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A Long Island teen who began high school just days after undergoing chemotherapy for stage 2 Hodgkin’s lymphoma is graduating four years later with a perfect 4.0 GPA, a $125,000 scholarship and a powerful message about perseverance.
“I was very sick,” Ryan Martino told Fox News on Wednesday.
“There were certain days I just couldn’t even get out of bed. Those two days after treatment were the worst,” he said.
Martino’s diagnosis after finding a lump in his neck upended his life and forced him into chemotherapy before he ever stepped foot in a high school classroom.
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Unable to continue playing baseball during treatment, Martino turned to golf, eventually becoming a caddie and finding an outlet that helped distract him from the challenges of cancer.
“My life just turned into golf,” he said. “It took my mind off treatment.”
Martino also excelled in the classroom while navigating recovery. He graduated with a 4.0 GPA despite undergoing chemotherapy during part of his freshman year and earned the $125,000 Chick Evans Scholarship, an award reserved for high-achieving golf caddies.
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He plans to attend the University of Delaware.
Looking back on his journey from a cancer diagnosis to remission and academic success, Martino said the experience taught him the importance of perseverance during life’s most difficult moments.
Martino, now cancer-free and preparing for college, hopes his story can serve as an example to other young people facing hardships of their own.
“To anyone out there who’s struggling, it’s always going to get better, and you just have to stick through it because, as you can see through me, there’s light at the end of the tunnel, always.”
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