May 18—CHEYENNE — Few people are lucky enough to discover their lifelong passion at an early age, and South High School senior Caleb Brewer happens to be one of them.

Brewer was gifted with a LEGO EV3 set, a robot-building kit, when he was 10 years old. As the son of an engineer and a former high school computer science teacher, it’s no surprise Brewer was instantly fascinated by his new toy.

The kits were pretty basic, Brewer said, so he made a habit of building his own original designs without a single glance at the instructions. He went on to join the FIRST Tech Challenge team for a few years, where he was exposed to more advanced programming.

“That was the first time I got to play with, I would call it, real robots,” Brewer said. “There’s more powerful, heavier metal robots than plastic little toys.”

By the time he reached high school, Brewer took advantage of every advanced mathematics course that would prepare him for engineering studies at the college level. After high school, he’ll go on to attend the Milwaukee School of Engineering, with a major in robotics engineering.

“I might be working in a job that doesn’t even exist right now,” Brewer said.

Doing it all

Brewer maintained a 4.3 weighted grade point average over the course of his high school career, which is an impressive feat, considering how packed his schedule was with swim practice and club meetings. He joined Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA), an international student business organization, in the eighth grade, with a nudge from his mom, who happens to be an FBLA adviser.

“I definitely don’t hold it against her,” Brewer said.

He ended up returning every year of his own volition. Brewer earned national placements his first year and earned first in the Sales Presentation national category his second year. He continued to earn first and second place at the national level through his junior year of high school.

Outside of that, he also served in officer positions in the National Honor Society and swam on his high school swim team. In his senior year, Brewer joined Distributive Education Clubs of America, or DECA, an international student organization that prepares students for careers in marketing, finance, hospitality and management.

“This year was one of the hardest years, as far as my schedule goes,” Brewer said. “I had very little time.”

Every morning, Brewer was up at 5:15 to swim or lift weights for an hour before school. He missed at least one day of school every week due to traveling to a swim meet or academic competition. The stress from his heavy workload led to a habit of procrastination on projects and homework assignments.

“I think I make things into a bigger issue than they are … to the point where it’s like I don’t even want to start working on something,” Brewer said. “I just push it off because I’m so stressed.”

He also held himself to a high standard and struggled to accept his biggest achievements. In his junior year, Brewer placed first in the state for 100 butterfly.

“I won state in the butterfly, but I was still disappointed with my time,” Brewer said. “I’m always trying to push myself, which is beneficial … but at some point, I think I need to be a little more happy about what I’ve accomplished.”

The support of both of his parents, especially his mom, helped Brewer get through the hard moments. Since his mother was a former high school teacher, she helped him find ways to balance his school work with his extracurricular activities.

“As a teacher, she was always trying to push me to be a good student,” Brewer said.

His favorite way to unwind, with the little time off he had, was to return to the very thing he loved most — building things. Brewer always managed to find time to build bikes, go-karts or work on his Jeep.

“I’ve always wanted to know how things work,” Brewer said.

Fierce loyalty to friends, family

He was selected as one of the Wyoming Tribune Eagle’s Outstanding Graduates of 2024 — and it wasn’t just for his impressive resume of achievements and 4.3 GPA. Brewer helps his family all the time, whether it’s working on cars with his dad, helping remodel the laundry room or finishing the engine and body design of his Jeep by graduation.

Most notably, however, is the bond he formed with the Brazilian exchange student, Gustavo, who came to live with his family at the beginning of his senior year. Brewer said he’s met quite a few exchange students growing up, since his mom also works as an exchange student coordinator.

But this is the first time his family hosted one in their own home. Brewer is the same age as Gustavo, and they attended South High together. They also both happened to share the same love for swim practice.

He was shocked by how similar they were, despite coming from such culturally different backgrounds. Brewer added it was a great way to get introduced to different customs and foods. He was introduced to chicken heart, for example, which is a Brazilian barbecue staple.

Brewer admired the strength and courage of exchange students, saying he could never do it himself.

“It’s simple things, like missing the food at home, missing your bed,” Brewer said. “But missing your family, I think, is one of the hardest things for most of them.”

South High School Principal Kerri Gentry, who nominated Brewer, highlighted the student’s dedication supporting Gustavo, driving him to his various activities, as well as getting himself to his own.

“He’s fiercely loyal to his friends and family, always putting their needs above his own,” Gentry wrote.

Brewer’s tendency to be hard on himself and constantly raise the bar also did not go unnoticed. Gentry said Brewer is known to uphold high standards for himself and “continuously strives for improvement.”

“Caleb is a force to be reckoned with,” Gentry said. “Whether it be in their professional endeavors or personal relationships, he approaches all tasks with a determination and passion that is unmatched.”

Hannah Shields is the Wyoming Tribune Eagle’s state government reporter. She can be reached at 307-633-3167 or hshields@wyomingnews.com. You can follow her on X @happyfeet004.