On May 21, 10 students will address the graduation audience about being at the top of their class. While it is not yet known what they will say in their speech, here is their advice on what they think one needs to do to be a valedictorian.
(Valedictorians appear in alpha order, then the salutatorian).
Claire Collins – Straight A’s and I mean this is in the sense that I think most students have at least some idea of the effort and sacrifice this requires.
Huong Dang – Have a lot of tears and be ready to persevere through 10+ hours of homework a night. To become valedictorian, you’re going to have a lot of mental breakdowns, but what’s important is to do your homework despite that.
Scott Gerben– I think the one thing it takes to be a valedictorian is great work ethic. You have to be willing to put all of your effort into all of your classes.
Amanda Hughes – You have to know what activities are worth pursuing and which ones aren’t and be okay with missing some opportunities to keep up with your academics.
Lauren Hutsell– I think it not only takes determination and focus, but time management skills as well as staying driven and motivated has helped me reach success.
Ashley McCray– Good time management and dedication.
Katherine Rohe– It has nothing to do with how smart you are and everything to do with understanding the system.
Matthew Shinner– It takes discipline and determination.
Ashley Simkovitch– You need to have a lot of discipline. You need to be able to set your priorities, but at the same time have good enough time management to find a balance between all of your other activties.
Salutatorian Alexandra Corrow– It takes hard work and dedication towards studying, and you have to sacrifice sleep and other activities to study.