

Clarke, whose family has since moved from Jersey City to Virginia, will graduate with a double major in biology and community health. He will study primary health care and public health at Oxford and later plans to attend medical school to become a primary care physician.

Attending McNair, he believes, gave him an advantage over some of his classmates when he first started his college career. It was at the Coles Street school where teachers in every subject area taught students how to make an argument.

Holly Smith, the English department coordinator at McNair, said Clarke still visits the school a few times a year and described him as being "emphatically grateful" for his experiences at the school.

"His trademark is impressive accomplishment without excessive stress and worry, he encourages us to find our passions, find our voices, find our mentors - and then the most daunting task becomes natural. He is brilliant, unassuming, warm and community-minded above all else," Smith said.

Clarke is a certified EMT, works with local schools to promote healthy living, and has worked on a number of research publications while a student at Howard.

"We are extremely proud of Mr. Clarke's accomplishment," Howard President Wayne Frederick said in a statement. "Mr. Clarke's academic pursuits will lead to solutions in the broader society that are needed ever more so today. Cameron is the epitome of Howard University's gift of solutions to the world."

Caitlin Mota may be reached at cmota@jjournal.com. Follow her on Twitter @caitlin_mota. Find The Jersey Journal on Facebook.