17-year-old High School Student Graduates as Valedictorian with 99% Grade

A 17-year-old high school student celebrates her achievement as she gets accepted into 21 universities after graduating as Valedictorian with 99% grade.

A remarkable 17-year-old named Kelly Hyles achieved the honor of valedictorian at the High School for Math, Science, and Engineering at City College of New York with a 99% grade. She gained acceptance into 21 top universities in the United States.

Kelly, an immigrant from Guyana, was accepted by 21 prestigious universities, including Dartmouth, Cornell, Brown, Columbia, the University of Pennsylvania, and all eight Ivy League schools.

She and her mother, Anetta Hyles, a nurse’s aide who raised Kelly as a single mom, were overwhelmed with joy and shock as they checked her college acceptance letters. Anetta expressed her happiness and disbelief, grateful for her daughter’s achievements.

Kelly set a record as the second student in the New York City area to gain admission to all eight Ivy League schools in 2016. She graduated with a GPA of 99.63, excelling in college-level classes. Her guidance counselor, Wade Klein, noted her consistent and determined performance in every exam, project, and assignment over four years.

Aside from her schoolwork, Kelly participated in a competitive biomedical research program at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, studying diabetes. She credited her strong work ethic to her mother, who moved to the US for better opportunities in 2009.

Despite challenges, such as needing tutoring for Advanced Placement chemistry, Kelly maintained resilience and perseverance. She emphasized the importance of learning from mistakes and continuing to strive for success.

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SOURCES: ALLSCHOOL, SCHOLARSHIP REGION