'This was never meant for me'

McCOMB — Dominic Sheeks said there was a time he never saw himself graduating. He also never saw himself graduating as McComb's Class of 2022 valedictorian, and he certainly didn't think he would be attending Harvard University in Fall 2023. "When people see the words 'Harvard' and 'valedictorian,' they assume this was something I've always dreamt up. For a while, graduation was something that seemed out of reach," Sheeks, 18, said. "To have graduated valedictorian and get into the most competitive university in the nation is a huge full circle moment. This was never meant for me," he said. Growing up, Sheeks said he didn't have the most ideal childhood. His dad wasn't in the picture and when he was 10, he, his mom and two younger brothers moved in with his grandparents. After a couple years, Sheeks realized his mother was living with an addiction to heroin. While his grandparents' primary focus was on his mother's rehabilitation, calling detox center after detox center, he had to step up to help raise his brothers. He helped them with their homework, read to them every day and tended to their every need. "I really neglected my own (education)," he said. "In fifth and sixth grade, my academic performance really declined. It was a downward slope and showed no sign of stopping." But seventh grade, to him, was the year that changed everything. At first, he still struggled academically and personally, doing his best to protect his brothers from their situation and ensuring their futures. "It was a Friday afternoon and my last period was English," he said. "I remember I stayed over two minutes to finish a homework assignment. I knew if I took it home over the weekend, I wouldn't finish it." The next five words to leave his seventh grade English teacher Sarah Bugner's mouth would be the ones that changed his trajectory. He said they lit the path for the rest of his high school career. "You should go for valedictorian," she said. Sheeks said he never saw himself achieving such a vaunted title. It was a huge moment for him, one that would unlock his ability to see his own potential. Over the next couple weeks, he put her theory to the test and started receiving straight A+'s. During high school, Sheeks participated in a number of extracurriculars. He was the class president his junior and senior years, participated in student council, founded McComb's Speech and Debate Team his senior year and was inducted into the National Honor Society his sophomore year. "Without Mrs. Bugner, none of this would've even been possible. There are a million different routes I could've taken and a million different ways my life could've played out had it not been for her," he said. Sarah Becker, the school's counselor, said the staff at McComb High School are extremely proud of Sheeks' efforts, and they can't wait to watch his journey unfold. After Sheeks graduated in May 2022, he took a gap year from his studies. During that time, he would start an internship with the Hancock County Public Health Department and fill a volunteer position with FOCUS: Recovery & Wellness Community. As an intern, he helped with the BIDPP, distributed Narcan at events, hospitals and local recovery centers. He also attended community meetings like suicide prevention and board meetings. "They gave me so much perspective in the recovery and opened my eyes to how broad of a spectrum it is. They do so much for our community and I feel like a lot of it goes unrecognized," he said. After his gap year, Sheeks applied to Harvard University, and got in. When Sheeks enters Harvard's Class of 2027, he said he wants to concentrate in government with a possibility of a secondary concentration in either English or History. He eventually wants to enter the law track, though he isn't sure of specifics yet, such as what law school he wants to go to. He said when it comes time to take the Oath of Office, he wants to make legislation that is meaningful and brings change. To him, he said, it won't just be making an obligation to address matters at hand, but to put forth the best legislation that represents the faces behind each issue. "My entire drive to go into politics stems from my childhood. I've always known that I want to help people and kids that are in situations that my family was once in and to prevent future generations (from) going through what I did." Sheeks is a first-generation student. He owes it to his family, his friends and his teachers to make the change he feels will make a difference, to be a part of something bigger than he came from, he said. "Harvard comes with this network of connections that is so much greater than any university. When you look at Congress and the Supreme Court, Harvard is putting more people into these positions than any other university," he said. "I know that the education I receive at Harvard (will) be transformative and open my mind to different perspectives." Harvard has a 4% acceptance rate and is highly competitive academically, but Sheeks doesn't believe it was his grades and achievements that warranted him an acceptance letter. He said those alone won't get you into the university. It's his story, his background and his vision for the future he thanks for it. "I don't resent my mom whatsoever for my childhood. And I wouldn't change any of it. I'd do it a million times over. It was hell, but it's given me purpose," he added.