Initially this was going to be a news article without first person. However, I’m far too biased for that. My admiration for our valedictorian Elena Walz ’22 and salutatorian Mary Nassar ’22 surpasses my ability to be neutral. These are two of the most impressive, genuine, and hardworking students I have ever come across. In awe of their discipline, I asked them some questions about their journey to these top spots.

1. Were either of you surprised you’d been named valedictorian and salutatorian?

Mary: Yes. I was expecting them to announce these honors later in the semester, closer to graduation, so when Mr. Basford announced it, I wasn’t ready. I thought I might have been in contention for something, but I was really nervous.

Elena: I was very surprised, blind sighted, in fact. I wish someone got my reaction on video. I turned to the Dean and my jaw dropped, and then Erika Kuehl ’22 jumped on top of me, and I called my mom.

2. How did you maintain such a high level of scholarship for 4 years?

Mary: Honestly just having support from family, friends, and being surrounded by likeminded people like Elena and Keira (Sarni ’22) that want to work hard and are really intelligent. I have to credit my parents too. From a young age they instilled working hard, doing homework, and also being passionate about learning.

Elena: A lot of it comes from the high expectations I have of myself and that my parents have for me. While it’s ok to make mistakes, I knew that if I didn’t try and live up to these high expectations, I wouldn’t be happy with myself. It motivated me to push myself. I want to know that I did my best, especially given that I do so many activities at school as well as working hard in my academics.

Speaking of additional activities, take a scroll through these elite students’ extracurriculars:

Elena is the ASB president, captain of the mock trial team, captain of the cross country team and a competitive member of our swim and triathlon teams. She also serves as the Royal Reporter’s Editor-in-Chief and participates in campus ministry, the ambassador program as a captain, NHS, National Honors Society for Science, and she was in 3 Trinitas shows these last two years–two in the tech department and one in the ensemble.

Mary is no slouch either. A Red and Gold Choral Captain, founding member of the Royal Poets society, member of NHS, the National Honors Society for Science, and Trinitas, Mary keeps herself busy. She’s also the Royal Reporter’s News and Creative Writing Editor.

3. What advice would you give to younger Royals wanting to follow in your paths?

Elena: Don’t take a class if it doesn’t excite you. If you do a double math or science, you need to LOVE that class. Please don’t take an AP class just for the sake of your GPA. To be clear, I have made a mistake like this, and I was pretty unhappy at times.

Mary: At the end of the day, it doesn’t really matter about awards; what matters is that you enjoy your learning and that you want to be in the classes you sign up for. There should be some excitement in your academic journey.

4. Has there been anyone whom you would credit as pivotal in your success in high school?

Mary: Mr. Bevins’ class is just special. I’ve had him for 3 years and he helped me realize my passion is English; it’s what I want to pursue in college and as a career. I love the way he structures his class: it’s disciplined and rigorous, and he pushes you to a high standard, but he really helps you along the way. I’ll miss his class so much.

Elena: I want to give a shout out to Mrs. Nutt [she retired 2 years ago from the math department] who gave me my first B in the second semester of Honors Algebra 2. This grade showed me that if I didn’t put my full effort in, I wouldn’t see or deserve results. I won’t do well just because I think I “deserve” an A. It has to be about my effort and discipline.

Mr. Bevins himself shared his praise for these two remarkable young women: “I am so proud of Elena and Mary’s many accomplishments over their four years at Rosary. They are amazing people, and I have enjoyed being able to be even a small part of their journey.

Elena has always been someone unafraid to speak her mind. I have an immense amount of respect for her ability to stand up for what she believes in even when it is difficult to do so. Class discussions were always made more interesting and thorough with Elena in the room. She has a special ability to critically analyze complex ideas, and she never shied away from expressing her opinions. I will miss the many discussions, debates, and philosophical questions that made Elena such a pleasure to teach.

From her first vocabulary writing response, I knew Mary was special. She is a brilliant creative writer and truly loves literature. I will never forget discussing stories with her or reading her many pieces of creative writing. Her analysis of literature is some of the best I have ever seen, and each essay she writes enlightens my understanding of a text. Honestly, she has taught me new ways of reading and appreciating literature. Her passion and empathy drive everything she does; she truly brightened every class with her thoughts, words, and insights.”

5. How can Rosary strike a balance between the pressures of academics and other co-curricular opportunities?

Mary: At the end of the day, the grade you get is just a letter, and it doesn’t define your worth or intelligence. What matters most is you learning and enjoying that experience. If Rosary focuses on helping students enjoy their learning in all areas, it can really make a difference.

Elena: We need to stop pushing students to go to big name schools. Pressure from a parent or from media, for example, is sometimes counterproductive to a student becoming a lifelong learner.

6. How did you each celebrate learning the news you’d taken these academic top spots?

Mary: It was also my sister’s bday so we had lunch and cake, and we celebrated both of us.

Elena: Nothing special. Went about my day. Called my boyfriend, who was super excited for me.

7. What would you say about your overall time at Rosary?

Mary: Rosary helped me find others like me. I found my tribe, and the environment with the teachers and classes has been great. Everyone is so motivated and I have loved my activities. Rosary has cared about me as a person.

Elena: I don’t know if I would have been a team captain or an ASB President without coming to school here. Rosary has given me so many opportunities to take advantage of, and it’s a great place to find out more about myself. People care about who you are here. It’s only because I’m at a place like Rosary that I have been able to try so many things.

Mary will head to UCLA in the fall and major in English with a minor in Public Policy while Elena will attend Thomas Aquinas College and major in Liberal Arts.

Mary and Elena are two of the nicest, smartest, and most humble young people I have ever taught. They are part of one of my all-time favorite classes at Rosary. To be surrounded by amazing talents and minds like Keira Sarni, Anna DiCrisi, Katie Thomas, Trinity Delacruz, Katie Fang, Meghan McGlinchey, and honestly so many more dazzling seniors in this class and STILL take the top spots . . . well, that’s just truly special.

I cannot wait to hear their speeches on graduation day. While we are encouraged to keep it classy and not yell or cheer during the ceremony, I’m not totally sure I can live by this rule. I’m that proud.