Through her leadership positions in multiple clubs and achievements in the classroom, senior Sophia Brown attained her valedictorian status.
“To be a valedictorian, you have to be strategic. Strategic with your time management, planning out study time and adjusting it when you realize you need more time for a certain class,” Brown said.
Along with being a member of the National Honor Society and Finance Magnet Program, Brown also held leadership positions in five clubs: captain of FCA (12); president of Baking Braves (12); vice president of Mu Alpha Theta (12); Freshman Class treasurer and Sophomore Class vice president in SGA, and secretary of the Ocean Activist Club (11, 12).
With parents support and self perseverance, Brown stayed motivated to succeed in her classes and other activities.
“I always knew and was told by my parents that I could do what I could put my mind to, and that I should always do my best,” Brown said. “I believed I was capable of maintaining a 4.0 so I was determined to achieve what I was capable of, anything less would mean I was not trying my hardest.”
Brown’s choice to pick a schedule with advance classes throughout high school led her to meet her Finance Magnet Program classmates. With similar courses, the students grew closer throughout the years. In November, finance magnet visited New York City for
“My fondest memory throughout high school was the New York trip I went on with my Finance class this year,” Brown said. “It was so fun to get to spend time with my finance family in a city I had never been in before.”
Although unable to attend in the fall due to a fallout with her financial aid documents, Brown achieved her biggest accomplishment in getting into her dream school, Georgia Tech. Instead, Brown will be attending the University of Central Florida where she plans to major in Actuarial Science and looks forward to merging her math and finance skills together while being challenged in the process.
Reflecting on the past four years, Brown shares how to make the most of the high school experience.
“You get out of high school what you put into it, so make the most of every experience and enjoy them because it goes by way faster than you would expect,” Brown said. “Go to all the school dances, the sporting events, the club meetings; study with your friends; wear orange and white; dress up for spirit days. You do not want to look back and feel like you missed out in high school, or did not work as hard as you could have.”