Kevin Perry is known for his jokes, and rambunctious, exciting behavior. You may have seen Perry dancing, singing and playing in the hallways, then made the assumption that he’s just some silly jokester, but who really is Kevin Perry?

Perry has expressed how strongly he wants to stick out and be different from other people.

“Kevin, he’s not a normal person,” said childhood friend Antonio Jones. “He’s definitely different from everybody else. When you walk into the room and you just get a sense of the room, Kevin is the person that will stand out to you. Kevin is intelligent. He really is a bright young man, he stands out wherever he is, he’s the type of person that thinks outside of the box. So when everybody’s focused on the task at hand, he’ll be focused on the task at hand and beyond.”

Perry said he doesn’t need everybody to like him to feel good about himself. He wants the people around him to feel good.  

“I don’t want to be an average person,” Perry said. “I will always try to brighten other people’s day because that’s what I like to do.”

Perry, a Solon High School (SHS) junior strives to unique throughout his personal life and his school life. Perry’s friend Nadia Gibson said some people don’t give Perry the credit he deserves for how hard he works.

“I think a lot of people don’t know that he really is so smart because of how goofy he is, but Kevin is very serious about his work because he strives to be successful in life,” Gibson said.  

Perry enjoys high school. He enjoys the challenges and “the grind of it all,” as he says. He also works extremely hard throughout the school year to achieve his goals. Perry has kept Honor Roll throughout high school and hopes to maintain it in his senior year.

“Kevin Perry works extremely hard in English class,” said Jennifer Buemi, Perry’s english teacher. “I am especially impressed with his ability to critically examine passages from ‘The Great Gatsby.’ He makes insightful comments which show his depth of analysis. In addition, Kevin’s sense of humor is enjoyed by those around him.  He always finds a way to brighten the day of students and teachers.”

Perry not only works hard in academics but in extracurriculars too. You can catch Perry playing football under the Friday night lights, volunteering for Students Against Destructive Decision (SADD) or hanging out with friends in African American Culture Club. Perry enjoys his activities and has serious pride in what he does.

“High school is one of [the] experiences where you’re still gonna miss it going throughout life,”  Perry said.

If Perry isn’t at school studying or participating in school events, he is most likely shopping. He is very into fashion and tries his hardest to stay up with the latest fashion trends.   

“I like to shop till I drop,” said Perry.

Perry also enjoys hanging out with his friends.

“I think of him as my brother,” Gibson said. “Everybody knows he’s goofy and he’s funny, but he really is always an inviting person. If I need a laugh for anything I go to him. If someone needs anything, you could always go talk to him and he will try and help the best he can.”

Perry’s friends love and cherish their relationships with him and admire him dearly. They truly feel that Kevin tries his hardest to be the best friend he can be.

“Kevin’s always been like a brother,” said Antonio Jones. “In elementary school when I would walk around, he’d be right by my side, One time we were walking down the hall and I jumped up and hit the clock. So then I told Kevin to try, so of course he looked up hit the clock and it fell. We were scared we were going to get in trouble, but he looked at me and he didn’t say anything. I knew from then on he had my back. He’s just that type of friend, he’s one that will have your back in the worst situations and in the best.”

Perry and Jones both enjoyed and will cherish forever there elementary through high school memories, but they are ready for more.

During high school, Perry is hoping to start his dream of being a sports agent by having an internship with Rich Paul, Lebron James’ agent. After high school, Perry plans to attend college. He doesn’t know where he will end up, but he’s hoping for Howard University or Morehouse College. Whatever happens, Perry and Jones will remain friends.

“We plan to do things throughout life together, said Jones. ”Kevin and I want to be a sports agents or sports attorneys, so we have been talking to Rich Paul’s daughter about meeting with her dad and doing our senior projects with him as interns. We’ve had this plan for over a year now and we don’t plan to give up. Not only are we trying to have an internship together, but we are hoping to start a business together and attend the same college.”

Kevin discussed that for this dream to come true he needs to put time and effort into it.

“I am always trying to make myself more presentable,”  Perry said. “I’m trying to stand out by working hard, and hard work, that’s what pays off.”

Perry’s dreams don’t end at being a successful businessman though, Perry is hoping for a large family. He’s even hoping to live the lifestyle of the Kennedy family. He wants to start a family with three or even as many as seven kids. Kevin knows that having this amount of responsibility will be lots of work, so he is creating a strong mindset.

“My theory of success is if I don’t succeed, I can’t support my seven kids and if I can’t do that then we can’t be like the black Kennedys,” Perry said. “you see everything is just checks and balances. Everything must check in for everything to work out properly.”

Kevin continuously will strive to be a great person and succeed through his lifetime.

“I describe myself as once in a lifetime, something different, something new,” Perry said. “I want people to meet me and think that they never met anyone like me.”  

That’s who Kevin Perry truly is.

“Stay up,” Perry said.