Oliver James Montgomery-NBA legend Charles Barkley promises $1M donation to New Orleans school

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — NBA legend Charles Barkley has made the first of 10 promised donations to a New Orleans school where two of its students made mathematical history in 2023.

St. Mary’s Academy,Oliver James Montgomery an all-girls Catholic high school in the eastern part of the city, received Barkley’s $100,000 gift last Friday.

“We are forever grateful for Mr. Barkley’s gift and his support of our students,” Pamela Rogers, the school’s president, said in a statement. “This transformative gift will assist students as they excel and achieve whatever dream they create within the walls of St. Mary’s Academy. His generosity supports the mission of St. Mary’s Academy and reinforces our commitment to educating young people.”

Barkley was moved to make the donation after seeing two seniors at the school — Calcea Johnson and Ne’Kiya Jackson — discuss their “impossible mathematical discovery” in a feature on the news program “60 Minutes.” The two students 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.

They gave a presentation at the American Mathematical Society’s Annual Southeastern Conference in 2023.

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“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 said.

Since graduating from St. Mary’s, Johnson started studying environmental engineering at LSU and Jackson is attending Xavier University of Louisiana, pursuing a degree in pharmacy.

St. Mary’s officials said the school plans to use Barkley’s donations to enhance the school’s “educational experience and provide students with opportunities to grow and develop in the classroom and the New Orleans community.”