The Atlanta Journal-Constitution asked valedictorians at metro Atlanta schools questions about their time in high school and their futures. Here’s what some graduates in Atlanta and Fulton County schools had to say. Students are listed alphabetically by last name. Some schools have multiple valedictorians. Answers have been edited for length and clarity.
Atlanta
Credit: contributed
Credit: contributed
Shalin Bhatia
- School: Midtown High
- College: Georgia Tech
- Intended major: Economics
- Most helpful study habit: Annotating my notes and review sheets after writing down all the information. I actively learn the most important material by highlighting key parts of my notes, helping me maximize assessment scores.
- Favorite memory from high school: Leaving school early in the spring to play tennis for the varsity team. Playing against athletes from all over the state is exciting, and the team bonding is special.
- Do you feel like you’re ready for life after high school? Having received the Stamps President’s Scholarship at Georgia Tech, I feel like I’m prepared for life after high school. While I’ll miss my high school friends, I’m ready to meet people from all over the nation.
- What worries you about the future? I’m a little worried about the intense academics at Georgia Tech and the general responsibilities that come with adulthood. At the same time, I’m very excited to take on this next chapter of my life.
Credit: contributed
Credit: contributed
Dontavious Blount
- School: Frederick Douglass High
- College: Texas Southern University
- Intended major: Accounting and finance
- Advice to freshmen: Put 110% into everything you do, whether it’s sports or academics. Give it your all and always do it with a smile on your face.
- Helpful study habit: Don’t procrastinate. Do the assignment as soon as you get it so when it’s over … it’s over. There’s no sense in having to do something last minute and now it’s rushed.
- Favorite memory from high school: Meeting all of the like-minded individuals at Douglass. They’ve taught me a lot and I wouldn’t change anything about it.
- Do you feel like you’re ready for life after high school? I’ve been ready since ninth grade, but now that I’m here one foot away from the next chapter, all I can say is bring it on!
- What worries you about the future? What worries me is if I can be by myself. Moving 15 hours away from my support system causes me to question whether or not I am ready to be independent, but it’s always a quick answer of yes.
Credit: contributed
Credit: contributed
Amariah Caudle
- School: Coretta Scott King Young Women’s Leadership Academy
- College: Georgia Tech
- Intended major: Computer science
- Advice to freshmen: Take your work seriously. What you do this year will follow you until the very last college application. Don’t be that one senior scrambling around for credits in the last semester of school.
- Most helpful study habit: Acting like I was a teacher or a tutor. After gathering my notes from slides and videos, I would “teach” the material to a ghost buddy. Acting like I already knew the main topics was a great way to trick my brain while also reciting the information.
- Favorite memory from high school: Hanging out in the library with friends after all our dual enrollment classes ended. Once college finals were over, we kicked up our feet and played New York Times puzzles until it was time to go home.
- What worries you about the future? Balancing my workload, which will be heavy at Georgia Tech, and my personal life worries me. If I want to keep up, I have to stay focused. However, I must find time for myself so that I can be the best I can be.
Credit: contributed
Credit: contributed
Zachary Davis
- School: South Atlanta High
- College: Tennessee State University
- Intended major: Health sciences
- Advice to freshmen: Be optimistic about your future and never shorten your blessings. All you do is on a candid camera, and someone is watching, and your first impression is always the lasting one. Invest in yourself, whether it be one extracurricular or a multitude, in the long haul. They can be used to pay for college. I am a prime example as I am on a full-ride band scholarship at the illustrious Tennessee State University.
- Most helpful study habit: A hybrid of the Pomodoro method and spaced repetition. The Pomodoro method rewards you for studying every 25 minutes, takes a five-minute break, and tests your knowledge immediately. A bright tip is to connect each subject in school because all of them are intertwined.
- Favorite memory from high school: Parading down Bourbon Street in New Orleans, Louisiana, during Endymion in Mardi Gras as the head drum major of the South Atlanta Mighty Marching Hornets Marching Band.
- Do you feel like you’re ready for life after high school? Yes, I am prepared for life after high school. All of the extracurriculars I’ve participated in have taught me life lessons from Mr. Draine in SMASH (Summer Math and Science Honor Academy) Morehouse teaching brotherhood to Ms. Combs and Ms. Foster in HOSA (Health Occupations Students of America), setting the foundation of health care as I aspire to be a neurosurgeon specializing in neuro musicology (how music affects the brain), and most importantly Mr. Lane the maestro of music nurturing me to becoming a GMEA District Five Honored Alto Saxophonist. I am elated to have gained mentors and experiences to propel me into the future.
- What worries you about the future? Our current state of affirmative action and the reduction of diversity, equity, and inclusion in health care. As I aspire to become a neurosurgeon, there will be federal barriers that I will overcome to better my community as a champion of equitable health care.
Credit: contributed
Credit: contributed
Kiarra Horton
School: Carver STEAM Academy
College: Georgia State University
Intended major: Nursing
Advice for freshmen: Stay on top of your work, never give up on your goals, never ever let yourself get to a certain (point) where you let yourself fail.
Most helpful study habit: Flashcards where I can put the answers on the back and the questions on the front.
What worries you about the future? The college stuff and college classes and me living on campus my first year.
Credit: Courtesy photo
Credit: Courtesy photo
Martin Öman
- School: Atlanta International School
- College: Georgia Tech
- Intended major: Industrial engineering
- Advice for freshmen: The impressions you leave on your teachers and peers are far more important than your grades or accomplishments in high school. Make sure those impressions reflect the kind of person you want to be.
- Helpful study habit: Set a strict bedtime the night before tests (even if you arrive home late at night from sports or other things). That extra hour of sleep is worth way more than that extra hour of cramming. Besides, it forces you to plan ahead and structure your studying.
- Favorite memory from high school: Winning a second state championship in soccer after barely returning from a torn ACL in the summer before senior year. I wasn’t expecting to play at all this season but I worked to get back to the field a month early to help my team succeed in the playoffs.
- Do you feel like you’re ready for life after high school? Yes, my older brother (who was valedictorian in 2021) has been a role model for me and has taught me how to succeed in college and beyond. My parents also deserve credit for their support and encouragement to ensure that I graduated high school prepared for what comes next.
- What worries you about the future? Staying motivated in college.
Credit: contributed
Credit: contributed
Liam Smith
- School: Maynard H. Jackson High
- College: Columbia University
- Intended major: Mechanical engineering
- Advice for freshmen: There is no right way about a thing, only the way that you make for yourself. So much matters and so much doesn’t, but you’ll never actually realize what’s what until well after you choose to prioritize one thing over another. And, of course, there’s more to life than just schoolwork, high school Is just as much about self-growth as it is education. And, if you’re stuck between deciding if you should do something or not, just do it, provided it’s not self-destructive!
- Helpful study habit: Oftentimes, I will choose the singular worst song I can find and then play it on repeat until my work is done. Examples include: “It’s My Life What Ever I Wanna Do” by Vennu Mallesh, “Friday” by Rebecca Black (not the hyperpop remix), Merzbow, any Toad/Toadette remix of a song, Interior Crocodile Alligator, and others. “Pump Up the Jam” also falls under songs that I listen to while essay-writing.
- Favorite memory from high school: As far as a distinct moment, I would have to say the eclipse very recently. There’s something truly enigmatic about being united as a major celestial event happens overhead, a unity at some greater fascination that few other things can inspire short of an event like commencement.
- Do you feel like you’re ready for life after high school? Can anyone ever truly be ready? — Ha! Admittedly, it is quite strange to be stepping out of high school now after four years. However, it is beyond necessary. The only way forward is to leave and I’m perfectly happy to take that step, to be able to keep myself from stagnation, to search for new experiences, and to find happiness. So, yes, I suppose. I am quite ready to step forth into the future and growth, to leave high school.
- What worries you about the future? In the Rhineland, there’s a saying: “Et kütt wie et kütt,” meaning, ”What will happen will happen,” with an implied meaning that one cannot change the future as what it will happen as it is wont to do. There’s fairly similar meaning in, ”Que sera, sera,” meaning, ”What will be, will be.” The gist of these sayings I’ve adopted as my perspective towards life. I don’t think anyone can truly prepare for the future or life after a major shift in perspective. There are just far too many variables. What I’ve started to do instead of cycling and attempting to resolve innumerable variables in order to posture myself as an oracle is to just accept the present as it is and accept the future as it will be.
Fulton County
Credit: contributed
Credit: contributed
Mi’Cai Haywood
- School: Westlake High
- College: University of Southern California
- Intended major: Music industry
- Advice for freshmen: Embrace your journey, celebrate your wins and learn from your challenges. Stay true to yourself and your dreams. Remember, it’s not about where you start or where others are — it’s about the progress you make and the person you become along the way. There’s no one-size-fits-all formula for success.
- Most helpful study habit: It’s all about breaking things down and staying organized. I break down my notes into manageable chunks, create outlines, use color-coding — whatever it takes to make sense of it all.
- Favorite memory from high school: The Langston (Hughes High) vs. Westlake game in 2021. The energy was so high within the room and despite the two schools being rivals, there was a sense of camaraderie amongst the students.
- Do you feel like you are ready for life after high school? I feel more than ready for life after high school. Throughout my time here, I’ve been intentional about preparing for what comes next. Whether it’s through challenging coursework, meaningful friendships or extracurricular activities, every experience has shaped me into the person I am today. I feel ready. Ready to embrace new challenges, ready to chase my dreams, and ready to navigate the twists and turns of adulthood with confidence and maturity.
Credit: Photo provided
Credit: Photo provided
Rishabh Jain
- School: Woodward Academy
- College: Northwestern University
- Intended major: Economics and mathematical methods
- Advice for freshmen: High school goes by fast, believe it or not. Try to make the most of every moment of it, whether that be with your friends, your family or by yourself.
- Favorite memory from high school: Senior homecoming was an enjoyable experience. I got to go with my friends and we made the most of the night.
- Do you feel like you’re ready for life after high school? Yeah, mostly. There’s definitely some stuff like taxes I still need to learn about, but I’m excited for what’s in store.
- What worries you about the future? Probably trying to make friends and figure out what career I want to go into after I graduate college.
Credit: contributed
Credit: contributed
Christian Jimenez
- School: Roswell High
- College: Georgia Tech
- Intended major: Chemical engineering
- Advice for freshmen: Explore new things! It may seem too late but four years is a long time to get involved in a new sport or club. Try out some clubs and classes to see what you like, then once you find something that calls to you, home in on that thing and get involved in it.
- Most helpful study habit: Do practice problems. Memorizing stuff and skimming notes can be helpful, but practice problems are my favorite way to study.
- Favorite memory from high school: The Region 2 Mile my freshman year. It was under the night lights and we were cruising. A lot of my friends and teammates came to cheer and during the last lap they all started screaming. I don’t even (have to) understand what you’re saying, if you’re screaming, it makes me go faster. That was an unforgettable moment.
- Do you feel like you are ready for life after high school? Yes. It’s impossible for me to know exactly what lies ahead but I am adaptable. I’m ready to embrace the challenges and learn new things as I go. I am going to France first semester, so that should help me get a better perspective of things and inform my decisions.
Mala Niverthi
- School: Alpharetta High
- College: Georgia Tech
- Intended major: Neuroscience
- Advice for freshmen: Figure out what genuinely makes you happy and find a way to squeeze it into your schedule every so often. It can literally be anything: playing a sport, learning how to crochet, listening to music, taking a nap. For me, it was baking. So anytime I decided I was bored or overwhelmed, I would go make brownies and all my problems would be solved. OK, maybe not all my problems, but baking certainly lifted a weight from my shoulders while also giving me a 10/10 study snack.
- Most helpful study habit: Turn your phone off.
- Do you feel like you are ready for life after high school? I have no idea if I’m ready or not, but I trust myself to figure it out. I don’t know that I’m ever truly ready for anything, but I’ve turned out OK for now, so I can only hope that I’ll be OK in the future too.
Credit: contributed
Credit: contributed
Ruqaiyah Njie
- School: Benjamin Banneker High
- College: Kennesaw State University
- Intended major: English
- Advice to freshmen: Give it your all from the very beginning. Get involved and don’t be afraid to do the things that you’re passionate about. Sometimes the hobbies that you do for fun can open up a variety of different opportunities to grow.
- Most helpful study habit: Setting up a schedule that fits with your work habits and making learning more entertaining. I usually do this by watching educational videos and then testing myself with self-made quizzes.
- Favorite memory from high school: My 10th grade year was the best because I got to spend a lot of time with my friends and my favorite teacher. I remember the time we went out to the field with my English teacher, and we were playing a game of tug of war. This was toward the end of the school year so there wasn’t anything in class that we had to worry about. I simply enjoyed being able to hang out with my closest friends.
- Do you feel like you are ready for life after high school? I’m as prepared as I could be for life after high school. I have no experience in certain aspects of adulthood so I could only take things one at a time. I’m excited to learn and despite being a bit nervous and anxious, I know that my experiences will not be all that bad.
Credit: Contributed
Credit: Contributed
Leah Perlman
- School: Riverwood International Charter School
- College: College of William & Mary
- Intended major: History and anthropology
- Advice for freshmen: Don’t completely stress yourself out about your grades, because they truly are not everything. Focus on working hard and doing the best you can while balancing schoolwork and time for yourself. Stay true to yourself by following your interests and passions, and you will find success!
- Helpful study habit: Active recall and time management! I like to plan ahead for assessments by creating a study schedule that prioritizes sleep and allows time for breaks. While studying, I read over study materials and then try to write a one-page summary of what I learned from memory, repeating this process until I can recall everything I need to know for an assessment.
- Do you feel like you’re ready for life after high school? Absolutely! I am ready and excited to further my education and experience what college has to offer.
- What worries you about the future? I am far more excited about the future than I am worried, as I try not to worry about things that are out of my control. I believe that if I work hard and stay true to myself, everything will eventually turn out all right!
Credit: contributed
Credit: contributed
Joseph Petkash
- School: Milton High
- College: Vanderbilt University
- Intended major: Biochemistry
- Advice for freshmen: One of the best things they can do is get involved. Join clubs, sports, or any other activities you think you may be interested in, and find what suits you best. This will help you develop meaningful connections, meet new people, and gain skills that will benefit you the rest of high school. It’s important to work hard in high school, but also to have fun, so don’t miss out on all of the events your school offers, and make memories that you can look back fondly on.
- Most helpful study habit: Making physical flashcards. I find that these work so much better for me than an online resource like Quizlet, in part because the act of writing down information helps with retention, but also because using a physical flashcard helps eliminate some distractions when using a phone or computer to study.
- Favorite memory from high school: Some of my favorite memories from high school come from my experience with cross-country and track. No matter how early I had to be up, how late I had to be out, or my performance in a given race, I’ll always think fondly of the supportive team atmosphere and the great people I met through these programs.
- Do you feel like you are ready for life after high school? The thing that worries me most about the future is simply the uncertainty of it. As I transition into the next chapter of my life, it’s impossible to say how I will adjust and enjoy it until I try it. Going to college will be a big change from living at home, and leaving college will be another significant change. Thus, just the unpredictability of my life, no matter how much I plan, is most worrisome to me.
Vaishali Prahalad
- School: Northview High
- College: Georgia Tech
- Intended major: Undecided
- Advice for freshmen: Be curious! There are so many things happening in the world right now; technology is advancing faster than ever, and things are changing at the speed of light. Don’t stay in your comfort zone; explore everything that you can and find what interests you.
- Most helpful study habit: I’ve found that taking the time to learn concepts in depth helps me both perform better in school and understand, on a fundamental level, different ideas that I can consolidate to address problems in the real world. Understanding concepts rather than just memorizing them also helps motivate me to study and to be disciplined.
- Favorite memory from high school: One of my favorite high school memories was performing at my school’s International Night my senior year. Our group sang a medley of popular Bollywood songs. Watching people wave their flashlights in the air during our performance was one of the highlights of my year!
- What worries you about the future? It’s daunting to think about the fact that our future is unwritten and undecided. In the next few years, we will likely live in a world very different than our world today. This thought is at the same time relieving, however, because although the future is unwritten, we have the power to write the present.
Credit: Photo provided
Credit: Photo provided
Anna Schwartz
- School: Woodward Academy
- College: Washington University in St. Louis
- Intended major: Drama
- Advice for freshmen: Choose your classes carefully. Talk to some older students at your school, plan out your credits to graduate with whatever honors you want and don’t be afraid to go speak to potential teachers to find the best fit. In the classroom, ask questions! It’s much easier to get behind in a class than to catch up.
- Helpful study habit: Try to take notes during class, even if they are typed on a laptop or incomplete and actually work through the example problems. It gets increasingly difficult to pay attention as the year goes on, but remember that a good 80% of your studying can be done just by listening and participating.
- Favorite memory from high school: My favorite memories are of our theater department rituals like warmups, senior speeches and competition traditions.
- Do you feel like you’re ready for life after high school? I definitely feel ready for my freshman year of college, but I have no clue about anything after that. Woodward definitely prepared me for the academic rigor of university, but I am excited for some new and different social and extracurricular experiences. After all, I’ve been at Woodward for 12 years!
- What worries you about the future? Given that I am looking for careers in competitive, small and generally not profitable industries, I’m worried that I won’t be able to gain the skills and make the connections I need to have a smooth transition out of college into graduate school or an entry-level job. I don’t know where or how I’d like to live after I finish school, but hopefully time will work its magic and I’ll be able to figure it all out.
Credit: Photo provided
Credit: Photo provided
Albert Tang
- School: The Westminster Schools
- College: Harvard University
- Intended major: Chemistry and physics
- Advice for freshmen: I think the greatest piece of advice I wish someone had given to me earlier was to just try. You truly don’t know what you are capable of unless you’ve actually tried at something with your full effort. Regardless of the outcome, as long as you tried at something meaningful to you, you won’t regret your decision.
- Helpful study habit: Whenever I get tired and am taking a break, I remind myself of my goals — or, if I can’t think of any, I wonder about them. What do I want in my future? Who would I like to become? Make a habit out of reminding yourself what you are working for. This habit will give you more motivation and meaning to your work, which may otherwise seem pointless at times.
- Favorite memory from high school: One of my favorite memories was in 11th grade. In the midst of mountains of work, the individuals sitting in the front left corner of our biology classroom would always generate interesting and often hilarious conversations which would always lighten my days. This isn’t to say that you should just talk to your friends during class and not listen to the teacher, but this does demonstrate how mundane moments can surpass extravagant trips.
- Do you feel like you’re ready for life after high school? I don’t feel ready. I don’t think anyone coming out of high school feels ready for college and life beyond because of how uncertain the future seems in such a drastic change of environments. However, I do think that I am ready. My past education at Westminster and the friends I made in high school are here to support my future endeavors.
- What worries you about the future? I worry that I will prioritize my work too greatly and forget to balance my life with socialization, sleep, etc. High school is quite structured, which helps with balancing my life, but in college and beyond, where life is freer, I fear that I may lose the delicate balance of a good life.
Credit: courtesy Christopher Yamamoto
Credit: courtesy Christopher Yamamoto
Christopher Yamamoto
- School: North Springs High
- College: Georgia Tech
- Intended major: Civil engineering
- Advice for freshmen: Academically, make sure you do not procrastinate; finish all of your work on time because catching up on work is a hassle and only hurts your grade. Socially, make it a point to make as many friends as you can from various backgrounds. By making an effort to learn about people, you gain a broader perspective of your world.
- Helpful study habit: Utilizing as many resources as possible. Having a broad array of resources in your research and studies gives you a more complete understanding of the material. There are textbooks, online practice tests, YouTube videos, friends, and other things that, together, will give you the best chance to do well in school.
- Favorite memory from high school: By far, my favorite memory from high school is playing soccer on the school team. I spent many days after school practicing and playing games with my teammates. Having a group of people that share a common interest and goal was so much fun and gave me many happy memories.
- What worries you about the future? I do my best not to think far ahead into the future because there are many things that could happen between today and tomorrow. The future is far out of my control, so I just take it one day at a time and make the best decisions I can with what I have.
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