For some high school students, simply the task of completing the credits necessary to graduate can be a challenge. For others, rising above the requirements and taking as many Advanced Placement (AP), Honors, and Dual Credit (DC) classes as possible is just one of the many steps on the path to graduating as a Valedictorian or Salutatorian. The Class of 2015 Co-Valedictorians and Salutatorian were announced in March at the close of semester three.

Lauren Orr and Erika Marks were announced as co-Valedictorians, as their cumulative grade-point averages (GPAs) were extremely close, and Rachel Seifert was announced as Salutatorian.

All three students reported that their accomplishments reflect a desire to take harder courses and learn more challenging material; their achievement as the top of their class was not necessarily built on the competitive aspect of having a high GPA.

“My journey to being valedictorian began because I just enjoyed the harder classes […] I never took a class purely to boost my GPA and would take the same high school path again if I ever had to,” Co-Valedictorian Erika Marks said.

Likewise, Co-Valedictorian Lauren Orr said of her high school experience as an academian: “Both [that] I enjoy being in more difficult classes and [them] because they boosted my GPA [motivated me to take harder classes].”

Salutatorian Rachel Seifert noted the specifics of taking advanced classes to have helped her motivation to succeed in her studies.

“In advanced classes I have found a healthy atmosphere for learning – the teachers are excited to teach and the students are willing to engage and contribute […] I love the harder classes and have taken them for my personal satisfaction rather than with the hope of optimizing my GPA,” Seifert said.

These achievements did not come easily for any student. Finding time to accomplish the homework involved with advanced courses and spending time on extracurricular activities and personal lives was challenging for Marks, Orr and Seifert.

“The time that I had to seclude myself in my room to get my work done instead of being with my family was probably the hardest part of working toward this goal,” Marks said of her time sacrifices.

Orr’s challenges included transferring from a Texas private school to Sandpoint High School partway through her high school career: “Every class was Pre-AP and AP. It was actually much more competitive [in Texas] than here,” Orr said.

Seifert has spent a significant amount of her high school career focused on her musical talents, and balancing time between her academics and creative outlets was personally challenging for her.

“I would have loved to dedicate more time than I was able to my musical studies, and would have enjoyed joining a sport each year had my schedule permitted. Long nights of sleep are also few and far between,” Seifert said.

Lastly, these students all report intending on going to college after high school, some with more concrete plans than others. Marks is planning to major in biochemistry with a double minor in philosophy and ancient history, while Orr hopes to pursue a career in behavioral neuroscience after college. Seifert said that though her exact plans are not in place yet, she does hope to attend a four-year university and find her future career path through exploration.