Virginia high school senior accepted into 40 colleges, offered over $1.6M in scholarships

FRANKLIN, Va. — Applying for college can be a nerve-wracking experience. There is always that uncertainty of not being accepted by the college one aspires to attend.

>> Read more trending news

A Virginia high school senior had a different kind of problem. Sam Lyons, who attends Franklin High School, has been accepted into 40 colleges and has been offered more than $1.6 million in scholarships, WAVY-TV reported.

“He is the first student since I have been at FHS to have been accepted into this many colleges and earned this huge amount of scholarship money by himself,” Franklin High School guidance counselor Ale Massenburg said in a news release on Friday.

More offers could be forthcoming, Massenburg said.

Some of the acceptance letters the 18-year-old received came from the University of Richmond, George Mason University, Virginia Commonwealth University and Ferrum College, WTKR reported.

Lyons began sending out applications last August, WAVY reported.

Lyons used Common App and the Coalition for College application to apply to colleges, but said he still had to write plenty of essays.

“It was very time-consuming. I had to manage my time while applying to so many schools and doing virtual learning,” Lyons told WVEC. “I didn’t really know what to expect since it was my first time applying to colleges. I didn’t expect to get offered so much in scholarship money.”

Even as offers pour in, Lyons has already made his decision. After graduating in June, Lyons will attend Virginia Commonwealth in Richmond, WAVY reported. He received the VCU Engineering Progressive Award for $30,000, according to the television station.

Lyons plans to major in computer engineering.

Administrators at his high school have no doubt that Lyons will be successful.

“We know Sam’s going to do great things. Sam has proved that it’s cool to be smart,” Franklin Principal Travis Felts told WAVY. “He’s self-motivated, he’s determined, he’s serious about academics.”

“Samuel Lyons is one of the most focused students I have ever worked with,” Massenburg told WTKR. “He is very intelligent and has an amazing personality. He knows who he is and what he wants his future to look like. Throughout high school, he diligently put forth his best effort and stayed attentive to his goals. An authentic game-changer is about to enter society.”

Applying and then making his decision was stressful, but Lyons kept his focus.

“I had to visualize my future,” Lyons told WAVY. “When I didn’t feel like doing the work, I had to push through it.

“I want to thank everybody because it’s been a journey. Hopefully, I’ll be successful and see my hard work pay off.”




On Air101.5 The Vibe - Tampa Bay’s only R&B Logo

mobile apps

Everything you love about 1015vibe.com and more! Tap on any of the buttons below to download our app.

smart speakers

Ask your smart speaker to play 101.5 The Vibe.