Kyle Dickson, a Coral Reef High School’s graduating senior, is the recipient of the Miami-Dade County Scholar Athlete Award.
The award was presented during The Miami Herald’s annual Miami-Dade Athletic Awards breakfast event at Jungle Island, sponsored by Miami Orthopedic & Sports Medicine Institute Baptist Health South Florida and The Orange Bowl, which drew a crowd of 1,265.
Dickson’s sports accomplishments include playing the following sports: baseball (ninth-10th grades; stopped playing due to injury to throwing arm); golf (11th-12th grades), and Lacrosse (11th-12th grades), as well as maximum scores for pushups and sit-ups on Naval Academy Fitness Assessment (sub six-minute mile and 14 pull-ups as well, 12th grade); FHSAA Golf Regional Qualifier (two time; individually 11th grade, with team 12th grade); All-Dade Golf Honorable Mention (11th grade); Barracuda Baseball Scholar Athlete (10th grade), and Barracuda Baseball Most Valuable Freshman Pitcher (ninth grade).
Dickson’s academic accomplishments include: received the highest score on the ACT Test; Congressional Medal of Merit; U.S. Presidential Scholar Nominee; National Merit Scholar; National Hispanic Scholar; AP Scholar With Distinction (11th; 5’s on all exams taken); and Principal’s Honor Roll — ninth through 12th grades every quarter.
His community service primarily through the band program at Coral Reef and through a rock-climbing mentorship group he volunteers with on Wednesdays. In band, he is the drum major and leads the marching band as well as the jazz band for all events performing at a football games, shows, community parades, or Miami-Dade Public Schools’ function.
He works with a rock-climbing group based out of Xtreme Rock Climbing in West Kendall run by Dr. Gary Lancelotta, Child Psychologist at Baptist Hospital. They meet every Wednesday from 6:30 to 8 p.m., where he serves as a mentor, helping boys of elementary and middle school age overcome obstacles in life through physical activity and determination on the climbing walls.
The group actually helped him through the grieving process when his sister passed away Merkel Cell Carcinoma during his sophomore year, and, today, he uses his story to help others struggling with the same circumstances.
Dickson received acceptances from Harvard, Yale, Vanderbilt, and the United States Naval Academy. He will be attending Harvard with a Naval ROTC Scholarship.
Wow! He is extremely talented! Sure to hear about him in the future.