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Not the stereotypical valedictorian
By LINDSAY ALEXANDER
With a light-hearted giggle, senior Tiffany Ward nonchalantly comments on her valedictorian achievement. With thick mascara and a bubbly personality, Ward holds characteristics of one of her favorite artists, Taylor Swift.
However, the upbeat personality and carefree attitude should not be fooling. Ward currently takes four advanced placement classes, is enrolled at the University of Florida for the 2012 fall semester, has law school aspirations and holds a perfect 4.0 unweighted GPA, but she says she’s not the typical straight A student.
“When I think of a valedictorian, I think of a little nerdy kid who sits around and does homework all day. That’s definitely not me,” Ward said.
Aside from playing volleyball and spending time with friends and family, Ward loves to go to the beach and to laugh and joke around. These qualities further reaffirm her statement that she is not her typical conception of a valedictorian, which she envisions as nerdy.
Ward’s parents first challenged her to be a valedictorian, but she never thought she could accomplish it.
“I didn’t think I’d ever be able to get it because I had a lot of hard classes. I did it for myself. It was something I really wanted to do,” Ward said. “I always just want to be the best.”
Ward’s favorite class was Comprehensive Law with Cynthia Schmidt. Although freshman year Ward did not think she would enjoy Law Magnet, her experiences in it created her desire to become a lawyer.
“I want to be successful in my future and use the qualities I have that made me a valedictorian to make an impact,” Ward said.
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