Class of 2026 valedictorian John M., of Woodrow Wilson High School, spent his first days of ninth grade feeling like he was walking in the footsteps of giants. Four years later, the Morehead-Cain Scholarship winner says success is more than being the smartest person in the room; it’s about being the most curious. “I like to think curiosity is what makes me me, whether asking deeper questions in class or doing research outside of school,” John said. “My parents and family always encouraged me, even if it was a challenge in elementary school when I had to learn how to not be a ‘know-it-all.’ A product of Dallas ISD, attending Mockingbird Elementary School and J.L. Long Middle School before Woodrow, John embraces challenge in every facet of his life–even when it doesn’t come naturally. Though he holds three athletic records, one of which earned the Woodrow Wildcats their first track field regional title, John remembers being the slowest runner on the team when he joined freshman year.  For him, chasing records is only half the fun. Proving to himself he can do hard things and sharing wins with his teammates is the real reward. “Training is such an easy, routine way to challenge yourself and come out better on top,” he said. “It had been our dream to make it to the state championship. We convinced ourselves this is the year, and we ended up winning regionals. It’s such an incredible feeling, knowing your hard work has paid off.” Now, in his final year at Woodrow, John serves as an inspiration for the younger members on the cross country and track teams, encouraging them through hard days and long hours. He hopes to leave behind a foundation for a running dynasty that Woodrow can be known for long after he graduates. John’s desire to challenge himself is equally evident in his academic pursuits. As a participant of Mockingbird Elementary’s original dual-language program, he’s studied Spanish since the first grade. At the high school level, he spends around six hours straight in Spanish-taught courses like statistics and astronomy. He will graduate biliterate and bilingual, a skillset he hopes will open international avenues for his future medical career. “There’s no rhyme or reason to language in my brain,” John said. “Language comes very unintuitive to me since I am very STEM-coded. It’s my own adventure and discipline to be had and I’m very thankful for the opportunity.” With a full-ride scholarship to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, John looks forward to studying biomedical engineering during fall semesters and traveling the world for research in the summer semesters. Ultimately, he hopes to dedicate his career to helping others, just as so many in the Woodrow community did for him. “With a lot of seniors, there’s an impending sense of dread that your entire life is going to be upturned, but I find it to be the opposite,” he said.
”You get to take all of your experiences, friends and relationships, and memories from high school; you’ll carry them with you and have fun stories with your new friends in college, and embark on the next chapter of your life.”    The post Woodrow senior embraces the next chapter first appeared on The Hub. ...read more read less