School of Dreams: 2020 Valedictorians

School of Dreams 2020 Valedictorians
Kayla Gammon

Family: Parents, Christopher Gammon; siblings, Sarah Gammon, Chris Gammon, Isabella Gammon and Cierra Messier.

Plans after graduation:

“I plan to continue with my plan to enlist in the army as a combat medic, and later in life go to college to become a doctor.”

What is your best memory from your time during high school?

“My best memory from high school was in my sophomore year in Mrs. Mendez’s English class. We were supposed to perform bits of ‘Midsummer’s Night’s Dream.’ Some friends and I just blew the act we were given out proportion and we were jumping out trees. It was crazy.”

What did it take to become valedictorian?

“To become valedictorian, it was a lot of hard work. I took dual credit classes to get ahead and made sure my grades never dropped below a 90 percent. It helped that I had support from staff, teachers, and my friends and family.

What is the best advice you can give the underclassmen?

“The best advice I could give is, 1. Don’t worry if you have a lot of friends because by the end of high school you’ll have a couple of great friends; and 2. You don’t have to be the best at anything just try your hardest and don’t be scared to ask for help, it goes a long way.”

Given that the COVID-19 pandemic closed the school in your senior year, what are you most proud of yourself for during this trying time?

“I am most proud of myself for not giving up. I could have just gave up and stopped trying, but I knew I had to get up and get done with school.”

Jordan Hernandez

Family: Parents, Paul and Joanna Hernandez; sibling, Nicholas Hernandez

Plans after graduation:

“After graduation, I plan on pursuing a bachelor’s degree in physics at UNM while participating in their ROTC program. My long-term goal is to earn a Ph.D in physics, and become an officer in Army.”

What is your best memory from your time during high school?

“My best memory during high school is the time I spent toward preparing and participating at All-State-Guitar. I got to meet new people and perform with my friends. Overall, it was a great learning experience.”

What did it take to become valedictorian?

“To become a valedictorian, I had to stay committed to my education. Regardless of whether it was an assignment, lecture or exam, I would always apply my best effort.”

What is the best advice you can give the underclassmen?

“The best advice I can give to underclassmen is to know that your greatest tool is your syllabus. Use it to plan and stay ahead of what you need to know. Another bit of advice is to often set goals for yourself based on what your weaknesses are.”

Given that the COVID-19 pandemic closed the school in your senior year, what are you most proud of yourself for during this trying time?

“I am most proud of myself for making decisions toward putting this time into good use. I spent more time studying for my finals and preparing for my plans after graduation.”

Hannah Stockton

Family: Parents, Lisa and Richard Stockton

Plans after graduation:

“I plan to attend The University of New Mexico main campus in the fall. At this time I’m not sure what I want to major in, but I still have time to decide what that will be.”

What is your best memory from your time during high school?

“My best memories from high school have to be seeing everyone grow throughout this journey. Some of my fellow classmates I have known since elementary school and having been able to grow and learn with them. This has been amazing.

“Some of my other best memories have been the opportunity to be on dance team and to dance in several competitions. This has been an experience I will forever cherish. I am also very grateful to have met my best friend from junior high through high school. I will be forever grateful for meeting her.”

What did it take to become valedictorian?

“It took a lot of hard work and dedication to keep up my (grade point average). Sometimes it meant sacrificing hanging out with my friends or attending functions. In order to keep my grades up, I spent a lot of time studying.”

What is the best advice you can give the underclassmen?

“The best advice I would give to underclassmen would be to take advantage of any dual credit courses that your school has to offer if you plan on attending college. This is a wonderful opportunity to get ahead and complete your basic college classes at no cost.

“If your school offers it, you can graduate with an associate degree with a little effort and hard work. Even when you think that things are difficult and you can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel, tell yourself to ‘never give up.’ Keep moving forward.

“And always remember that nothing ever remains the same. The world is always changing and you have to learn to roll with it. The future is what you decide to make of it.”

Given that the COVID-19 pandemic closed the school in your senior year, what are you most proud of yourself for during this trying time?

“I am most proud of myself for continuing to take online college classes and continuing my high school studies in order to graduate. At first it was difficult having to miss out on a lot of school activities and not seeing friends on a daily basis, but I have managed to keep my chin up and look toward the future.

“I am also a martial artist and I have managed to continue my martial arts training via Zoom. All of my instructors and fellow students from around the world are continuing to train via live video.”