Many seniors have been awarded the Cum Laude award this year because of the determination they have shown throughout high school to attain excellent academic achievements. 

“It’s a testament to everything I’ve done. It feels good getting recognition for all the work that I’ve put in,” SENIOR Louis Ke, recipient of the Cum Laude award, said.

To be awarded Cum Laude, students must maintain a weighted GPA of 3.75 or higher and can not have any serious infractions on their discipline record. To maintain these conditions, seniors have learned the necessity of taking advantage of all of their free time. 

“I’d say self-learning has definitely been a big part of succeeding in these high-level classes,” Ke said. “I feel like a lot of them cover so much material that it’s useful to go back home and relearn it yourself.”

However, these seniors have also learned about the importance of taking time for themselves.

“I feel like having that balance and being able to spend time with my friends has helped me succeed more academically,” SENIOR Neil Sampath, recipient of the Cum Laude award, said. “I also exercise. Soccer has always been something that’s kind of helped me get my mind off things.” 

Some advice seniors gave to help other students keep their grades elevated is to stay organized and learn how to keep calm under pressure. 

“Just stay on top of it and be relaxed and flexible and it’ll work itself out,” SENIOR Annalise Smith, recipient of the Cum Laude award, said.  “I would use a planner because anytime I would get a bad grade on a homework assignment, it was always because I forgot about it, so using reminders and planners would be most helpful along with mostly just getting sleep.”

Another piece of advice seniors wanted to pass down to their underclassmen is the importance of communication.

“I think communicating with their teachers about how you learn definitely helps with [keeping grades high] because every person learns differently,” Ke said.

These seniors also attributed their success to their environments inside and outside of school. 

“I would just advise surrounding yourself with supportive people who know your goals and will keep you going,” Smith said.

The awarded seniors received this honor because of their hard work but also because of encouraging friends and family who were with them throughout their high school years. 

“Just understand that you’re not alone and there are other people in the same boat who have goals like yours,” Ke said.