Amanda Lu and Wyatt Kelley, the top two graduates from Wylie East, are closing out high school and preparing for commencement at the CUTx Event Center in Allen on Saturday, May 23. The valedictorian and salutatorian talk majors, mentors and the moments that pushed them toward college life. This article follows their plans, influences and the advice they want to pass on to future Raiders.
Achievements from the last four years have pushed Amanda and Wyatt to set clear goals for what comes next. Both students spent their high school time balancing tough classes and activities that helped shape their college choices. They credit teachers, clubs and hands-on experiences for steering them toward their fields.
Amanda plans to major in biochemistry at The University of Texas at Dallas while keeping neuroscience on her radar, aiming for a path that mixes research and teaching. “I want to do something that will always make me learn something new,” Amanda said. A tour of her future campus and a visit to a Zebrafish lab sealed her excitement for lab work and the daily process of discovery.
Breegan Gholson stands out among the educators who influenced Amanda, especially through a student leadership class that encouraged curiosity and growth. “Over the four years I knew her, she gave me a lot of the advice that has shaped the mindset I have today,” Amanda said. AP 2-D Art and Design with Jennifer Thompson and humanities with Amy May were also memorable classes that fed her interests beyond the sciences.
Wyatt will head to Wichita State University to study mechanical engineering, drawn to problems that combine math, physics and hands-on design. “Having the opportunity to learn and study only the things I want to learn and study is what excites me the most about college,” he said. Teachers like Victor Munguia in advanced algebra, Steven Parker in freshman English and Matthew Highfill in AP U.S. history helped him lock in a love for STEM and the skills to pursue it.
Both students finished with standout GPAs — Amanda with a weighted 5.92 and Wyatt with a weighted 5.78 — while keeping busy outside the classroom. Wyatt was on the varsity tennis team all four years and became a regional qualifier three years running, a commitment he expects to continue. Both served in the National Honor Society and leaned into leadership roles and campus activities that rounded out their resumes.
Amanda’s extracurricular mix included student council, National Art Honor Society and becoming a certified nursing assistant, along with participation in Animanga Club where she connected over anime and manga. She also helped with Raider Navigator, guiding freshmen through school routines and finding joy in teaching younger students. “I think any moment that I spent with the people I cared about and the activities I cared for was my highlight,” the student said.
Wyatt’s standout moment came when he received the Birmingham Scholarship, an award given to the top ten ranking students at Wylie East and Wylie High. That recognition marked a high note at the close of his high school career and underscored the payoff of sustained effort in class and extracurriculars. Both graduates leave with practical experience and the kind of accolades that colleges notice.
The Wylie East Class of 2026 will graduate at 3 p.m. Saturday, May 23, at the Credit Union of Texas Event Center in Allen. Amanda and Wyatt both want future Raiders to enjoy high school while keeping one eye on tomorrow: Wyatt urges students to plan for life after graduation and to join extracurriculars that match their interests, while Amanda advises younger students to seize opportunities, manage early tasks and prepare college essays ahead of time. “We have so much going on every day; if you are bored, you have definitely not explored enough,” she said.
