Brayan Perez-Granados:
Traditional Valedictorian 2026
GPA: 7.92
What accomplishment are you most proud of from your high school years, and why?
The accomplishment I am most proud is receiving the Machen Florida Opportunity Scholarship, which gives me a 4-year full-ride scholarship covering tuition, room and board, food, etc. This accomplishment made me realize that all my hard work for all four years of high school was worth it and that it paid off, knowing I won’t have to worry about how to pay for college.
Was there a teacher, mentor, or experience that had a major impact on your success?
A teacher who had a big impact on my success was Mrs. Parker. She is the AVID coordinator at my school, and I’ve had her for all 4 years of high school. She really pushed me to always be my best, but also to be kind to myself when I didn’t quite meet my goals. She’s always given me a helping hand when I need it the most.
What’s something people might be surprised to learn about you outside of academics?
One surprising thing about me is that I love to drive around and take road trips when I can, as I’ve always loved driving since I was 16 and taking in the scenery around me. Driving has been able to make me take my mind off things when life gets stressful, and it’s really fun to just enjoy the present moment.
How did you balance schoolwork with extracurriculars, jobs, sports, or personal life?
I had a full-time job at Chick-fil-A, working 40+ hour work weeks, and also had schoolwork to do from HCC and Strawberry Crest. The way I managed to balance everything out was by gaining discipline in just waking up and doing as much school work as I can when I’m not working, whether that meant during work breaks or late at night. I wasn’t perfect in it, as some classes definitely didn’t have all the assignments turned in, but it’s important not to let it get to you and feel too slumped out.
What was the most challenging moment of high school, and how did you overcome it?
The most challenging moment of high school was definitely having to manage my family economic circumstances with school and work all at the same time. It was really hard as it would take a toll on my body working 40-hour workweeks and coming home to do assignments late at night. I overcame it by telling myself that I had no choice but to succeed, and this would benefit me far into the future, which gave me motivation to do this every day.
If you could give one piece of advice to incoming freshmen, what would it be?
One piece of advice I would give to freshmen is to join clubs you would genuinely be interested in, as it opens many doors for you in making friends and getting leadership experience. Having these connections and long-term friendships can make going through high school a lot more fun and easier.
What are your plans after graduation, and what excites you most about the future?
My plans after high school include attending UF to earn a finance degree and then pursuing a Master of Science in finance, and eventually landing a job at an investment banking firm. What I’m more excited about in the future is being able to travel all around the world and learn about different cultures.
Looking back, what do you think truly defines a successful high school experience?
What truly defines a successful high school experience is one where you can look back at yourself and notice how all your small and big mistakes led to you reaching goals you never thought you could accomplish. And while high school might not have been perfect, I think knowing that you got through it all and grew from it made it a successful journey.
