It is no easy feat to earn the deserving award of Valedictorian. Despite facing obstacles along the way, some high-achieving students will compete for this title all the way until the end. With just one semester remaining in their senior year, the brightest seniors at Hastings High are working their hardest towards maintaining their grades and becoming Valedictorian.
Lillian Kingsley, a senior who plans on attending Gustavus Adolphus College in Minnesota and majoring in Pre-Med, shares her feelings about being considered for the award.
“When I entered high school, the goal was not to become Valedictorian. Once I realized it was something in reach for me, I embraced it and have been working towards it ever since,” Kingsley said.
For Davis Turpen, who plans to attend Pomona College in California on a full academic scholarship to major in pure mathematics, the experience of working towards Valedictorian has been similar in some aspects, and different in others.
“I hadn’t even thought about it [Valedictorian] as an underclassman. My junior year I worried about it quite a bit though; I felt like I absolutely had to maintain all A’s. This year, though, I’ve realized that it is not something worth stressing over,” Turpen said.
From the outside, it may seem as though Valedictorian is the greatest award there is, but Kingsley would most definitely disagree with that misconception.
“For me, the ‘race to be Valedictorian’ isn’t as important as challenging myself and pushing myself to do my best. Being Valedictorian is a personal goal for me rather than an ongoing competition to ‘beat’ others,” Kingsley said.
As for studying habits, Kingsley offers this advice to students looking to become high academic achievers like herself.
“Things will be challenging, but don’t let your mental health, physical health, or personal life be strained in hopes of achieving ‘Valedictorian status’. Sure, being able to call yourself a Valedictorian is pretty cool, but there are many things in life that matter more than that label,” Kingsley said.
Similarly, Turpen suggests his word to the wise about overcoming obstacles in high school or just life in general.
“Something that has helped me when things get particularly stressful or unenjoyable is having a long-term goal to think about, like getting into a good college or, well, valedictorian,” Turpen said.
Although Kingsley is stoked about her future in academics as well as being considered for Valedictorian, she has some regrets about her time in high school.
“One of the biggest mistakes I have made in my high school career is forgoing opportunities to do fun and interesting things with friends study. It is not impossible to get straight-A’s and maintain a healthy social life, but at times I felt myself focusing so heavily on school work that I let my personal life take the back seat,” Kingsley said.
Most people can attribute their success to the inspiration or influence of one individual, the same goes for Turpen.
“Most of my passion with regard to academics has been centered around math, and I think I can credit that to Ms. Beach (now known as Mrs. McCarty). She introduced me to a faster pace of learning mathematics in the eighth grade, and I’ve never wanted to slow down,” Turpen said.
Although Turpen’s influence lies in the math field, Kingsley’s lies in the science field.
“The most influential person in my school life has been Mr. Yaz, my Anatomy and Physiology teacher. He introduced the possibility of going into the medical field and ever since his class I have been hooked. His class pushed me to become a better student and develop study habits I didn’t have beforehand; and even though it was very challenging, it was equally as rewarding for me,” Kingsley said.
Although to some receiving the award of Valedictorian may seem like a big deal, to Kingsley, it isn’t everything.
“At the end of the day, all that matters is your knowledge, not an evaluative score,” Kingsley said.
