Faith, family propel OCA's top 2
May 13—The valedictorian and salutatorian at Odessa Collegiate Academy leaned on faith and family as they strove toward the top of their class.
Valedictorian Alyssa Casarez and salutatorian Daniel Oyebanji, both 18, are heading into the medical field.
Casarez, who will attend University of Texas at Austin, plans to become a pediatric specialist, and Oyebanji plans to attend University of Texas Permian Basin to study biology and biomedical sciences to become a doctor.
He is looking at oncology or orthopedics.
The two are graduating with an associate degree in biology from Odessa College.
Principal James Ramage said he has enjoyed this class of seniors for the last four years.
"They've grown into really impressive young adults. They'll definitely be missed," Ramage said.
Students are heading to universities both in Texas and outside of Texas.
"We're excited to see what their future holds for them. We're just so proud of the class of 2025," Ramage said.
With graduation coming up at 6 p.m. May 16 at the Odessa College Sports Center, Casarez said she is excited about the next chapter of her life.
"But I'm also kind of ... remembering everything from the past four years, just because this school is so small that everyone feels like family, so it's like you're leaving a piece of your family behind," Casarez said.
She added that there was competition between all top 10 students this year because they were all so close.
If she were to advise a younger student about getting into the top 10 or top 2, she would say don't let rank define you.
"Just because you're number one or number two doesn't mean anything. But if it's a goal you want to achieve, honestly, just do the best you can every day. Although there will be hard days and there will be times where you feel like you can't, just push through and know that you can," Casarez said.
She got the idea to try for the top 10 when she went to her cousin's graduation from Permian. At the time she thought she would go to Permian for high school but wound up at OCA and loved it.
"I just worked for top 10, and I still had the same idea that my mom would be one of the top 10 parents. It just came as a joke, but ended up being something I didn't expect," Casarez said.
She added that she would credit a lot of her accomplishments to God because without Him, she wouldn't have come as far as she has.
She also gives credit to her parents and family who have supported her and pushed her to do the best she could.
Along with her academics, Casarez was part of the National Honor Society from sophomore to senior year. She recently joined Phi Theta Kappa through Odessa College, was in Student Council her junior year and is part of her praise and worship team at Odessa Christian Faith Center.
Oyebanji, 18, said graduating feels surreal.
"It's kind of like a full circle moment. Just yesterday, I was a freshman during Summer Bridge and now I'm about to walk the stage for OC graduation tomorrow (May 10). It's crazy," Oyebanji said.
He added that he was always aiming for the No. 1 spot.
"I didn't know who had it, but so as long as they had it, there was competition," Oyebanji said.
He added that he had the top spot his sophomore year, but Casarez beat him.
Both Oyebanji and Casarez said the program at OCA is beneficial.
Casarez said it puts them ahead of the game in college.
"I enjoyed it a lot. It really challenged me," Oyebanji said. "It pushed my limits to time management, how well I can balance my outside world with my academics. And also, I made a lot of connections, not just with my colleagues, but with my professors as well," he added.
The professors at OC didn't just teach biology, they taught students about life.
Like Casarez, Oyebanji said his success came from the support of his family, his pastor and church, the Prevailing, Word of God Ministries.
Oyebanji said he was in National Honor Society, Student Council up to his junior year, academic decathlon his junior and senior year, part of a student panel his junior year.
He was one of a couple of students asked to speak about OCA during recruitment in front of OC staff and other administrators.
Oyebanji chose UTPB because it was closer to home.
"I wanted to establish a good foundation ... closer to home, before moving out into the real world," he added.
UTPB was familiar territory for Oyebanji, who is from Lagos, Nigeria. He studied for academic decathlon in the library there and the regional academic decathlon meet was held there.
"I guess it was a little bit of foreshadowing of what was soon to come," he added.
Casarez is one of four siblings and Oyebanji is one of five.
"They're a lot brighter than me. So if I didn't do this, I would have most definitely been outshined by them. I did the best I could to set the pace so that they could believe in themselves, too," Oyebanji said.
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