Kip LeBlanc has one goal
KIP DOESN’T SLIP
Senior kip LeBlanc enjoys the beauties of nature while outdoors.
February 22, 2023
Notes, pencils, paper.
Kip LeBlanc always strived to be in the top ten; a glorious position for seniors graduating with the highest GPAs in school. But, as every other student can fall victim to at least once – and many often live in a constant state of – LeBlanc admits to struggling to keep up with such a demanding, never-ending workload from time to time.
With stacks of complicated textbooks that provide little useful information for real life, the aged, philosophical literature written in an essentially now-indecipherable form of gibberish, and, worst of all, homework, high school is a universal time of suffering for all. LeBlanc notes an especially tough period in his life to be 2020.
This was when his restraint was put to the test as a result of COVID-19 pandemic. Taking AP exams remotely before returning to isolated class with a largely disrupted learning environment took a great toll on his motivation.
Despite this, he persisted. Taking as many AP classes as he could, he meticulously managed to maintain quintessential grades while doing so.
“A great motivator for me was my fear of failure,” he said. “Knowing other people that were going through the same thing helped me to get back up on my feet and persist through those difficult times.”
All of this was by no fault. LeBlanc had only one goal when going into high school: beat his sister, who also ranked in the top 10 when she graduated herself.
“It wasn’t just because I liked the academic rigor, but mainly out of spite,” Leblanc said. “I will have graduated with a higher GPA and taken more APs than she did.”
Now the fifth highest ranking senior at Oviedo High School with a whopping GPA of 4.704, he certainly accomplished his goal of four years. Although, Kip LeBlanc isn’t only notable for his success in school.
Most often performing at the Winter Springs Performing Arts Center, LeBlanc has also been in productions at the Ritz theater and Theater West End. To date, he has been in 59 shows.
“It’s [helped] create a safe space for me to be myself,” LeBlanc said. “I get to meet like-minded individuals who have the same interests as me.”
He considers one of his coolest small jobs to be an extra on Stranger Things in which he’s able to be seen briefly in Season 2 Episode 2 at about 12:30 in. During his time on set, he was able to see the actors up close.
One of LeBlanc’s favorite aspects of theater is the community surrounding it. It’s a safe space for similar people to come together and amplify their passion.
“We are able to bond over our shared love of performing,” Kip LeBlanc said.
Haley Kissane • Mar 3, 2023 at 11:15 PM
I think this article is interesting because it tells a story–that although may seem uncommon, appears more often than one thinks. High school is the rise and fall of many, and this article tells of a student, who although fought their own battles ultimately rose to the challenge. Additionally, I liked how the story flowed from one point to the other. It shines light on the mental state of many students, and provides insight on how they think, and what they do. All in all, I wish nothing but the best for Kip LeBlanc.