As the class of 2021 at Hastings High gets excited to graduate, a few individuals will have one extra “assignment” to finish before graduation day. These individuals are still in the running for valedictorian, one of the highest academic honors in high school, so they may write a speech for graduation day. To be named valedictorian, these students have achieved all A’s in every class they have taken, with a majority of them being honors and AP classes. This means they hold a perfect GPA: a 4.0.
The seven seniors still in the running for valedictorian are Andrew Le, Alexandrea Curtis, Courtney Beave, Christine Phuong, Alice Vu, Breyer Menke, and Anna Wibbels. They all have different feelings about the journey to this title and whether or not this was a big goal of theirs. For some seniors, being valedictorian seemed more glamorous freshman year than it does now.
“Now that I’m a senior, I’m realizing that I could really care less about it. It’s been a goal since the start of highschool, but I’m starting to regret setting it as one so early,” Le said.
Other seniors did not even know about the possibility of being valedictorian until later in high school, although it seems most people agree striving to be a valedictorian may take a mental toll on you.
“It would be nice to be named valedictorian. To be honest, I never really knew how students became valedictorians until the end of my freshman year. When I knew I was still in the running for valedictorian, I made it a goal since my freshman year. However, I would like to point out that sometimes being named valedictorian does come at a cost for people’s mental health,” Phuong said.
Each candidate had their own methods for keeping good grades throughout high school, though most of them attributing it to a good work ethic.
“I honestly have no idea how I kept my GPA so high. I’m pretty bad at time management, so the new late work policy was very helpful for me. I do study very hard for tests and classes I know I’m struggling in, and when I actually finally finish my assignments I make sure I know what I’m doing instead of just rushing to get them done,” Beave said.
Vu’s tactic was straightforward; school is always her number one priority. Many of the candidates feel the same way. When it comes to hard classes, valedictorians have most likely taken them all. Amongst this group, Physics, Calculus, and World Literature were the most popular votes for the hardest classes at Hastings High.
“With the pressure of the goal of having all A’s in each of my classes, I struggled to keep up with Physics and Calculus. Some of the material was demanding and it has taken a toll on my stress. However, I made it through! I learned to keep a positive mindset and take one step at a time,” Phoung said.
Along with balancing heavy course work and difficult class concepts, these soon-to-be valedictorians are involved in many extracurricular activities, both inside and outside of school.
Curtis is involved in softball, basketball, student council, Tiger Ambush, National Honors Society, Mentoring Works, and the PBIS Student Advisory Committee. Other extracurriculars these students are involved in include Marching Band, Drama Club, speech, tennis, orchestra, FPS, TEAMS, 4-H, FCA, diving, and many other community volunteering activities.
As shown, these valedictorians in the running have a unique high school experience compared to the average student. They have advice for incoming freshmen that may be looking to keep all A’s in high school, although after the Class of 2021, valedictorians will no longer be named under Dr. Szlanda’s decision.
“School is super stressful when you’re trying to maintain perfect grades. Use a to-do list or a planner to keep your assignments and activities organized, and make sure to do your homework pretty much right after school because you won’t want to do it later. Also, a B is not going to be the end of the world. If you worked as hard as you could, you got a good grade,” Beave said.
Other students focused their advice more on having fun and not missing the good times that high school can bring. Some may even have small regrets about focusing on school and grades too much and hope that other high schoolers will not put too much pressure on their grades.
“I’d say the biggest bit of advice I could give to any student is to remember that you are more than just a number. Regardless of your grade, ACT scores, SAT scores, or whatever other big number that holds value in this education system, remember that you will always be more than a number could ever represent,” Le said.
Phuong has similar advice about worrying less about failing or getting a bad grade and more about making connections.
“High school isn’t just all about education. It is about making new friendships and experiences that help you shape the next four years of your life. Whether a person fails their test, move on and study for the next test. I would say make the most of your high school career. It is the time to figure what you want to do for the rest of your life,” Phoung said.
These students also have bright futures ahead of them, whether that be in college or the military.
Le is already enlisted in the Army as MOS 91B. The other students plan on attending various colleges including University of Nebraska – Lincoln, CCC, and Wesleyan, with some hoping to further their education in medical school.
We look forward to hearing all of the valedictorian speeches at graduation! Best of luck soon-to-be grads!
