Top of the class: Distinctions become increasingly uncommon

Yahoo

24-05-2025

May 24—SHAWNEE TOWNSHIP — No valedictorian will be recognized when Shawnee High School graduates the class of 2025.
Instead, the high school will call the names of 16 of its highest-achieving students who earned the distinction of summa cum laude: Thomas Koh, Cameron Ridenour, Ava Patel, Adam Jmiai, Caiden Garlock, Isaiah Gibson, Joel Stirn, Evan Conley, Leen Salem, Emily McMurry, Megan Carder, Evan Rinesmith, Jack Fischbach, Maggie Jordan, Dashel Faulkner and Marcus Crawford.
All exceed a 4.0 grade-point average through advanced placement and dual-credit college classes.
The distinctions are becoming increasingly uncommon, as schools transition away from the traditional roles in favor of more expansive honors for students who earn perfect GPAs or rank within the top 10% of their graduating class.
Kalida High School will graduate 13 valedictorians who earned a 4.0 grade-point average through the first seven semesters of high school. All 13 students will be given the chance to speak at commencement.
Spencerville High School will honor three students who earned perfect GPAs.
Ottoville, Columbus Grove, Continental and Bath will honor the top students at graduation in lieu of recognizing a valedictorian and salutatorian.
Delphos-Jefferson High School hasn't graduated a valedictorian or salutatorian since 2012.
Shawnee did away with the valedictorian and salutatorian distinctions four years ago in favor of the summa cum laude model to maintain course integrity and rigor after lawmakers enacted changes affecting GPA and class rank, Principal James Morris said.
Reflections from the graduates
Koh claimed the highest spot with a GPA of 4.528 by the end of his first semester senior year at Shawnee High School, outranking his peers.
Ridenour came in a close second with a GPA of 4.412, followed by Patel with a GPA of 4.402.
The top-ranked students started taking freshmen-level classes early, which allowed them to progress to collegiate and advanced placement classes once they entered high school.
They found time to participate in athletics and student clubs like the Red Cross Club, which Patel founded to organize blood donation drives, send care packages to needy students and teach elementary students about the circulatory system.
Their résumés are impressive: Patel is a National Merit finalist and the Lima Exchange Club's youth of the year. She participated in student government, STEM competitions, Big Brothers Big Sisters and tennis outside of class.
Soon, Patel will begin her freshman year at Case Western Reserve University, where she intends to study biomedical engineering.
"If it's one of your top priorities, you'll make time for it," she said.
Koh will soon leave for Baltimore, Maryland, to begin his freshman year at Johns Hopkins University. The Charles River and Franklin V. Walter scholarship winner will pursue a degree in biophysics.
He too maintained a busy schedule through STEM competitions, Boy Scouts, student government, swim team and soccer.
Koh's advice to younger classmates who aspire to follow his path: Start early and try new things.
"Even if you don't know what you're doing, just do something," Koh said.
Lima holds to tradition
Lima Senior High School is one of the remaining high schools where valedictorian and salutatorian honors are still given.
The school selected its top two students — Jonah Sheets and Natalie Quintero — by using a weighted scale to factor GPA and the number of advanced and dual-credit classes a student has completed.
Both Sheets and Quintero took advantage of Ohio's dual-credit program, which allowed them to earn at least a semester's worth of college credits before their high school graduation.
Quintero urges her younger classmates to take as many college classes as they can handle, so they can alleviate their financial burden later.
"Start off slow," she said, "and see how much extra work you put in. Once you get the hang of it, you can pick up more."
Quintero and Sheets both managed a college-level course load while participating in athletics, student clubs and internships: Band, choir, swim team and lacrosse for Sheets; orchestra, Youth in Government, lacrosse and an internship at Mercy Health-St. Rita's Medical Center for Quintero.
The internship instilled a passion for radiology in Quintero, who intends to study radiation therapy at The Ohio State University.
Sheets plans to continue playing percussion through a music minor at Ohio Northern University, where he will major in mechanical engineering.
Lima Senior High School is one of the remaining high schools where valedictorian and salutatorian honors are still given.
The school selected its top two students — Jonah Sheets and Natalie Quintero — by using a weighted scale to factor GPA and the number of advanced and dual-credit classes a student has completed.
Featured Local Savings