2016 valedictorians and salutatorians

Congrats and good luck from The New Falcon Herald to all the valedictorians and salutatorians in District 49. The following students are from the traditional high schools, and all are headed to college this fall.Falcon High School

Valedictorian Rileigh Jones will study biological sciences at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. She said her goal is to become a veterinarian. Throughout her high school career, Jones said she has volunteered with the San Luis Valley Animal Welfare Society, which has been her favorite experience. ìEvery Saturday, I helped out with their adoption fair,î she said. ìI would like to keep volunteering at the animal shelters by Cornell.î

Jones

Salutatorian Anthony Wentz will attend the United States Military Academy at West Point in New York, where he plans to study mechanical engineering. Once he has graduated from West Point, he will be commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army and hopes to fly Apache helicopters. His favorite memory from high school was hanging out with friends and the whole high school experience, he said.

Wentz

Valedictorian Bryan Romero will attend Stanford University in California. He plans to study chemical engineering and musical education and performance, possibly as a double major. ìI plan to look into going into pharmaceuticals at the end of my undergraduate studies; but, ultimately I would like to be a choir or vocal professor at a university,î Romero said. His favorite memory from high school was being part of the performing theater at Vista Ridge. ìThe productions themselves were great, but the people I worked with and the relationships I have built all made the productions more than the sum of their parts, and more worthwhile than I thought they could be.î

Romero

Salutatorian Yasmeen Hack will attend the honors program at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colorado, in the fall. Although she has not declared a major, Hack will study engineering and physical sciences, with plans to do something with engineering in her future. Her favorite memory from high school involved one of the last soccer games she played against Sand Creek High School. ìIt was a battle, going into double-overtime; and, even though we tied, it was a win in my heart,î Hack said. ìI have never been prouder to be a Wolf, and I am so grateful I got to experience a game like that, especially in my last year.î

Hack

Sand Creek High School Valedictorian Tricia Duke will attend Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois, to study journalism and international relations. ìI want to become an independent journalist and work without the agendas of corporate government bodies and get the truth out there,î she said. Her favorite memory from high school was performing in the one-act play competition. ìThe judges liked it, and the crowd liked it, and it was awesome,î she said. “I was the mom who turns out to be an alien-lobster-mermaid-robot. It was a ton of fun.”

Duke

Salutatorian Jenna Herzog will attend Colorado State University in Fort Collins and plans to major in biochemistry, with a concentration in the health and medical sciences. After college, she wants be involved in saving lives and making a difference in the world. ìI want to go into medicine so I can make that change and make that difference,î Herzog said. Her favorite memory from high school was getting to know the people around her and all the opportunities they had in front of them, and how everyone worked to become successful.

Herzog