Top Ten Percent

By Elijah Delgado
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Imagine being in the top 10% of your class with a GPA that is higher than 90% of your peers. The very best students in the class are those in the top 10% of graduating class. The top 10% also includes the valedictorian and the salutatorian. The academic title of valedictorian is given to the graduate with the highest academic standing from a school, often determined by grade point average. The second-place student in the class is given the academic title of salutatorian. 

I spoke with counselors Ms. Gilbert and Ms. Burnell and questioned them briefly about the top 10%. I asked about the advantages of being in the top 10%. Ms. Gilbert said, “It's a demonstration to someone who may not know East High School as well as an insider on how you compare to other students in your class.” Ms. Burnell said, “At East we honor the top 10% and you get to be part of the College 30 Family Group to get extra help. Outside of East it is one of the data points colleges look at.” I also questioned who was among the top 10%. Ms. Gilbert said, “Not only students who did well in their classes but the students that did well in the most challenging courses available to them.”

The deadline for achieving the top 10% is a major question that is asked by a lot of students and even academic staff. Ms. Burnell said, “It includes grades through August 2022 in the case of this year.” Your junior year is crucial if you want to be in the top 10% of your class. Ms. Burnell also mentioned that, “no year is weighted more than any other but getting into accelerated classes in 8th grade can give a student an advantage.” Most students are unaware that their eighth grade is taken into consideration.
During the top 10% ceremony we announced the top 10% students which were 1. Ana Fontan, 2. Elijah Delgado, 3. Kaila Relyea, 4. Taiasia Gibson, 5. Martha Beltran, 6. Malik Piner, 7. Mossimo Perry, 8. Prosper Holmes, 9. Marylynn Medina, 10. Terreil Colon, 11. Launys Rivera, 12. Xavier Hall, 13. Nigel Copeland, 14. Kayla Blake, and finally 15. Thalia Garcia Sainz. Snacks were served and pictures were taken afterwards. Ms. Burnell mentioned that, “Every year it makes me happy to see how happy students are for each other during the ceremony.”
 
Ms. Gilbert encourages her students to push themselves to take tough classes, be smart enough to work in teams with other students, and encourage and learn from each other. My advice, as salutatorian of the class of 2023, is to avoid overworking yourself. I had a lot of trouble managing my time and doing activities that I knew were too much for me. Working a part-time job and going to school during my junior year was really hard on my mental health. It was difficult for me to balance academics with my desire to work 26 hours each week. Don't allow someone to tell you that you can't do anything and work at your own pace.