By Jessica Easthope
At St. Francis Prep High School in Fresh Meadows, it’s easy to blend in, but Jayden Li stands out.
For one, he was the only student to become a finalist for a scholarship that put him in competition with kids all over the country who took the PSAT. Out of 1540, he scored a 1490.
“Being in school and being the only person to win it definitely, my teachers fist bumped me in the hallways, my friends give me hugs sometimes just it’s been great having the recognition,” Li said.
Now Li’’s a senior and waiting to hear back from some of the 25 colleges he applied to, including every Ivy League. He has a course load full of AP classes. He founded Prep’s chess and competition math clubs, runs cross country, volunteers at a nursing home, and self-studies A.I., the field he hopes to work in after college.
But none of that matters when Li’s on his bike. He’s a top-level cyclist, with four national championship wins.
“I would attribute my academic success to cycling in general,” Li said “It’s a huge destressor for me and it taught me about the link between the hard work I put in and the result I get out of it.”
“He’s a complete package,” said Pat McLaughlin, principal of St. Francis Prep. “Part of our mission statement is that we form leaders who achieve academic excellence, create community, and proclaim joy and hope. He lives out that mission.”
McLaughlin said Jayden exemplifies what Prep is about.
“Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard,” McLaughlin said. “Jayden has both. That’s more important than scholarship money as far as I’m concerned.”
Prep’s college advisor Robyn Armon said the college application process has become very intense and ultra-competitive.
“It’s a frenzy, and we do the best we can here at Prep to have a realistic approach to this,” Armon said. “We tell our students right from freshman year it’s okay; it’s going to work out.”
Li was recently rejected from Stanford, his dream school. But when one door closes, another opens. He now has his sights set on Cornell. Armon said any school would be lucky to have him.
“Jayden is the future,” Armon said. “I look at Jayden and I have hope. He is the future, and on top of being smart and brilliant and he tests well, obviously he’s nice, he’s sweet, he’s polite.”
Li said the Catholic education he’s receiving allows him to look ahead knowing there’s a support system behind him.
“They really foster a community, especially based around this common faith,” Li said.
“There is a spirit in a Catholic school,” Armon said. “It’s not an accident that you can hear a pin drop in the hallways. It’s not an accident that they hold the door for each other. It’s not an accident that they say please and thank you.”
Li’s put in the work to climb the hill, and there are more coming – but for now, he gets to enjoy the ride down.
If you’re interested in sending your child to Catholic school, just visit CatholicSchoolsBQ.org or call 718-965-7380 for more information.