Sequoia Valedictorian Helped Raise $130,000 for Cancer Research

From an athlete to a cancer awareness activist to student government representative, Valedictorian Jacob Buckley, 18, knows firsthand about balance.

“Balance is the key to everything,” said about how he has managed his past four years in high school. “You could spend 100 percent of your time studying, but it’s best to focus on everything, from academics to extracurriculars to friends and yourself,” Buckley said.

But like the , he conceded that he didn’t spend much time relaxing or sleeping. His diligence was rewarded with an acceptance to Brown University in Rhode Island this fall.

“Brown is lucky to have him among the ranks of their incoming freshmen next fall,” said Buckley’s International Baccalaureate (IB) Physics teacher, Jack West. “Jacob was not only an ace problem solver, but a creative experimenter in arguably the most challenging course offered at Sequoia.”

He added that Buckley handled the complexity of the subject with an astute sense of deduction and induction. Students are required to design and report on their own complex experiments, and Buckley did this in a clear and concise prose.

But Buckley excelled in the Humanities as well as the sciences. His history teacher, Kathleen Benetua, said that Buckley was “an incredible student” whose “maturity and kindness have made him an all around great student.”

She recalled a civil rights trip called “Sojourn,” that Buckley went on this past February. Benetua said that Buckley was “inquisitive, hardworking, and involved.”

Eager to absorb the stories and biographies of the guest speakers, Buckley showed his appreciation for these perspectives by providing “give-backs” to the speakers, Benetua said.

When he wasn’t busy excelling in academics, Buckley participated in several outside activities. He was part of the American Cancer Society health organization and was on the organization committee that planned the annual Relay for Life event. The one-day walk-a-thon raised over $130,000 for the organization, Buckley said.

He was also a student-athlete who participated in cross-country running, wrestling, and was a competitive gymnast for three years.

But when asked what he'll miss the most about Sequoia, he pinted to the relationships he built over the past four years.

“I’m going to miss all the staff members who have been so friendly and helpful and who have taken the time to develop personal relationships with us,” Buckley said. “But I am looking forward to real winters on the East Coast.”

Read about co-Valedictorians and . The article about Palani Akana will run on Friday.