Jake Sankey is one of 27 valedictorians.
What college do you plan to attend? “University of Florida.”
What other colleges have accepted you? “Florida State University, University of South Florida, University of Central Florida.”
Why did you choose UF over the other colleges you were accepted to? “It has one of the best accounting schools in the U.S., is close enough to home but far enough away I won’t constantly be there, and gave me the feeling that I belonged there when I visited.”
What are you most looking forward to about college? “Being more independent and getting even more freedom than I have now. I’ve always heard college is really fun, so I can’t wait.”
What is your intended major? “Accounting.”
What career are you going to pursue and how has Boone helped to prepare you? “I want to become an accountant and get my master’s to become a CPA. Boone has helped me tremendously, especially the Academy of Finance program and Mr. Daniel. I was not only taught in the ways of accounting and finance, but given the opportunity to intern at accounting firms, building experience I never thought I would get. It has definitely set me on a path of what I want to do.”
What clubs and sports did you participate in? “Lacrosse, National Honor Society, Math Honor Society, Math Club and Academy of Finance.”
How did lacrosse affect your high school experience? “After I joined, I loved the sport and the team. It became one of my main focuses, waking up every day looking forward to games and practice. I wish I started earlier and had more time to play with this amazing team.”
What is your favorite memory from Boone? “Second semester of junior year was my favorite part of high school, between lacrosse season and getting my work done.”
What was the biggest challenge you faced at Boone and how did you overcome it? “Besides the ongoing pandemic, my biggest challenge at Boone was probably balancing everything in the past two years. Between homework and sports, I was doing a lot of work and didn’t have time for too much rest. Last spring I could see it wasn’t getting better, so I took a day to rest and restructured myself in order to be as successful as possible.”
What is your advice to incoming students? “Be yourself, try new things, and enjoy high school.”
What is the best advice you have ever received? “One of my favorite quotes is, ‘rest at the end, not in the middle,’ by Kobe Bryant. I’ve taken that to heart, especially in lacrosse. It gives me the mentality to work harder than before.”