As the end of their high school career comes closer, students begin to question their futures and their impact on the world.
Unsure of where the road lies ahead, students often look for guidance and aspiration from their peers.
As a tradition, schools across the nation honor the senior with the highest GPA, known as the valedictorian. However, AHS does not participate in the practice since they believe that it is unfair to award one student solely.
In addition to this, they think that the title does not fairly measure excellence.
While there are both pros and cons to this debate, honoring one student is not necessarily a bad thing.
The harsh reality of life is that not everyone wins and not everyone comes in first. There is always going to be someone better, and we merely need to come to terms with that fact.
Besides that point, by having a valedictorian, the class can recognize the one student’s achievements. The title of valedictorian does not provide a singular recognition to one student. Instead, it showcases how hard work and persistence will pay off in the long-run. This could help teach other students to strive to be the best.
If the school allows for student-athletes to be commemorated for their superior athletic abilities during the news every morning, why does the school not allow for hard-working academics to be recognized as well? How is that fair?
Valedictorians symbolize self-discipline, hard-working and persistence. Students should be recognized for their academic accomplishments.