Don’t call them lazy: Macon’s top grads challenge stereotypes, offer advice

If there’s one thing the area’s best and brightest students have a chip on their collective shoulders about, it’s a stereotype that way too many boomers buy into — that Gen Z’ers are lazy.

“There seems to be an assumption among many adults that tools such as (artificial intelligence) have made us lazier,” Howard High School’s top grad Jeremy Wang said.

“In my opinion, it could be argued that technology is not making us lazier, it is helping us to work harder and faster through innovation,” he said.

Wang, who is set to attend the Georgia Institute of Technology, was among 14 high school valedictorians who answered The Macon Melody’s questions about everything from misperceptions of their generation and the obstacles they expect to face to the secrets to their success and advice for incoming freshmen at their respective schools.
The defense of Gen Z’s work ethic echoed throughout the responses of these top-tier students as they prepare to graduate and strike out into the world.

“Adults often think our generation is lazy or too dependent on technology, but that’s not true,” said Kayla Lee, valedictorian at Northeast High School and a future University of Georgia student. “We just use technology differently, and it’s actually a big part of how we learn, connect and stay informed.”
Still, Central High School’s Oliver Jennings, who plans on attending the University of Georgia, knows the dizzying pace of technological advances will bring challenges.

“It means we will likely have to continuously adapt, retrain and develop skills that AI cannot easily replace, such as creativity, critical thinking, leadership and emotional intelligence,” he said.

Another challenge, said VIP Academy valedictorian Brandon Clark, who will attend Central Georgia Technical College, will be “dealing with constant judgment and pressure, whether it’s from our peers or the outside world.”
“There’s always an expectation to look a certain way, act a certain way or live up to unrealistic standards,” Clark said.

But these students have proven they can handle pressure. Their transcripts and extracurricular schedules tell stories of hard work and relentless late nights. Still, many of them said they found high school enjoyable and encouraged their younger peers to dive head first into high school’s new opportunities.

“As an introvert, high school has taught me that you cannot stay tucked away in your own little world of safety and comfort forever,” said Covenant Academy valedictorian Sidney Grace Thaxton, who plans to enroll at the University of North Georgia.

“Even if you feel uncomfortable expressing yourself in a new space, this is a necessary step to becoming a part of the high school community, and relationships that you build in your freshman year will follow past high school,” she said.

Rutland High School’s Hannah Liles, a self-proclaimed perfectionist, advised freshmen to not wait until they are ready to take on new opportunities.

The incoming Mercer University freshman said she thought success was a measurable achievement tethered to previous outcomes, but her time in high school has broadened her definition.

“When I think of success now, I think of being able to reflect on something and know that I challenged myself and was able to contribute something meaningful,” Liles said.

Asa Scott, valedictorian at Tattnall Square Academy, said he believes his generation will have a “huge impact” on the world.

Coming out of high school, the future University of Georgia student said he’s learned about “the value of faith” in his life and the importance of taking advantage of new opportunities.

“Money, popularity and recognition do not mean you have found success in your life,” he said. “All of those things will be gone one day, but changing someone’s life will make an impact forever.”

Social media has created new pressures on how kids appear and how they act. Destiny Curry, Southwest’s valedictorian, said it has led the new generation to always be comparing and competing amongst themselves, with little room to uplift one another. 

Curry, a future Spelman College student, added she’s found success by building a “healthy balance” between school work and life to manage her stress.

Covenant Academy’s Thaxton said incoming freshmen should try and seek out those who “click with them” rather than trying to appease everyone.

More than 1,700 students will graduate from Macon-Bibb County’s 15 high schools — seven public, eight private — this year. Mount de Sales Academy held the area’s first graduation on April 29, with Tattnall Square Academy’s ceremony following on May 11 and Covenant Academy’s graduation on May 14.

Upcoming graduation dates are:

• May 15: Central Fellowship Christian and Windsor academies.— May 16: First Presbyterian Day School and Stratford Academy.
• May 19: Southwest and Northwest high schools.
• May 20: VIP Academy and Central and Howard high schools.
• May 21: Westside and Rutland high schools.
• May 22: Academy for Classical Education.

Read more about valedictorians, including their full responses, here.