BOHS shows off its academic excellence once again as 25 seniors are named valedictorian and salutatorian of the 2021-2022 school year. With the highest grade point averages of their graduating class, these students know what it takes to achieve academic goals, so the Wildcat asked them: What advice would a Wildcat who wants to thrive academically? 

Valedictorians:

Curtis Ahn

Advice: Work hard and play hard. Before studying hard, make sure you’re having fun because having fun is better than stressing out. Also, when you put in the work, you will get the outcomes you want.

College: University of California, Los Angeles

Major: Business Economics

Samantha Allred

Advice: Pay attention in class and ask questions when you need help, it saves a lot of time in the long run when you already understand the material and don’t need to learn everything the day before the test. I’d also really recommend to stay organized and write everything down, like assignments, etc. Also, get involved. It’s really important to have fun and find balance. My sport really helped me keep de-stress and having a group I can belong to, like a club or ASB, has been something that has really helped me throughout high school. 

College: Brigham Young University

Major: Elementary or Special Education 

Neil Azimi

Advice: Remember why we are going to school. My grades don’t mean anything if I don’t actually know what I’m doing. At the end of the day, I would be cheating myself by faking it all the way through high school. So remember to learn the content in depth, as school will be so much more enjoyable and good grades will certainly follow. Invest in yourself. 

College: Chapman University

Major: Computer Science

Christine Cheon

Advice: Manage your time well and make sure you are taking care of yourself before anything else. Strive to be better and set high goals, but also don’t overwork yourself to the point where you aren’t enjoying your time in high school. 

College: University of Southern California

Major: Chemistry

Samantha Isabelle Dizon

Advice: One of my biggest tips is handwritten notes and agenda— writing things down and color-coding helps with memorization. Also, naps are great! One can never take too many, just make sure you are aware of timing.

College: Stanford University

Major: Communication

Pauline Kang

Advice: As important as grades and academics are, so is your own well-being. Strive to do well in your classes by studying and working hard, but also take time to rest and do what you enjoy! Do not let your grades define who you are. You are more than a letter or a number. 

College: University of California, Irvine

Major: Computer Science

Clara Lee

Advice: Pay attention in class and ask a lot of questions because it’s a lot easier to understand when you can talk directly to the teacher and you have less work to do after class. So you can enjoy time with friends and have a good work and life balance.

College: University of California, Los Angeles

Major: Chemical Engineering

Lauren Yu

Advice: Take advantage of the resources available at BOHS. Whether you’re pursuing internships, recommendations, or passion projects, most teachers here are immensely supportive and give great advice on top of the regular homework help. Be annoying and ask a lot of questions

College: Stanford University

Major: Science, Technology, Society or Computer science and business

Salutatorians

Dakota Covey

Advice: Taking numerous honors and AP classes are a great way to help you deepen your understanding of concepts and develop critical-thinking skills, problem solving skills and even discover a passion for a certain subject that you might want to pursue in college. Furthermore, pushing yourself out of your comfort zone socially is important too as it helps you be more comfortable with yourself and who you are which increases your happiness at being who you want to be and lowering your anxiety of what others think of you. Through this process, you can find a supportive group of friends who are there for you to help you out however needed, from academic help with subjects you don’t understand as well to moral support and compassion for when you need it. 

College: University of California, Irvine

Major: History

Andrew To

Advice: Don’t worry about academics, worry more about extracurriculars. Try to be more different, don’t try to just do the hardest classes because you can get rejected from a lot of colleges, but if you’re in a lot of clubs, that’s what they look for.

College: University of California, Irvine

Major: Computer Engineering