LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) – A 16-year-old at J.W. Sexton High School would normally have two more years until graduation, but Jeffery Stych will cross the stage as a graduate and as valedictorian this year!
Stych is not the average kid.
He tutors students in math, he’s part of the student body government, he’s learning Spanish, plays sports and so many other activities, all while maintaining a 4.2 GPA.
Now the teen is preparing what he calls one of the biggest speeches of his life.
“Hard work, dedication, and losing some sleep definitely. There were definitely some all-nighters pulled,” he said.
In the fifth grade, he wrote down that he would become valedictorian someday, but he never imagined it would be just six short years later.
“It makes me nervous, but also I’m also excited because I get to give my message to the people who want to listen,” he said.
Stych will get to stand before the 2023 graduating class of Sexton High School for achieving the highest level of academic success.
“The support is what brought me here,” he said.
Stych is grateful for his family, his mother and the Lansing School District. He said his accomplishments wouldn’t be possible without them.
“I remember this one time I was walking down the hall and these two people were walking past me,” he said. “I can hear them say like ‘oh he’s so smart, I want to be like him. So whenever I hear like ‘I wanna be like him, it always brings joy to me.
In addition to the various hats that Stych juggles, the high schooler is also taking engineering courses at Lansing Community College.
He said it hasn’t been easy, especially the jump from seventh grade to ninth.
“How do I make friends with people that are you know, can drive and do all this stuff?,” he asked. “The hardest part was definitely the social aspect of it but I eventually got it down.”
The achievement doesn’t come as a surprise to his mother, Stephanie Glennon, who said she always gave him the freedom to set his own goals.
“He’s involved in all those things, and doesn’t have his head in a book 24/7. He plays with his friends, he loves his video games, so he’s a normal 16-year-old,” she said.
But when it’s all said and done, he wants to be an example for the next generation of kids that if they believe, they can achieve.
“You have survived 100% of your worst days, so no matter what, even if you think it’s over, you’re gonna survive,” said Stych.
Stych said that after high school he plans to finish up classes at LCC and attend Michigan State University to major in computer science.
