Four 4.0s: Class of 2013 had Four Valedictorians [PHOTO]

The Heartland Community Schools Class of 2013 that graduated on May 12 was a smart one.  Not only did 18 out of the 24 students maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.4 or above, but four of them actually each had a perfect 4.0 GPA throughout their high school education.

The four seniors who achieved this high honor were Ashley Quiring, Ashton Kroeker, Emily Ott, and Maelyn Huebert.

All four of these girls had a goal in mind to maintain a 4.0 through high school.  Emily said she was inspired to her goal of being valedictorian after she watched her older two sisters maintain 4.0s in high school.  Ashley also recalls an early goal of maintaining straight A’s, which she earned every quarter of school since seventh grade.

When asked what it means to be named a valedictorian of their class, the girls agreed that while it was an honor, it also showcased their dedication to their education.  Maelyn commented, “I think it is a honor to be named valedictorian.  It shows that we all worked very hard to get this far, and it has paid off.  I am proud of myself and the three other valedictorians who achieved this accomplishment.”

While they all maintained outstanding grades in each subject, they definitely had their favorite classes.  Both Ashton and Maelyn really enjoyed their science classes that they had with Mr. Regier while band was one of the favorites for both Ashley and Emily. Ashley also really enjoyed her businesses classes, particularly Accounting I and Accounting II, which she excelled in.  Along with band, Emily particularly enjoyed chorus too.  “Music not only challenged me intellectually, but as a person and a performer. I used to be very shy, but through chorus and band, I have learned how to be confident and express myself. I have stepped out of my box, and my confidence has helped me in all areas of my life,” said Emily.

There was also a consensus among the valedictorians that they had a great experience attending school at Heartland.  They mentioned the great teachers that they had and all the extracurricular activities they were able to participate in.  Ashley said, “Through my educational experience at Heartland, I’ve not only received a great basic education, but I was also able to dig deeper into the area of business. This allowed me to explore what I was interested in majoring in next year. On top of academics, I was able to be involved in numerous extracurricular activities at Heartland which helped me to become a more well-rounded person.”  Sometimes, however, with all the activities the girls participated in, it could get a little hectic.  Ashton mentioned that when there were difficult times, they were able to get through them together as a class.

While these four girls have shared many experiences together, they will each set out on their own adventures this fall.  Ashley will be attending UNL majoring in Accounting and minoring in Music. Ashton is heading to Tabor College to major in Elementary Education with a coaching endorsement. Emily is leaning towards majoring in either Education or Communications at Nebraska Wesleyan University, and Maelyn will be at Midland University majoring in Nursing.

Congratulations to these young women on their outstanding academic accomplishments, and best of luck to them in their future educational endeavors!