Sponsler accepts offer to attend Harvard

Special to LFN

Connor Sponsler, the top-ranked student at Los Fresnos High School, was faced with a difficult decision few students have to make – whether to accept offers from Ivy League universities Columbia, Harvard or Yale.
Connor, son of Henry and Terri Sponsler, chose Harvard.

“All of the colleges which I applied to and I was accepted by have wonderful programs in the sciences, Harvard is the one I believe will best help me achieve the future I want for myself,” Connor said. “Harvard is consistently ranked as having one of the best physics programs, if not the best, in the nation and offers substantial opportunities for undergraduate research.”

Connor applied to 13 colleges and was also accepted to The University of Texas at Austin and The University of Colorado-Boulder in addition to Columbia, Harvard and Yale.

He plans to double major in mathematics and physics at Harvard, complete his master’s degree there and intends to get his doctorate in theoretical physics. “I have always been passionate about mathematics and physics and they go hand in hand.”

Connor was one of many Los Fresnos High School students who achieved excellence in AP courses, and helped LFHS gain the College Board’s 2020 AP District of the Year recognition in February. He scored a 5 on five AP tests and a 4 on two others. His PSAT score was 1480 and SAT superscore was 1580.

Connor was named a 2019 AP Scholar with Distinction and was named a 2019 National Merit Scholar Finalist earlier this spring.
Connor, who carries a Brown Belt in Kuk Sool Won, is also a talented musician.

He plays the violin, viola, bassoon and saxophone and was named to the All-Region Band on bassoon in middle school. He was also named to the All-Region Orchestra on Violin four times since seventh grade and was Principal Second Violinist All-Region Orchestra as a senior. He has played the violin since fourth grade.

Connor gives credit to his AP teachers who have laid a strong foundation and have treated him and other AP students with respect as college students.

“Ms. (Misty) Heredia, Mr. (Hector) Peñaflor and Mr. (Jose) Pesina have constantly supported me in my desire to discover and create new things, which is a large part of what makes me want to become a theoretical physicist,” Connor said. “Often I try to solve complex mathematical or physics problems that I’ve found online or come up with myself. All of them have always been willing to entertain my curiosity.”

Connor becomes the sixth student from Los Fresnos High School in the last three years to be accepted to an Ivy League university. Others were:

2020: Nico Valencia, Columbia
2019: Juan Pablo Alvarado, Princeton
2019: Jose Carlos, Columbia
2019: Enrique Valencia, Yale
2018: Joriam Parra, Harvard

After completing his education at Harvard, Connor hopes to be employed at a university doing research and possibly teach a graduate course in theoretical physics.

“I want to be in the position to tackle some of the great problems in physics today and in the future.”