The Class of 2024 produced 39 valedictorians, and The Accolade interviewed each to reflect on their high school journeys and thoughts. This is a full version of the Q&A, of which the preview is included in our May magazine issue. Any remaining full-version Q&A will be posted in alphabetical order throughout the week in the Feature section.

Question 1: Which university have you committed to?
Answer: University of Pennsylvania.

Question 2: What will you major in?
A: Nursing.

Question 3: Did you aim for the title of valedictorian at the beginning of your high school career?
A: No, I didn’t really go through high school with quite a specific title in mind. I just tried to get through each day.

Question 4: What is the number one piece of advice you would give to other students who also plan to become valedictorians?
A: To put yourself out there, definitely take advantage of opportunities at your prospective college. Even if you might come across any setbacks, there’s always a way around.

Question 5: Did you ever encounter any academic setbacks in your high school career, and how did you overcome it?
A: The main setback was my transition from sophomore to junior year, just because I had to find more effective study methods to better adapt to how many AP classes I was taking. Depending on each class, I had to develop a way to study the material and get good results.

Question 6: What was your most memorable experience in high school?
A: I think one of my most memorable experiences was performing in the quad show last year just because it was the first time I ever played piano outside of school.

Question 7: How do you think beginning high school through distance learning had a positive or negative impact on your high school journey?
A: I would say it helped me become more independent because I did make some friends, but most of the time, I was at home studying, so I think I was able to become more independent and more proactive.

Question 8: What is your biggest regret in high school?
A: [I regret] not seizing all possible opportunities, but I am motivated to embrace my full potential.

Question 9: What advice about school would you give your freshman self if you were to start high school again?
A: I think the most important thing for me was to find friends. Especially when you’re studying, I found last year and this year that it’s more helpful when you study with friends, and you find an effective study method. [But] also, outside of schooling, maintaining your relationships with your loved ones. Don’t prioritize school too much; learn how to prioritize and find stuff to do outside of school.

Question 10: What were some of your extracurriculars and leadership roles?
A: I’m part of the IB [International Baccalaureate] program [and] I’m a part of the IB Council. On the IB Council, I serve as a social commissioner, so I help design and schedule all the socials that we have for the IB students. As the social commissioner, I hope to create a platform where students can have fun and also get to know each other. I also serve as president of the Algebra Center. I connect with our adviser to share some ideas about how the club can be improved, but I also collect data on the students who attend the club and also the tutors who tutor each day. Outside of school, I volunteer at [St. Jude] hospital every Thursday, help the nurses to get to know their patients better and I discharge patients. I mainly work with the patients to ensure that they’re having a good time and are satisfied with their experience.

Question 11: What would you say was the most rewarding aspect of being valedictorian?
A: The most rewarding part is when I see good results. There were times when I studied really hard, but I didn’t get the results that I wanted. Just knowing that everything I did has come to fruition.

Question 12: What was your favorite class in school?
A: My favorite classes class for the IB program is the Theory of Knowledge, and that class is really different from all the high school courses. We dove deep into philosophy, why things work the way they do and how we can improve our world to for future generations, so I thought it was pretty cool.

Question 13: Who was a mentor who helped you during your academic journey?
A: One of the teachers I relied on most was Mrs. [Christian] Bueno during junior year. I think Mrs. Bueno, with her positive attitude, was a great help during my adaptation to the IB program and managing a heavy workload for school with all my extracurriculars.

Question 14: What do you think was the most important factor when deciding what college to attend?
A: I think the most important factor was if they happen to have a nursing major just because I’m going into nursing and not a lot of schools have direct nursing, especially in California. So the schools that do have direct nursing here are very competitive with UCLA and UCI [University of California, Irvine], even on the East Coast. There are not a lot of schools that offer nursing school where you get your Bachelor of Science in Nursing after just four years. So I think that was the most important.

Question 15: What do you look forward to the most after graduating?
A: I think just all the opportunities that college has to offer. Here, you’re — I wouldn’t say confined to — but you’re along with people that colleges house, and it gives me an opportunity to meet new people from all over the world.