Graduate of Distinction: Logan Foss of Everglades City School

By the end of his sophomore year at Everglades City School, Logan Foss already had finished all his English and science requirements. He also started dual enrollment at Florida SouthWestern State College that year.

2017 Graduate of Distinction Logan Foss of Everglades City School

But halfway through his high school years and ahead of many of his peers, Foss, who is set to graduate Friday, still thought he was behind.

"I kind of sat back one day and realized that where I was wasn't where I wanted to be," said Foss, 18.

More: 2017 Graduates of Distinction

After a tour at the University of Florida his junior year, Foss realized his GPA and test scores were lacking and he didn't meet the school's requirements.

"That's where I originally wanted to go," he said. "I was like, 'Wow, I'm so far off. What have I been doing my whole high school career?' And it just kicked in right there that if I wanted to be successful, I needed to work a lot harder than I was."

And so he did. 

Foss started to get involved in student government. He eventually added a third sport — cross-country — to his already packed schedule as a baseball and basketball player for the school. He took extra classes at FSW and got straight As from his junior year on. 

But the culmination of Foss' souped-up second-half effort was perhaps when he scored a spot at Youth Leadership Collier, a program that aims to empower students to become effective leaders.

For a week last summer, Foss and dozens of other students participated in team-building exercises, toured the county and shadowed local professionals. He called it one of the best weeks of his life.

Foss' new zeal and dedication did not go unnoticed. 

Although Foss always has been a good student, the leadership program was a "home run" for him, said Jim Ragusa, principal at Everglades City School.

"It was like a transformation," Ragusa said. "He's been such a focused kid after this.

"It's just a level that you don't always see in high school kids."

And despite Foss' renewed emphasis on his academics, his athletic prowess continued. Ragusa said Foss "worked out religiously" last summer. In the early morning hours, he often would notice the teenager's car in the parking lot of the school, where Foss would use the weight room.

"He balances a lot," Ragusa said. "He's a good, well-rounded kid."

Foss, who has lived in Everglades City all his life, soon will move to Orlando to attend the University of Central Florida. He will go from a graduating class of just 17 to joining a campus of more than 64,000 students. 

"I'm sure more than two cars in the road at a time is going to be a tough adjustment," Foss quipped. "I've never lived within 45 minutes of a Wal-Mart or a fast-food (restaurant) or something like that."

He plans on majoring in sociology, although he said that could change. Eventually, Foss wants to attend law school to become a criminal defense attorney or maybe a sports agent. His dream school is Stanford. He hopes to spend time abroad, too.

But despite longing to see the world, Foss said he cherishes his small-town roots.

"Just living there we really underappreciated what's happening around us," he said. "We live in like one of the most beautiful places on the planet."