Adrian, MI – Ask JC/LISD Academy student Tony Grudnoski about his interests, and you'll quickly discover that he has a passion for just about anything involving creativity, strategy or a little imagination.

He's a self-described theme park nerd, an avid reader and someone who genuinely enjoys solving a challenging problem. Whether he's exploring a new subject in class or learning everything he can about something that interests him, Tony has always been curious.

Recently, that curiosity and his academic abilities earned him national recognition.

Tony was named a Commended Student in the 2027 National Merit Scholarship Program, an honor awarded to approximately 34,000 students across the country for their outstanding academic performance.

"I was super excited!" Tony said. "It meant a lot to me."

The recognition came as somewhat of a surprise. Although Tony had hoped his performance on the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) might earn him recognition, neither he nor his parents expected it.

"After being stressed about testing, I'm so glad that the effort I put in amounted to something," he said.

The National Merit Scholarship Program is one of the country's most recognized academic competitions. Approximately 1.3 million students entered the 2027 competition, with about 50,000 earning recognition for their performance. Of those, approximately 34,000 were named Commended Students, placing Tony among a small percentage of students nationwide recognized for their academic promise.

For Tony, learning has always come somewhat naturally. But it's his curiosity and the enjoyment he finds in discovering something new that have shaped much of his educational journey.

English is his favorite subject, particularly creative writing. Growing up with a librarian for a mother helped foster his love of reading, something that continues to influence his interests today. Math comes in a close second.

"There's just something satisfying to me about solving a complex problem," he said.

One of his most memorable educational experiences happened in middle school, when an English teacher, Mrs. Smith, recognized his advanced reading abilities and made time to work with him individually. She introduced him to literature beyond his regular classroom assignments, including Mary Shelley's Frankenstein.

It's an experience Tony still remembers and one that helped encourage his love of learning.

Originally from Britton-Deerfield, Tony chose to attend JC/LISD Academy because he was looking for more opportunities to challenge himself academically and explore subjects beyond those available to him in a traditional high school setting.

Through the Academy's dual enrollment opportunities, he's been able to take college courses in a variety of subjects, giving him the chance to discover new interests and narrow down what he wants to study after graduation.

"Being able to do dual enrollment has meant that I've taken classes in such a wide variety of fields that I didn't have access to before," Tony said. "I now know for sure what I want to major in, which is not something you'd necessarily get at a normal high school."

And he's made the most of those opportunities.

By the time he graduates, Tony expects to have earned approximately 70 college credits, completed his Michigan Transfer Agreement and earned both an Associate of Science and an Associate of Arts degree.

He credits much of that progress to planning ahead, making sure his college courses would count toward multiple educational requirements.

"My last two semesters I got to basically take whatever classes I wanted because I set myself up for success early on by making my dual enrollment classes count towards high school credit, degrees, and my Michigan Transfer Agreement," he explained.

Now, Tony is considering Michigan Technological University and Purdue University Indianapolis as his next step. Purdue's themed entertainment design major has caught his attention, which makes sense for someone who loves everything about theme parks, from the rides and food to the creative details that bring the experiences to life.

But there's plenty more to Tony than academics and his future college plans.

Outside of school, he works at a board game store and has developed quite a collection of games himself. In fact, his family is starting to run out of room to store them.

He enjoys everything from Magic: The Gathering to Dungeons & Dragons, and at one point, he had nearly 90% of the spells from Dungeons & Dragons memorized.

He also plays and hosts online reality games, known as ORGs, which are essentially online versions of competitions like Survivor and Big Brother. Participants compete through challenges, strategy and social gameplay, often organized by other fans of the shows.

Tony enjoys both sides of the competition, although he admits he's a much better host than a player.

And while many students might spend their free time playing video games, Tony says he's just as happy sitting down to play a board game by himself.

It's a side of Tony that might surprise someone who knows him only through his academic accomplishments, but it also shows just how much he enjoys learning, thinking creatively and figuring things out.

His National Merit recognition is an accomplishment worth celebrating, but for Tony, it's one part of a much bigger journey. With college on the horizon, dozens of credits already under his belt and a clearer idea of what he wants to pursue, he's looking forward to what's next.

And for younger students hoping to make the most of their own educational opportunities, Tony has one piece of advice.

"Plan very far ahead."