Valedictorians Announced for the Class of 2018

The requirements for becoming a valedictorian are most definitely not easy. While maintaining a consecutive 4.0 GPA, valedictorians are also required to take no more than one half year home release. Throughout these four years of high school, I am sure that many seniors feel like there has been a semester or two (or three or four) that they just did not perform their best academically. For valedictorians, this is not acceptable for them to do. They could not fall behind even for a little bit academically, that being said it is an amazing thing that Highland has ten valedictorians this year. Annie Miner, Melissa Orlandi, Ivey Paulsen, Anna Foulks, Shannon Lambson, Lily Chidester, Emily Limburg, Cameron Jeppson, Otto Holbrook and Kaitlyn Smith. are evidence that some students here at Highland have gone above and beyond in their academics and they deserve some recognition.

The road to becoming valedictorian is not easy. Annie Miner, expressed that the hardest part of receiving this award was enduring to the end in every class.

“I think towards the end of the year it’s easy to cut yourself short and lose motivation especially when you have lots of work for every class,” Miner said.

Paulsen on the other hand considers herself a perfectionist and finds that she never really loses motivation but becomes very stressed out and overwhelmed by not being able to accept a lower grade.

Valedictorians create habits and patterns in their schooling that help them stay on top of their grades. Some schedule a specific time in the day to do homework and study, others check their grades daily, and talk to their teachers often about their performance in the class. Lambson writes down everything in her planner in order to stay on top of the ball, along with making daily and weekly to do lists. The task of keeping perfect grades and challenging classes seem hard enough, but these valedictorians talent extends outside of the classroom. Many of them are involved in extracurricular activities and enjoy hobbies of their own. This may seem overwhelming, but for many these hobbies are what helped them remain sane.

“It’s been so fun dancing in high school and it honestly has really helped me deal with stress,” Paulsen said.

Other valedictorians, like Lambson contribute to Highland by being involved in sports.

“Playing tennis and softball help me relax and spending time with my teammates helps me destress,” Lamsbon said. “If that doesn’t work I just read a book for a few hours.”

This year’s valedictorians are motivated, dedicated and determined. Our futures are bright and promising with students like these helping our society along.