Valedictorian is an anglicized derivation of the Latin, vale dicere, “to say farewell,” historically rooted to the traditional role of a student final speaker at a graduation ceremony.
The soft sound of graduating senior Maren Davis’s violin playing “Somewhere over the Rainbow,” is the closest the 96 students graduating from South Summit High School will get to a farewell speech Thursday night at least from a peer.
According to Principal Steve Camp, choosing a sole student to fill the role of highest academic achiever of a graduating class is not an easy challenge.
So they don’t.
Instead of selecting the student who has the highest grade point average from the senior class, 12 students were selected for high honors. The top students, who will be representing the SSHS Class of 2013 during the ceremony at the school, were required to maintain a GPA of 3.7 or higher, while taking extra steps to be selected.
“These students have put in a lot of hard work to earn this honor; just like a valedictorian,” Camp said. “The time they spent to complete extra math, science, social studies and foreign language requirements, in addition to the regular classes to fulfill graduation was a sacrifice that is well worth it. In today’s world we are looking for instant gratification, but this is four years of hard work and I am very proud of them.”
Honor cords will hang from shoulders of the students in order to recognize them among the crowd, but there is another group of students that are equally talented, who will graduate discreetly with honors of a different level, according to school Counselor Becky Dees.
This year, eight students will also be receiving Associates Degrees issued through the Utah Valley University along with their high school diplomas.
Students, who sought the extra work load, were required to complete UVU degree requirements along with their regular high school courses to earn a degree. A typical associate’s degree student usually graduates with an additional five to nine extra credits, added Dees.
According to Dees, the school encourages students to take the extra initiative and enroll in college preparatory courses available at the high school, but this is the most students in one year that have graduated with the extra credential.
“It’s really great seeing this students not only get excited for college, but take the extra steps during high school to get ready,” Dees said. “Parents and students are really seeing the values of this achievement and I hope to see more students follow in this direction in the future.”
Maren Davis was accepted by the Bringham Young University Music Department to play the violin. She is also one of the 12 students graduating with an associate’s degree.
According to Davis, she started taking college courses as a sophomore, and continued to do so every semester in order to reach the requirements.
“I think these classes prepared me a lot for next year,” Davis said. “I have a lot of my pre-requisites done already, which makes it exciting to see all of the hard work over the years went to something worthwhile.”
According to Camp, the decision to pursue extra academic credits and challenges is up to the student and parents, but the school which offers a great deal socially, commends students who take on the extra academic load.
“If you look across the board, all of the students that achieved this kept busy schedules and seemed to be more goal-orientated,” Camp said. “It just goes to show you; if you want something done, go find a busy person.”
The South Summit High School class of 2013 graduation ceremonies will be held at the school, 45 South 300 East, Kamas, on Thursday, May 24, at 6 p.m.
Kylie Atkinson
Sarah Ekstrom
Brooke George
Jeff Goodwin
Madison Hymas
Ross Merchant
Jon Padie
Abigail Peterson
Jay Reidhead
Cole Richins
Katelyn Rogers
Brett Weller
Stefania Barr
Bryson Burns
Maren Davis
Sarah Ekstrom
Halie Hemenway
Courtnee Marthe
Ashley Stubbs
Tyler Weller