Valedictorian

A long-standing tradition and measure of academic excellence, the title of valedictorian has been an intense point of contention for high school students in recent decades. In her piece “Best in Class”, author Margaret Talbot considers the consequences of naming valedictorians in the highly competitive environment of today’s schools. Appealing to students and school workers, she assumes an approachable, conversational tone, examining multiple points of view without obvious partiality. Talbot uses numerous interviews, anecdotes, and personal experiences to explain the aggressive contest for valedictorian and the legal disputes that follow. Talbot’s selection of interviews emphasizes the extent of the conflicts and the sentiments that contribute…

10). If one is to truly make an impact on their future, they must realize the significance of knowing where they want to go in their lives. When all is said and done, one must remember to whom they account. When a high school valedictorian gives a speech at graduation, they always express gratitude to those who helped them succeed. Whether aid and support came from God, parents, teachers, friends, or the like, one should be thankful for their guidance and realize that they have the…

Maday Villa is our featured alumna for this edition of the NAU B & A Alumni Career Insights blog. Maday graduated from NAU-Extended Campuses in Phoenix with a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) degree in Fall 2012. Since graduation, she has advanced in her career at Londen Insurance Group, Inc., a life insurance holding company that offers final expense, Medicare supplement and Medicare insurance products. Maday is currently the Assistant Vice President of Marketing Operations. In her…

The concern about valedictorians in schools is the way how it stresses students out, as well as embeds competitive competition into students. One side doesn’t care about the rewards of being at the top, where as another side may feel like the system is unfair or should be non-existant. Many schools have tried to lower the complaints and issues about valedictorians by allowing more than one valedictorian or by getting rid of the system in total. However, in most cases the system of valedictorian…

My mission while attending Rowan University is to graduate in four years as valedictorian. Becoming valedictorian in college has recently become as goal of mine. A majority of my friends has asked me what I want to accomplish in my four years in Rowan University, and I briefly explained to them that I will deliver the valedictory speech at our graduation ceremony. Becoming valedictorian is an attainable goal that will happen and yes I am aware it will be an arduous process, but from my…

Have you ever thought about a symbol that represents your graduation? Well I have, and mine is the valedictorian medal. I’m using this as my symbol because I think it represents the hard work and dedication I have had throughout the years. I love the gold/bronze color of it, the medal means you have graduated with honors, and finally it is something all of my older siblings have received. To begin with, I like the gold/bronze color of the medal. Gold is the color they give you in the Olympics…

Probably the one of the most well-known awards is being chosen as the number one, as valedictorian. Margaret Talbot explored the impact of choosing valedictorians, using factual research and interviews. She elaborates on the possible requirements and processes that can be used to make such an election. Something interesting she cares to share is the fact that perhaps a valedictorian should not be the smartest student, but the one that exemplifies our most basic and admirable American qualities:…

Valedictorian Address Students, administration, staff, family, and friends, welcome to the commencement for the Class of 2017, Hanover High School’s 125th commencement. Graduation is an exciting time... both an ending and a beginning filled with warm memories of the past, and immense dreams for the future. Now the question becomes, should we reminisce about the past four years, or instead focus on the next stage in this journey called life? We’ve waited impatiently for this day for many…

For many years schools have named their top students valedictorians. In recent years though, the naming of a valedictorian has become a larger issue. The issue has become so controversial that students have even sued their schools because of it. While it may not seem fair to other hard-working students, schools should continue the practice of naming one or two valedictorians each year. There are many reasons why schools should continue naming valedictorians, such as, it rewards students who…

me and she was a senior at our high school. It was her graduation day and she was supposed to give a speech as the Valedictorian. No one ever dreamed she would never arrive to the ceremony that day. I had been with Casey that morning. She asked me to come over to her house to curl her hair and help with her makeup. I left Casey’s house about an hour before graduation. Casey said she would be right behind me. Casey sent me a text on her way to graduation that read, “I’m so nervous, what if…