At Glen Cove High School, Mert Suyabatmaz has long been known for his sharp intellect, quiet determination and deep love of learning. Now, as the school’s 2025 valedictorian, the 17-year-old is preparing to take the next step in a journey shaped by family, focus and a strong sense of purpose.
“My unweighted GPA is a 99.3-something,” Suyabatmaz said. “But, weighted, that’s what made me be able to have this interview. That’s 106.6. And the reason it’s so high is due to the volume of AP classes I took.”
Suyabatmaz has taken a total of 14 Advanced Placement classes, part of a rigorous curriculum at a school that offers a total of 18 such courses. “I really liked AP chemistry and AP psychology,” he said. Those two classes fueled both his academic interest and his future plans.
Marja Tockman, Suyabatmaz’s guidance counselor, praised him as an “outstanding young man” for his analytical mind and his deep commitment to his academic and personal growth.
“He is the kind of student who wholeheartedly believes that with hard work and focus, he can tackle any challenge that comes his way,” Tockman wrote in a release. “He is eager to immerse himself in a competitive academic environment where he can continue to grow and be challenged.
Suyabatmaz recently sat for the U.S. National Chemistry Olympiad Local Exam, a competitive test for top high school chemistry students across the country. “My passion has always been helping others and understanding the human body, chemistry, biology — I love all that,” he said.
That passion led him to decide on biology as his major at Binghamton University, where he’ll begin this fall. “Mostly due to the value of the education there,” he said. “It’s not too heavy on my parents’ bank account. It’s also just close and a good school by itself.”
Suyabatmaz’s decision to pursue medicine isn’t only about academics — it’s a response to broader societal changes.
“I’m a bit paranoid, with everything else like the job market and AI,” he said. “I feel like being a doctor’s really not going to be a career that is going to go anywhere anytime soon.”
That career path also plays to his strengths. “I’m good at taking standardized tests,” he said. “So, since a major part of doing that is taking the MCAT, I feel like it’d be a solid thing for me to do.”
But beyond practicality, his interest in medicine is rooted in something more personal. “It’s the impact you have on others and the value you have on society,” he said. “But it mostly is just my passion.”
Suyabatmaz is the son of Turkish immigrants who came to the United States in search of opportunity. “Their nation was poor, and they wanted the economic opportunities, and just a better life,” he said. “They grew up in poverty, and I’m just glad that they were able to give me this life.”
His parents didn’t attend college, and his mother didn’t speak English when he was young. “She had to learn it throughout the years,” Mert said. “It took a while for them to assimilate. That’s just the beauty of America, I guess. Any culture can make its way in and fit in.”
His mother now works as a driver, and his father has been a master plumber for 30 years. Suyabatmaz will be the first member of his family to attend college, and he hopes one day to become the first doctor.
Outside the classroom, he has been the secretary and the cello section leader of the high school orchestra, and a member of honor societies including Mu Alpha Theta, the Science National Honor Society and the National Honor Society. He has also taken part in DECA and Mathletes, and volunteered for city cleanups with the Beautification Commission.
Aside from his academic accomplishments, has been focused on personal growth as well. “I think I matured in that way,” he said. “I’m trying to stop wasting time. I’m cutting down on doom-scrolling and all that. ”
He finds peace walking through local parks. “I think it’s just really a way to distance yourself from the chaos of the modern world,” he said. “I like seeing green and calmness.”
College, Suyabatmaz acknowledges, will be a big adjustment. “My parents, they didn’t tell me what to expect,” he said. “So it’s going to be new for me. I’m going to have to do everything by myself now. I’m going to definitely have to learn to be more independent.”
Even so, he’s ready to meet the challenge — and excited about what lies ahead. “That’s what it’s all about,” he said. “Using your time efficiently.”
