by Cody Soto
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John Spencer Flieller
Poth High School Class of 2014 Valedictorian |
John
Spencer Flieller has always looked up to his sisters, Lauren and Emily, ever
since he was young. Even at the age of 2, Spencer was determined to outdo them
and learn how to swim without a life jacket because his sisters were already
without one. Three weeks later, a 2-year-old Spencer was swimming with his
sisters free of any flotation device, satisfied that he had pushed his limits.
Years later, Lauren Flieller, Poth
High School Class of 2010, and Emily Flieller, Class of 2011, were both named
the valedictorians of their senior classes. Now, Spencer joins his sisters’
success as he too was named valedictorian of the Poth Class of 2014 this past
May, becoming the first family in school history to have all three siblings
awarded this prestigious honor.
“I’ve always used my sisters to push
myself,” Spencer said. “I would find something just to motivate me better than
what I think I can be.”
Spencer always felt the pressure of
achieving valedictorian like his sisters, whether it was from others or even himself.
“I didn’t have to live up to them
but I pressured myself because I didn’t want to disappoint anyone even though I
was always told just be yourself and do what you want to do, but I felt that
pressure,” he said.
During high school, Spencer was involved
in a plethora of activities, ranging from clubs and organizations to several
sports, all while he competed for the top spot in his class.
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| Spencer and his sisters Lauren (left) and Emily (right) |
“Initially, our entire family was
concerned that he may be spreading himself a bit thin,” sister Emily Flieller
said. “However, Spencer rose to the challenge of being such an involved
student-athlete by excelling both in the classroom and on the various playing
fields.”
Mother Linda Flieller said she had
high expectations and stayed involved in her children’s education, both as a
helping hand and a support system.
"I expected him
to always do his best so there were no unanswered questions at the end of the
day,” Mrs. Flieller said. “In our family, it’s always been ‘do the best you can
and as long as you feel like you’ve done that, then that’s all we ask.’ I could
live with whatever place he ended up with as long as he could tell me that was
his best.”
Emily
said their parents pushed them to succeed academically, but that wasn’t
ultimately the end goal.
“Our
parents tried to depressurize the whole situation by encouraging us to do our
best and learn the skills that we would need in the future rather than striving
to simply end up on top,” she said. “Our family always put emphasis on doing
your very best at all things.”
Spencer’s
competitive spirit kept him going throughout high school, whether it was on the
field, on the court, or in the classroom. However, one could say that having
two sisters achieve valedictorian is a huge reason as well.
“I
think Spencer has always known that dedication and hard work go a long way in
life,” his oldest sister, Lauren, said. “He has always been a big competitor
and always motivated, especially after he saw both of his sisters could do it.”
During this thrilling experience,
Spencer was able to earn multiple scholarships, including one from Executive
Women’s International, and he said the people he met through the scholarship
“helped (him) appreciate life so much more.”
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| The Flieller family are all smiles after Spencer's graduation |
He explained how he met a woman from
Jamaica who moved to America to “try and have a better life for her family” and
rode a bus for four days to attend Alamo Colleges in San Antonio for college
with only a Sunny D and a granola bar.
“The strength that she possessed and
everything she went through to achieve her goals just inspired me,” Spencer
said. “It let me know that nothing is impossible if you’re willing to work for
it and give it everything you’ve got. I look up to her for that so much.”
Ultimately, Spencer believes that
the title of valedictorian alone will not make him successful. Instead, it’s
his internal worth that will help him stand out.
“It’s not going to make me the CEO
of a great company,” he said. “It’s my values and my beliefs that are going to
help me get through the challenges and struggles in life and eventually get me
to where I want to be in life.”
According to Spencer, success
doesn’t always mean coming out on top.
“Success is what you take away from
what you’ve been through,” he said. “Even if I wouldn’t have been
valedictorian, I would have learned what it’s like to not hold anything back
and I would know how to do the same thing later on in life when I felt like I
just needed to give up. I’d know that I could be successful no matter if I was
first place or not.”
Spencer will attend Texas A&M
University in the fall pursing animal science in hopes of attending veterinary
school and opening his own practice. Although his mother will miss the exciting
and thrilling times of driving across the state during the long summer months,
his independence will take him far.
“I’m
really proud of the person Spencer is because he is honest with himself and
others,” Mrs. Flieller said. “He’s a good young man with a big heart and I hope
other people see him like that too.”
On June 6, Spencer received his high
school diploma on Jack Lane Field, the same place his sisters walked before.
With the turn of the tassel, as described by Spencer, “the trifecta was
complete.”
“I’ve
never known a family that’s had all of their children be valedictorians of
their classes,” Spencer said. “I wanted that to be us.”
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