By: River Reyes

From freshman year to senior year students compete relentlessly for the top rankings of their class, be it for the pursuit of their dreams or a strong competitive nature. The Valedictorian is the one who stands above all else, successfully maintaining the highest standard of grade and seeking out the greatest challenge with every given opportunity. The Pleasanton High School Class of 2020-2021 Valedictorian is Matthew Garcia, a well distinguished student who has worked tirelessly to stay at the top of his class for his future endeavors.

Matt will be attending Texas Tech University enrolled in the honors program looking to major in finances. When asked about his class ranking and how it affected his opportunities, he said, “It made the admissions process much less stressful and gave me more of an advantage over others…I was awarded many scholarships based off of test scores and rank…” The payoff for all of  Matt’s hard work is clear and staying on top of the workload taken was an integral part to maintaining such a high rank. Matt says that to maintain his school/life balance, he would spend “…time before and after school catching up on or getting better clarification on any task 3I may have had trouble on.” Taking advantage of the help that teachers provide is extremely important for those looking to excel in their academic pursuits as you are allowed that 1:1 experience which guarantees the clarification necessary to be successful. 

The teacher with the strongest impact on Matt’s high school career is Mrs. Bast. Mrs. Bast is the current College Algebra, Pre-Calculus, and Calculus teacher. Mrs. Bast takes great pride in having taught Matt and watching him develop as a student who prioritizes challenging himself. “Matt is one of those well rounded people who will succeed at whatever they set their mind to in life and in addition to being a gifted brilliant student he’s a nice guy as well he’s a really good guy and a great role model for other students. I’m proud to call him my student.” It truly goes to show that Matt has left a strong impression on his teachers and sets a strong example for his peers.

At home Matt is just as diligent with his responsibilities as he is at school. When asked how she feels about his Valedictorian status, Matt’s mother says, “Matthew is very deserving of his Valedictorian status, because we have seen first hand how much diligent devotion, time, and bottomless energy that he has applied to his studies. We are happy for him, and have high expectations for him in the future.” As his parent, Matt’s mother is very engaged with his endeavors, both failures and successes, encouraging him to meet his highest potential. As a graduating senior, Matt will be entering the open world head first and his mother has full intention of supporting Matt now so that he can pioneer his own future with his independent efforts. 

The Valedictorian is the one who stands above all else, successfully maintaining the highest standard of grade and seeking out the greatest challenge with every given opportunity. Matt has been successful in many of his pursuits and worked tirelessly, diligently, and honorably, deserving all the recognition he has received. We congratulate Matt and hope he will continue to be his best both now and in the future.