Heads of the class

Sumana Veeravelli, Mark McAndrew, and Josephine Yang come out on top of 2010’s class rank.

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May 17, 2010 • Roseana Cruz, editor-in-chief  
Filed under News

Who knows what goes on inside the head of a Valedictorian? Most people envision them as being flawless mechanical specimens, geared only toward academics. 

It may seem like 2010’s top ranked students, Sumana Veeravelli, Mark McAndrew, and Josephine Yang, can do no wrong, but do not be fooled.

“I got really close to getting Bs,” admits McAndrew.

Veeravelli also admits that she was not always perfect.

“I got a needs improvement in fifth grade for music.”

Even though these are obviously major inadequacies, universities have been able to look past them with the help of the Valedictorian’s 4.0s.  In the fall, they will be heading off:  Veeravelli at UofA, McAndrew at the United States Coast Guard Academy, and Yang at ASU.  

But people do not just wake up one morning and decide that they will graduate as Valedictorians and move on to major universities.  Dreams take time to unfold.  These students realized their goals at different stages.

“After Freshman year, my mom [Dr. Francois Dastous] told me I was ranked first and said I should be Valedictorian,” said McAndrew.

“It really materialized after Freshman year.  I guess because it was closer,” said Veeravelli.

However, in respect to what motivated these scholars, there seems to be a common theme.  “Pride.  My sister was Valedictorian too.  Both my parents were top of their class,” said Yang.  She was not the only one with sibling rivalry to uphold.

“I did it mainly so I could get a speech at graduation.  But also, my sisters both got second and third [in their class], so I wanted to be able to brag,” said McAndrew.

Personal desires were also a driving force for the Valedictorians.   

“It’s an intrinsic motivation,” said Veeravelli.  

“It was an academic goal I wanted to have before piano performance in college,” said Yang.  “It’s something I wanted for myself.”

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