SEBASTIAN — Julius Lewis, the salutatorian of Sebastian River High School’s Class of 2026, saw high school as a chance to grow into a well-rounded young man with independence.
He will address his fellow graduates during the ceremony on May 15, having achieved the second-highest academic rank behind valedictorian Sarah Van Zuydam.
“Coming into high school was exciting and incredibly opportunistic. I saw these next 4 years as a chance to become a well-rounded young man with independence. High school was essential for future collegiate and career expectations. So, influenced by my father, I had learned it was best to be a Renaissance man, a man of many traits. High school was the perfect place to start. Having already played baseball and soccer, I decided to pick up tennis in my freshman year to enhance my teamwork and communication skills. That’s when I set the goal of achieving a top rank in GPA at the end of my 4 years at Sebastian River High School. When I proposed this idea to my mother during freshman year, she was highly supportive and a catalyst to my success,” Lewis told Sebastian Daily.
To maintain his high GPA, Lewis prioritized family and academics, while sports and friendships provided a welcome relief from stress. Staying accountable, he refused to make excuses or assign blame when faced with challenges.
“My Baseball Coaches, Coach J.R. Alexander and Coach Tom, always conveyed that it mattered most what you do off the field, rather than on the field. Although it’s a baseball term, this would seep into my everyday life. I would pay attention in school, but most of my essays and internal assessments were done after school or on Sundays, and if I wanted to run faster in baseball or soccer, I would go to the gym after hours every day to make sure it happened. This taught me more accountability and to respect myself physically and mentally,” he said.
In addition to his academic pursuits and sports, Lewis took on leadership roles: he became an Eagle Scout, served as senior vice president, and joined the Peer-to-Peer club to deepen his community involvement.
Organizing events like Senior Sunrise and Paint Your Parking Spot Day, he also led service projects, including mentoring second-graders at Fellsmere Elementary every Friday.
“The gratitude I felt from this volunteer work contributed to my overall growth throughout my high school career,” Lewis said.
The International Baccalaureate program offered Lewis the opportunity to collaborate with equally driven peers. However, the workload was intense—especially during the second semester of senior year, which tested him with the extended essay, higher-level essay, and several assessments.
Friends and family helped in their own ways. “Friends and Family were supportive, each in their own way, always keeping me accountable, determined, and entertained. This was not an individual accomplishment, but a communal effort by my relatives and peers,” he added.
If he could do one thing differently, Lewis said he would have tried harder from freshman year to bring more classmates together.
“If there was anything I would have done differently, it would have been to be a bigger influence on my whole graduating class, starting during freshman year. This would have led to slightly greater inclusion in senior events outside of school. I wish that society were more open-minded and accepting of others, preventing certain groups of people from never associating with each other,” he said.
His advice for new freshmen is simple. “Advice I would give to any incoming freshman would be this: Don’t listen to judgment from someone you would never ask advice from, set your goals early, and stay accountable with determination. Most importantly, if the things you’re doing are difficult, create stress or pain, and get the attention of others, whether it’s support or hatred, it means you’re doing something right,” Lewis told us.
Becoming salutatorian has altered Lewis’s understanding of achievement. He now sees success not as luck, but as something deliberately built through effort and determination.
Looking ahead, Lewis plans to attend a prestigious college and pursue a career as a pediatrician, already seeing his high school experiences as paving the way.
During his upcoming speech, Lewis will express gratitude and encouragement. He plans to thank those who supported him, emphasize that achievements are a group effort, and celebrate the persistence shown by his peers in reaching graduation.
Lewis sees his generation living through big changes.
“The generation I am growing up in is revolutionary to society. The 2020s remind me of the Enlightenment and Industrial periods, where Artificial Intelligence and Short-Term Content are creating new ways of life that have never been imagined. These vices of revolution and procrastination single out the complex thinkers in society. Having the ability to make more complex thinkers with the futuristic opportunities coming. This generation and the technology that has come with it have many downfalls, but the good outweighs the bad with opportunity,” he said.
Sebastian River High School, an International Baccalaureate school in Sebastian, continues to recognize strong academic performers. Lewis is one of the top 10 seniors honored earlier this year.
