Question 1: How do you feel as one of the 18 valedictorians? 

Answer: Lowkey, I don’t feel that special about having valedictorian status because 17 other people have the same title. However, I’m still happy and grateful that I was able to survive high school with strong academics! 

Question 2: What are your plans after high school?

A: I will be attending UCLA as an environmental science major. 

Question 3: What are your career aspirations, and what influenced you to pursue them? 

A: My career aspirations have changed a lot because I have so many interests, but as of now, I would like to be a pharmacist. I always wanted to go into a field that was health and science-related, but I chose pharmacy because of the lifestyle and its predictable hours. I am also considering becoming a part-time youth pastor. 

Question 4: How did you handle stress and manage your time effectively? 

A: ​​To be honest, I did not manage time effectively, LOL. I lost so much sleep throughout high school because I procrastinated a lot, and I wish I got more beauty sleep in — maybe I wouldn’t look so foul if I slept more, LOL. Usually, my peak stress times were when I had deadlines, so I didn’t really have time to manage my stress because my tasks were priorities. When I wasn’t so rushed, though, I did have destressing time through Netflix binges and taking walks.

Question 5: What extracurricular activities or leadership roles were you involved in?

A: Too many to list them all, but a few of my favorite activities were praise team, Seeds of Worship, Science Olympiad and political internships. My least favorite was my part-time job at The Source. 

Question 6: What was the class that threatened your valedictorian status? 

A: Oh my god. APUSH [Advanced Placement United States History]. Usually, people say AP Physics is the hardest, but for me, APUSH was harder because I like STEM [science, technology, engineering and math] subjects more than the humanities. Also, the teacher I had for APUSH had an 80% tests and quizzes weight. I cried because I almost got a B during both semesters. 

Question 7: Did you encounter any academic failures or setbacks, and how did you bounce back from them? 

A: During my junior year, I was juggling seven AP/IB [International Baccalaureate] classes, so there was a week where I could not study for the hardest AP Calculus BC unit, and I literally got an F on the test. I thought I was done because that dropped my grade by 10%, but I put my whole life into studying for the final and somehow ended with a 90.0%.

Question 8: Were there any teachers or mentors who played a significant role in shaping your academic journey? If so, how? 

A: Shoutout to Mr. [Mike] Schade because Honors Biology was the class that allowed me to discover my love for science, Also, shoutout to Mr. [Andrew] Gartner! I’m majoring in environmental science because he made APES [Environmental Science] so fun and enjoyable. I also had more to write about in my college essays, thanks to that class. 

Question 9: How did you navigate the college application process, and what advice do you have for other students going through it? 

A: I was overwhelmed at first because I didn’t hire any college advisers to help me, but when I took it slowly, one step at a time, things started to make more sense. One piece of advice I would give is to start early if you can. I started in August, so it was difficult to balance my classes while writing college essays. Getting a lot of the essays done in the summer can save you stress during your first semester. 

Question 10: Whether it be school-affiliated or not, were there any specific projects or assignments that you feel were particularly impactful or rewarding? 

A: The essays I wrote in Mrs. [Jennifer] Kim’s English class were the foundation of my writing abilities. What I learned in there carried me through the rest of my high school English classes. 

Question 11: Did you have any specific study habits or routines that helped you excel?

A: Usually, if I don’t understand a concept, I don’t just skip over it. I either bookmark it to review it later or make sure to ask the teacher or a friend for help. 

Question 12: What are some of your most memorable experiences or highlights from your high school years? 

A: Talking with my friends instead of doing classwork. Some people might think that’s wasting time, but sometimes, talking with your friends is the best use of time. 

Question 13: Where do you see yourself in 10 years? 

A: Hopefully, I’ll be a pharmacist by then! 

Question 14: What will you miss most after you graduate? 

A: My favorite teachers.

Question 15: Were there any challenges posed by remote or hybrid learning during the COVID-19 pandemic? How did you overcome these challenges? 

A: I first started distance learning during March of my freshman year, and it was difficult for me because I wasn’t used to the structure and using online tools. Because everything was online, sometimes it took double the amount of time for me to complete the assignments. I think this was just a matter of me getting used to technology and learning how to use it. Also, I hated it when I missed part of a lecture because the screen lagged. I had to learn to be patient enough to wait until the end of class to ask my teacher about it. 

Question 16: What lessons did you learn from failure or setbacks during your high school years? 

A: I learned that setbacks aren’t always the end of it all; there are ways to redeem yourself or make up for your fall.

Question 17: What was the most useful advice you have received from someone about high school? 

A: Kinda cringe, but “Let go and let God.”

Question 18: As a valedictorian, what last message do you have to the underclassmen? 

A: Don’t worry too much about things that are out of your control — just do your best so that you don’t have regrets. Also, make sure to have fun.