The class of 2023 is ready for the next big step. These metro Atlanta valedictorians featured here share their plans for the future. They also share wisdom and advice as well as some of their favorite high school memories. (In some cases, responses were edited for length.)
Credit: custo,
Credit: custo,
AJC video: Voices of 2023 Atlanta valedictorians
Ava Flanigan
School system: Clayton County
High school: Elite Scholars Academy
College: Spelman College
Intended major: Chemistry/Chemical Engineering (Dual Degree Engineering Program)
Favorite memory from high school: Hanging out with my friends after our senior pinning ceremony. We went to Waffle House and hung out to commemorate the “start of the end” of high school. It made me excited and grateful to be spending my final year in high school with my amazing friends.
The biggest challenges your generation will face: Climate change. Global warming is very detrimental to our future and harms the livelihood of the human population and the biodiversity of habitats. Another big challenge will be education. More and more children are less eager to learn, and I believe that we need to help revitalize the fun within learning.
How optimistic are you about the future? I am extremely optimistic about the future because I know that there are enough people in this generation who care about the livelihood of others. It only takes a few to influence the world, and I believe that there are many people who will have a positive impact on climate issues and social issues worldwide. The world I become an adult in will be more beautiful than the world I’ve grown up in.
Credit: cus
Credit: cus
Eduardo Gopar Gopar
School system: Clayton County Public Schools
High school: Forest Park High School
College: Brown University
Intended Major: Computer Science
Favorite memory from high school: My school’s annual Lunar New Year Festival. It was my last time organizing the event with one of my clubs, the Asian Student Association. It was an unforgettable night that I will cherish.
Biggest challenges your generation will face: The country’s political climate. Currently, many politicians are passing laws specifically targeting marginalized communities and the rights of individuals. It is an alarming thing. However, my generation will advocate for and protect these targeted communities.
How optimistic are you about the future? To be honest, I’m somewhat optimistic about the future. Compared to previous years, I started feeling more confident about myself and developed a more positive outlook on life. Even though I’m somewhat scared about what will happen, I feel assured that I will accomplish many of my goals.
Credit: custo
Credit: custo
Tina Ngo
School system: Clayton County
High school: Morrow High School
College: University of Georgia
Intended major: Marketing
Favorite memory from high school: Quite simple, but I will always remember it. My group of friends and I would just sit at the same spot in the media center each day and talk. It would be like that every day, just all of us laughing and smiling.
Biggest challenges your generation will face: Insecurities. So many students today do not believe in themselves. I believe that is the biggest challenge as they are giving up on trying.
How optimistic are you about the future? The future is definitely scary, but I am more than optimistic. As a visionary person, I can’t wait to see what I can overcome. I am ready to start a new chapter which my goals and dreams.
Credit: custom
Credit: custom
Amiyah R. Scott
School system: Atlanta Public Schools
High school: Frederick Douglass High School
College: Spelman College
Intended major: Biology
Advice for freshmen: Do not dim your own light to avoid outshining others. Coming into high school can be intimidating and cause you to question yourself constantly, but do not allow any anxiety to limit yourself. Remember to show other people who you are and the people that stick by you will be some of the truest friends you have met. Also, try not to overthink. Just be the amazing you I know you can be.
Helpful study habit: Using flashcards, especially for world language classes. Also, try to set the mood with some music so you can have fun while you review.
How optimistic are you about the future? On a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the most optimistic possible, I would say a 9. I believe with the hard work and time I have put into myself; I will make a positive impact on the world. Though I don’t exactly know in what sense, I look to my future with bright eyes and open arms.
Credit: custom
Credit: custom
Solace Vanderpuye
School system: Fulton County
High school: Langston Hughes High School
College: Georgia State University
Intended major: Biology
Helpful study habit: Studying with friends and quizzing each other. We all get to evaluate one another’s strengths and weaknesses and then proceed to help each other.
Favorite memory from high school: It will always be my birthday as an 11th grader. We were at GMC (Georgia Military College) and waiting for the buses to pick us up and my friends threw me a mini party with cake, drinks and food. This moment touched my heart and made me realize that I had true friends who would spend their time and money in order to see me smile.
Biggest challenges your generation will face: The struggles of lives as it pertains to COVID. It taught us that not everything lasts forever, but it also helped us understand that we need people who are willing to help our economy in order for us to grow and develop.
How optimistic are you about the future? I can see myself being a surgeon; saving the lives of people while having a happy family and living a good life.
Credit: custom
Credit: custom
Sophia Nguyen
High school: Greater Atlanta Christian School
College: University of Georgia
Intended major: International Affairs
Helpful study habit: On Saturdays, I create a flexible, pre-planned schedule for the week. Based on my knowledge of how strenuous upcoming tests, assignments, extracurricular activities, etc. are, I mentally assign time slots for each. For example, I’d devote two hours to studying for a math test on Monday or an hour to a history test on Tuesday based on their level of priority — and if I know I have a tennis match on Wednesday, then I add an extra hour or so to each since I’ll get home late. This covers every base I need before the week actually starts, and it’s helpful to be mentally prepared to study, which can decrease the fatigue that comes with it.
Biggest challenges your generation will face: War and peace, the economy, religion — these are all issues I feel past generations have dealt with on some level, and our generation will manage them all the same. What separates us from them, however, is the rapid growth of our technology and the consequences it produces. From AI and privacy to globalization — or even to simple things like internet toxicity — our greatest struggle will likely concern how we separate and protect “society” from “technology,” or vice versa.
How optimistic are you about the future? I know that the world needs to change for the better, as there are things that are far from “perfect” for many, but I can never be guaranteed a positive outcome if I resort to hopeless criticisms of it. So, I do my best to stay optimistic even now. I’ve never found stagnating pessimism particularly helpful and I sense that through actions, there’s still so much “good” left to do.
Credit: Photo provided by Luke Guan
Credit: Photo provided by Luke Guan
Luke Guan
High School: The Westminster Schools
College: Brown University
Intended major: Computational Biology
Advice for freshmen: Things aren’t as high stakes in high school as you might believe. School and academic accomplishments are only one part of your life. Allow yourself to take risks and make mistakes. Forgive yourself and recognize your efforts.
Favorite memory from high school: Every January, Westminster runs Jan Term which is basically a month-long class that’s a complete departure from the usual curriculum. The course I signed up for was aviation-based. Practicing with my copilot for hours after school in order to perfect landings in the simulator and eventually win the final competition felt like a miniature story arc in my life. It was an incredible amount of fun and I got to know someone new while picking up a new skill.
Biggest challenges your generation will face: I think many of the most talented people I am friends with find themselves deeply stressed about the state of the world while also being overwhelmed by their day-to-day problems. I hope the talented people of my generation will find a way to take care of themselves while preserving hope in the forward progress of humanity.
How optimistic are you about the future? I think I’m quite optimistic. Throughout my life I’ve often found myself surrounded by good, talented people. I at least have to believe in their potential to make meaningful and positive change in the world.
Credit: Courtesy photo
Credit: Courtesy photo
Clara Wang
School: The Westminster Schools
College: Stanford
Intended major: Engineering
Advice for freshmen: Try everything once! Even if you have no prior knowledge or experience, you never know what you’ll end up loving.
Favorite memory from high school: I always loved going out to eat for lunch at Willy’s with my friends.
Biggest challenges your generation will face: Climate change will definitely continue to be a major source of concern. As we move towards a more technological future, we will have to face those effects as well.
How optimistic are you about the future? I’m excited and nervous! I’m not sure what the future will hold, but I think I’m ready for whatever comes my way.
Credit: Courtesy photo
Credit: Courtesy photo
Will Doster
High School: Marist School
College: Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
Intended major: Chemical Engineering or Computer Science
Advice for freshmen: Cherish the present. It is easy to get caught up in what you did or didn’t do in the past and to stress about the years to come.
Favorite memory from high school: In my senior year, our lacrosse team was given a new head coach for the second time in two years. We struggled to win in the regular season but ended up reaching the final four in a double-overtime win for the first time in school history. The bonds I formed with my teammates and coaches through the adversities we faced will stay with me for the rest of my life.
Biggest challenges your generation will face: Our generation is living through a technological renaissance with all of its benefits and detriments. We will have to figure out how technology will fit within our society to reduce its negative effects, like overstimulation for children, lack of privacy, etc.
How optimistic are you about the future? At one point in high school, I came to the realization that the constant bombarding of negativity that seems to plague media is not an accurate reflection of the optimism present within the general population. If you prioritize speaking with people face-to-face, it’s a lot easier to maintain hope for the future.
Credit: Photo provided
Credit: Photo provided
Ryder Kim
School system: Cobb County
High School: Allatoona High School
College: University of Georgia
Intended major: Finance
Advice for freshmen: Imagine who you want to be at the end of your high school career, then do what you must to become that person.
Favorite memory from high school: Painting up for football games with my friends. Playing in a State Championship lacrosse game. Going to a toga party and seeing all my classmates dressed like they’re in Animal House. Getting the call that let me know I was valedictorian while in front of the shark tank at the aquarium.
How optimistic are you about the future? Extremely. Everywhere I have looked in life, I have found supportive and wonderful people. While life is not always easy, I feel that I have been given the lessons and advice necessary to overcome anything.
Credit: Photo provided
Credit: Photo provided
Rithu Hegde
School System: Cobb County
High School: Wheeler High School
College: Georgia Institute of Technology
Intended major: Mathematics
Advice for freshmen: Take classes that interest you. High school is a great time to explore your potential passions and figure out your likes and dislikes. Take a music class, an art class and a computer science class.
Favorite memory from high school: Senior prom. It was so fun to see all my friends and peers having a good time together for one of the last times. Also, it was at the aquarium.
Biggest challenges your generation will face: The mental health crisis that is currently on the rise.
How optimistic are you about the future? Partially optimistic, partially afraid of what’s to come. But there’s a level of excitement in the uncertainty.
Credit: Courtesy photo
Credit: Courtesy photo
Joseph Moon
School System: Gwinnett County
High School: Mountain View
College: Georgia Tech
Major: Neuroscience
Advice for freshmen: Do not procrastinate, make sure to find your passion, and have fun with your friends but make sure you take care of yourself and don’t neglect your needs.
Favorite memory from high school: A favorite memory from high school was my senior prom and although we came late from dinner I had the best time of my life with my friends eating good food and taking pictures.
Biggest challenge your generation will face: The biggest challenge this generation will face is having to meet expectations that get increasingly harder and unrealistic. In many aspects like beauty standards, academics, and athletics kids will be shaped by perfectionism and comparison and will feel bad about themselves if they do not meet expectations. Also, this generation is characterized by a double-edged sword that both uplifts and beats down other people. The hypocrisy of the inclusivity they embody will need to be fixed because encouraging people that they are worth something and telling others they are worth nothing says a lot about what the world will become.
How optimistic are you about the future? I am optimistic about the many research opportunities I will have towards neuroscience and the abundance of ideas and topics I can delve into. I am also excited to see how artificial intelligence can be utilized to accelerate scientific procedures. However, I am not sure how far I will go in my medical school endeavors.
