Teacher's 25-Year $100 Bet Survives Thousands of Students Until One Perfect Chemistry Regents Score

JoJo Yawson became the first student to fulfil his chemistry teacher's longstanding challenge after scoring a perfect 100 on the New York State Chemistry Regents.

A 25-year classroom challenge has come to an end after a Baldwin High School student achieved a perfect score on the New York State Chemistry Regents, becoming the first student to meet his teacher's longstanding challenge.

JoJo Yawson, a student at Baldwin High School in Baldwin, New York, became the first student in chemistry teacher Anthony Simonelli's Regents-level chemistry classes to claim his $100 (£75) prize after scoring 100 on the state examination.

Simonelli had offered the cash incentive to students in his Regents-level chemistry classes for about 25 years. According to the Baldwin Union Free School District, Yawson was the first student in those classes to achieve a perfect 100 during Simonelli's 25 years teaching the subject.

Yawson later said he believed he had performed poorly on the examination and thought he had missed several questions.

How Did Yawson Finally Win the Long-Standing Challenge?

Yawson took the examination in a separate testing room as part of his testing accommodations, according to the Baldwin Union Free School District. His examination was therefore among the final papers to reach Simonelli for grading.

Yawson ultimately received a perfect 100 on the examination after his responses were graded and checked by the school's chemistry teachers.

Simonelli told CBS New York that when Yawson's result came back with a 100, his 'jaw almost hit the floor', adding that Yawson was the last student's examination to arrive.

The result made Yawson the first student to complete Simonelli's challenge since it was introduced roughly a quarter of a century ago.

According to the Baldwin Union Free School District, thousands of students had passed through Baldwin's chemistry classrooms during the period Simonelli had been teaching the subject.

Yawson had spent months preparing for the examination, although he did not expect his performance to result in a perfect score.

He later said he had gone home feeling dejected, believing that he had missed several questions.

Why Was the $100 Prize Significant for Yawson?

The achievement has also drawn attention because of Yawson's educational journey.

Yawson's mother, Ama K. Karikari, told CBS New York that her son had navigated learning differences and had been homeschooled for several years. He completed the Chemistry Regents while receiving testing accommodations.

Karikari said the $100 (£75) bill should be framed so Yawson could remember the challenge and the support he received.

Yawson had already demonstrated strong performance in science before taking the chemistry examination.

CBS New York also reported that he had previously earned a perfect 100 on the Biology Regents during his freshman year.

The Chemistry Regents result added another perfect score to his academic record while making him the first student to fulfil Simonelli's longstanding challenge.

On 26 June, Simonelli fulfilled his 25-year challenge by arriving at Yawson's home with the $100 (£75) bill. He signed the bill and encouraged Yawson to frame it as a keepsake. The Baldwin Union Free School District confirmed the visit took place on 26 June.

Will Another Student Claim the New $200 Prize?

Simonelli has since increased the prize for the next student who achieves a perfect score.

He said he is offering $200 (£154) to the next student who earns a perfect score on the revamped Chemistry Regents.

Yawson's achievement came during a transition period for New York's Chemistry Regents. The state began administering the new Physical Science: Chemistry (NYSP12SLS) examination in June 2026, while the previous Physical Setting/Chemistry examination is scheduled to continue through June 2027.

For Simonelli, Yawson's result ended a challenge he had maintained for approximately 25 years.

For Yawson, the prize represents the outcome of an examination he believed had gone badly.

CBS New York reported the achievement, while the Baldwin Union Free School District provided additional details about the examination, the 25-year challenge and Simonelli's delivery of the $100 (£75) prize.