Valedictorian encourages commitment

The valedictorian this year is Kendall Vallette. The top student at HHS is referred to as an honors speaker rather than a valedictorian, but the meaning is the same. Vallette is the senior with the highest GPA.

“I became valedictorian by having the highest grades in my class, but I only achieved this goal by putting in hours of hard work and studying,” Vallette said. 

Vallette will be going to the University of Illinois after she graduates. 

“After high school, I will be attending the University of Illinois to major in physics and pre-med intentions,” Vallette said.

Even though Vallette has not written her speech yet, she just wants it to be special. 

“I haven’t written my speech yet because it is a lot of pressure, and I want it to be special,” 

When writing the speech, Vallette wants to direct her comments to her fellow classmates. 

“I definitely want the speech to be aimed towards my whole senior class and not just personal to me,” Vallette said.  

Scholarships will help Vallette with the expense of attending U of I.  

“I received three scholarships to UIUC,” Vallette said.

Vallette got scholarships for physics and academics. 

“Two of the scholarships were merit/academic scholarships, and the other one was based on my physics major,” Vallette said. “Overall the scholarships will total to around $68,000 for four years.” 

Vallette’s hard work has paid off. 

‘’To everyone aspiring to be a valedictorian, I would say it’s definitely achievable if you set your mind to it, but be willing to adjust your expectations,” Vallette said.  “I had to relearn ways to learn and study in order to succeed in many of my highest honor classes. It’s an attainable goal if you have the work ethic.”