[slideshow_deploy id=’79679′]Very few people have the drive to achieve the elusive 4.0 grade point average.
Friends, extracurricular activities, and zits can easily distract from even the most studious student’s schoolwork. Ashley Simkovitch, however, planned to be a valedictorian since she was a little girl.
“It’s been a personal goal since I was in elementary school. I never wanted to get a B because I knew I would be disappointed in myself. I knew I could do better,” Simkovitch said.
Being named a valedictorian is an astounding feat, but Simkovitch’s list of accomplishments is much longer than just A’s on a piece of paper.
“During high school, I have been very involved, especially in dance, which is a huge time commitment. It has been hard to balance all of that with all of my schoolwork,” Simkovitch said.
In addition to being a Boone Bravette, she is a member of the National Honor Society, Spanish Honor Society, Spanish Club, Math Club, Mu Alpha Theta and Chemistry Club.
The road to a perfect GPA was not an easy one. Like all students, Simkovitch took classes that challenged even her.
“My hardest class was AP Chemistry. I had to go in after school a lot and spent a lot of time working on the class in order to ensure a good grade,” Simkovitch said.
Valedictorian is an achievement that only a few can say they have achieved. It is all too easy for the sense of accomplishment and pride to go to one’s head and forget the little guys that helped along the way. This is not the case for Simkovitch. Despite her master-stroke in her time on the Reservation, she is grounded by her peers.
“My biggest motivators were my friends. My group of friends were a great influence on me and will always motivate me to do my best,” Simkovitch said.
Simkovitch plans on attending the New York City campus of Pace University in the fall and has not yet decided on a major.