Student sure he'd failed his exam ends up winning teacher's $100 bet, unclaimed for 25 years
Anthony Simonelli thought his streak was safe once again until the final paper landed on his desk
For 25 years, Baldwin High School chemistry teacher Anthony Simonelli made his students a simple promise every year: get a perfect 100 on the notoriously tough New York State Regents exam and walk away with a $100 bill. Around 3,700 kids tried, and every single one missed that mark. It seemed like that streak would continue, especially after Simonelli graded all the papers except one. The paper in question was Jojo Yawson's, who coped with learning differences and walked out of the room convinced he had failed. But when Simonelli graded it and checked his score, his jaw dropped, as reported by CBS New York (@CBSNewYork) on October 3, 2026, garnering over 191,000 views.
Setting the unbeaten bounty
The challenge began in Simonelli's classroom as a bold bet against the notorious New York State Chemistry Regents exams. Convinced that tangible stakes would ignite genuine ambition, the Badlwin High School teacher placed his own wallet on the line. "I'll give you a hundred bucks," he regularly announced to his classes, daring anyone to turn in an error-free paper. But years kept on passing, yet the bounty went completely unclaimed. With that in mind, many students that year wrote off the payout as an impossible dream. But not Yawson.
Chasing the $100 bill
Yawson made it his daily focus. He treated chemistry like a puzzle waiting to be unlocked, constantly drilling formulas and periodic table properties. "It did matter a lot. It wasn't in the back of my mind; it was in the front of my mind," he confessed to CBS News. Rather than treating the bet as a passing thought, he leaned all the way into the grind. Despite this, he was completely devastated the moment the exam ended. The state assessment threw its trademark curveballs, and Yawson was left second-guessing his calculations and kicking himself over tricky questions.
Uncovering the lost sheet
Back at school, Simonelli worked through the towering stacks of paperwork and assumed the streak was once again safe. "We had graded all the exams. Every single one. We were done," he said. But because Yawson has learning differences, he had taken his test inside an accommodation room, delaying its arrival in the grading pile. When the stray paper finally surfaced on Simonelli's desk, every single answer held up under scrutiny. "When it came back with 100, my jaw almost hit the floor. Literally the last kid," Simonelli recalled.
Final shot at glory
What turned Yawson's achievement into an instant legend was its timing. As it turns out, New York State had been preparing to retire and overhaul the legacy Regents curriculum the following year. This meant he had snatched literally the last chance to conquer the test. He's now the first and only kid who can brag about getting the perfect score. That's why his mother insisted on framing the $100 bill as a permanent badge of his work ethic against the odds. As for Simonelli, he's pushed his envelope further, raising the bar to a $200 bounty for the state's revamped curriculum.
Breaking barriers along the way
Yawson's story will not only boost his confidence going forward but will also act as motivation for millions of others just like him. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, roughly 15% of all enrolled students in public schools are under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Of these students, the most common category was specific learning differences, with 32% of children aged between three and 21 being affected by it. Despite this, they are often overlooked and aren't provided with the needed facilities.
What student-teacher bond
Yawson and Simonelli's story also struck a chord with the people who loved the bond they shared. @venom_lowrider wrote, "I think it's awesome that this teacher is so enthusiastic about teaching and his students." Meanwhile, @sassyempress7916 pointed out, "I have learned that kids with learning differences are the ones who are the smartest because their brains think on a more advanced level. These are the ones who make for great engineers, doctors, lawyers, and scientists."
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