Now that metro Atlanta high school seniors are turning their tassels, the members of the class of 2017 are ready to embark on the next chapter of their lives. Here are words of advice from some local students who excelled in the classroom, each earning the title as his or her school’s valedictorian. Some of the responses were edited for brevity.
Aiyasia Peoples
School system: DeKalb County School District
School: Redan High School
Extracurriculars: drama, National Honor Society, National Technical Honor Society, Spanish Honor Society
College: Howard University
Intended major: biology pre-med.
What is the best advice you have about succeeding? If you want to succeed, you will have to stay focused. You don't have to plan every step, but at least know what you want your endgame to be.
What advice would you give to a freshman just starting high school? I want you to realize that your freshman year is the most important year of your high school years. You create the base for your GPA this year. So study hard early so you can relax more later.
Tanish Pradhan
School system: Gwinnett County Public Schools
School: Parkview High School
Extracurriculars: Technology Student Association secretary and chapter officer; National Honor Society president; National Spanish Honor Society; Beta Club; Mu Alpha Theta; Science National Honor Society; and Parkview Student Leadership Team
College: Georgia Tech
Intended major: Biomedical engineering.
What is the best advice you have about succeeding? Succeed as a community, not as an individual. It is crucial to share one's knowledge and talent with others and to use your skills to help others. Do well unto others, and good things are bound to happen to you.
What advice would you give to a freshman just starting high school? Understand the importance that the next four years will have on the rest of your life. It's a time to enjoy life with friends and family and to pursue one's hobbies, but the impact you make today will help determine your future leading into graduation, college and beyond. So play hard, study harder and use the high school experience to develop yourself as a student and a person.
Alice Peng
School system: Gwinnett County Public Schools
School: Norcross High School
College: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Intended major: art history and pre-med
Extracurriculars: National Art Honor Society, French Honor Society.
What is the best advice you have about succeeding? Success is a consequence of hard work, not a goal to work toward. Instead, work harder to be a little bit better every day.
What advice would you give to a freshman just starting high school? Be open to new experiences and people, you never know what the future holds. Also, remember that everything is less important than it seems in the moment!
Tommie Robinson
School system: Clayton County Public Schools
School: Jonesboro High
Extracurriculars: Cross country (9th & 10th), track and field (9th), and National Honor Society (12th)
College: Georgia Institute of Technology
Intended major: Physics while concentrating in astrophysics. I will later go on to graduate school to study astrophysics.
What is the best advice you have about succeeding?
“If it is important to you, you will find a way. If not, you’ll find an excuse.” — Ryan Blair
What advice would you give to a freshman just starting high school?
Mishaps should be treated as a hurdle, not a stop sign. Don’t stop because you didn’t get what you wanted; persistence is key to success.
Anna Ho
School system: Clayton County Public Schools
School: Morrow High School
Extracurriculars: Beta Club, National Honors Society, Technology Student Association, Latino Student Union and Math Club
College: Georgia Institute of Technology
Intended major: Neuroscience.
What is the best advice you have about succeeding?
Succeeding takes time, consistency and, most importantly, perseverance. Succeeding may take the form of some mistakes and failures, but success is really about understanding your goals, how to get there and making it happen.
What advice would you give to a freshman just starting high school?
High school is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, so enjoy it! Learn about yourself, try new extracurricular activities and don’t be afraid to push yourself. Take AP classes or dual enroll when you can. It will definitely pay off, and when it gets stressful, breathe.
Credit: Helena Oliviero
Credit: Helena Oliviero
Ebitimi Orubina
School System: Clayton County Public Schools
High School: Mount Zion High School
Extracurriculars: Basketball, DECA, Chick-fil-A Leadership
College: Georgia Tech
Intended Major: Computer Engineering
What is the best advice you have about succeeding?
Remember that you shouldn't be the only benefactor of your work. Do everything in your power to aid everyone you can, and success will be inevitable.
What advice would you give to a freshman just starting high school?
Stay focused on the end goal (the diploma), but keep in mind that no man is an island. Find comrades that can help you laugh and finish a paper at the same time.
