Korry Sessoms has proven that excelling in athletics and academics can go hand in hand.
The 17-year-old New Manchester High School senior recently earned a perfect 1600 on the SAT, placing him among fewer than 0.05% of test takers nationwide.
In an interview with Fox 5 Atlanta, Sessoms said he wasn’t aiming for a perfect score when he took the exam. Instead, he wanted to measure his progress after earning around a 1570 on a practice SAT near the end of the previous school year.
Away from school, Sessoms is a wide receiver for the New Manchester High School Jaguars. He credits the sport with helping him develop habits that carried over into his studies.
“Football teaches you accountability, consistency and discipline,” Sessoms said. “And that just correlates with studying academics.”
His teammates were among the first to congratulate him after hearing about his SAT results.
“My team, they just congratulated me,” he continued. “They were only really say, oh yeah, you’re nerdy. Nothing like that.”
Sessoms’ parents said they are proud not only of his accomplishment but also of the support he has received from his teammates and coaches.
“There is a world where individuals are celebrated and they’re not just tolerated. And to us, that is so important. For him, being a young black male,” his mother, Walisa Sessoms, said. “I mean, in a world where it can go a different way, is, you know, refreshing to know that, you know, he has that support from his team, and he also has that support from us.”
His father, Torry Sessoms, said the achievement reflects a lesson he’s always taught his children.
“It says to me that anything’s possible as long as you put the work in,” he said. “And I always tell my kids that.”
Sessoms encourages students to stay focused on their own goals.
“Don’t worry about everyone else. Don’t try to fit in where everyone else just stay locked in,” he advised. “When you’re in a class, don’t be discouraged about a score. Keep trying. It will get better.”
Sessoms plans to study engineering before attending law school. While his parents would like to see him attend Georgia Tech, he has his sights set on Yale University.
