Columbia High School STAR Student Luke Miciello isn’t a man of many words, but he possesses rare intellect and abilities that will take him to even more extraordinary heights.
Miciello said earning STAR Student means a lot to him and that it was good to see all the hard work and hours he put in studying pay off.
It wasn’t until Miciello got his scores back from the first time he took the ACT that he honed in on wanting to be Columbia’s STAR Student. He knew he had a good shot at it then, so he dedicated himself to keep working and keep improving so he could have the best ACT score in the school. With an overall score of 32 and super score of 33, he did just that.
“There were a couple of people who were up there with me, so I definitely had to compete for it,” Miciello said. “I took it six or seven times.”
Miciello plans to attend Mississippi State and major in engineering with the hopes of one day working at a chemical plant producing chemicals and examining ways to make the plant better. He is currently registered as a chemical engineer major, but he said that could change in favor of a different type of engineering major.
“It’s what I’m good at — math, problem-solving and stuff like that,” he said. “I know it’s something I’m good at it, and I can make good money. That’s all you can ask for.”
Miciello thanked his parents, Jeremy and Terri, and grandma, Karen Johnson, for always pushing him to keep learning and do his best in school. He also thanked his STAR Teacher, Marshall Wall, for inspiring him and keeping him motivated.
“Out of all of the teachers I’ve had, he’s probably the best at being a teacher. He really knows how to get the best out of his students and really makes learning easy,” Miciello said. “I had him for AP language, but he teaches English mostly.”
Wall said it makes him really proud to be Miciello’s choice for STAR Teacher and that it’s a big moment for him because it lets him take part in their glory. He added that Miciello is an incredible student because he’s very intelligent and has a unique trait that most people simply don’t possess.
“I have a lot of intelligent students that don’t really reach for the scores that he has. What makes him so special is that he is absolutely just brain surgeon calm under even the most strenuous of pressures,” Wall said. “No matter how bad things get or how stressful things are, it’s like his internal blood pressure doesn’t go up a single degree. He just stays so calm under pressure. It was a big asset for him on his scores and will be for his life outside of school.”
Wall believes Miciello would be successful in any career he decided to enter, but he said engineering would be a great path for him because of his ability to stay calm under pressure and because he possesses a very analytical mind.
Although there wasn’t any one particular moment or experience throughout his four years at Columbia High School that stood out above the rest for Miciello, he said he loved all of it.
“Just being with my friends and growing up through school is what I’ll remember,” he said.
Miciello’s advice for younger students is simple but powerful.
“Just work hard and do your best, and you’ll be good,” he said.
Miciello is the son of Jeremy and Terri Miciello.
