Class of 2024 Valedictorian, Samarah Saggers, has worked exceptionally hard for the last 4 years of high school and has rightfully earned the well deserved title of Valedictorian. She has put in relentless hours of studying, SAT prep, and AP course load to provide herself with the education she desires.

After 4 years of hard work, she has taken a total of 11 AP classes and is involved in a variety of clubs throughout WHS. She is even an avid leader within many of those clubs and holds the rank of Class President, NHS Historian, and a Board of Delegates Center 10 State Representative. 

Despite her involvement within the high school, she is also an active member in the community. She volunteers on the side and is even part of the varsity tennis team with matches multiple times a week. Outside of all she does for the community and her school, she is a friendly-welcoming person that will help you with whatever you are in need of. 

So, how much studying does it really take to become the Valedictorian? Does she have time to do other things? What are some of Samarah’s favorite things to do?

Starting in the morning, Samarah wakes up at about 7 am and gets herself ready. After that, she continues her day with a nutritious breakfast and a splash of freshwater on her face. She is ready to take on the day. Arriving at school with enough time and a smooth morning routine behind her, she starts her busy day by greeting her friends in the morning. 

After a friendly start to her day, Samarah heads over to broadcasting. She states, “It is fun because we get to learn how to use cameras and editing software to create videos. We film lots of interviews, which is a great opportunity to learn more about the students and extracurriculars of WHS.” 

Following broadcasting, Samarah makes it to her first AP of the day: AP Spanish. The AP test is quickly approaching and Samarah is feeling good about it. They are working on the final grammar aspects and really making sure they understand it before their big test. She exclaims, “I plan to continue learning Spanish in college and I find that this class is a good opportunity to continue to build on my knowledge of the language.” She finds that this class encourages her to want to learn more and is excited to share her knowledge with the world. 

Next, she has AP Statistics. She explains that during most of the class they are working on guided notes and the occasional lab helps bring the class to life. She says, “The labs are one of my favorite parts of the class because I find it super interesting to see all the ways statistical principles can be applied to real-life scenarios.”

Her next class is economics. She talks about how this class is based on projects and taking notes from a book to learn the material. She enjoys the engaging aspect that connects her to the government and personal decisions individuals can make. 

Following economics, Samarah heads to lunch for the day. She spends her time sitting with her friends in the PBLZ and enjoys talking about whatever they have been through. She says, “I see lunch as a bit of a break from the school day, so most days I try to not do my homework during lunch and instead talk with others.” This is a significant time for Samarah to take a break from her extensive schedule and refuel for the rest of the day. 

Her fifth class of the day is AP Literature and Composition. Hearing Samarah’s response, this class is definitely at the top of her list. She exclaims, “This class is always fun as we spend a large part of the hour having intriguing conversations about the books and poems that we are currently reading.” 

Her last class of the day is AP Computer Science. This class is a lot of coding and a huge challenge in the lab. She states, “Many of the projects are quite fun and challenging, and it is always very rewarding when I am finally able to figure out the correct way to code an application.”

So throughout her day, Samarah is filled with an AP course load but has fun in these classes. She takes the breaks she is given to spend time with her friends and to keep pushing on for the rest of the day. 

Once the final bell rings, Samarah does not go straight home. Being involved in as many clubs as she is, there are typically meetings after school. She stays for the chess club somedays and student government other days. In the fall, she stays after school and participates in the Woodhaven Theatre Company. In the spring, she is a part of the varsity tennis team and practices until about 4:30. Her typical time arriving home is about 4:45. Talking about her extracurriculars she says, “I enjoy every extracurricular that I am a part of, and I find that I have made some good memories through my participation in extracurricular activities.”

She finishes practices and club meetings and finally makes it home, but she doesn’t stay there for long. After a quick 1 hour nap, she is recharged and ready for the rest of her day. She states that she “likes to study at a local coffee shop while getting a yummy snack.” Some days she will meet up with friends and group study while other days she focuses and works on her own. Typically spending between 2-4 hours there, she then returns home to spend the afternoon with her family. She enjoys spending time with her mom watching movies and going on walks when it is nice outside. Also greeting her at home is her pet tortoise which she enjoys hanging out with in her free time. 

As her day begins to come to a close, she winds down with some relaxing personal time. She states, “Lately I have been learning how to crochet, so I’ll occasionally spend crocheting while I watch a movie or listen to music.” Typically going to bed between 12am-1 am, Samarah gets about 6 to 7 hours of sleep every night which sets her up for a successful next day. 

As we can see, being the class Valedictorian takes a lot of time management and personal engagement in multiple areas. She manages to stay on top of her classes maintaining a 4.0+ GPA and is able to spend multiple hours a week with friends. 

As Samarah heads on to her future endeavors she leaves some advice for the underclassmen who are also driven just like her. “I feel like it is also very important to view high school as an opportunity to explore your academic and extracurricular interests so that you can start thinking about your post-secondary goals. I think it is beneficial to take a variety of classes and get involved in clubs that seem interesting to you, because you may just uncover a hidden passion! Also, it is important to remember that high school is not always easy! There will be ups and downs throughout your high school journey, but believe in yourself and keep going, no matter what. One last word of advice I would like to give is that you should always be kind to others. You truly never know what someone is going through, so always treat others with grace and gratitude.” 

Throughout her high school years, Samarah has learned so much and grown as an individual. Looking over everything that she has done, it is truly inspiring to have such a well rounded and involved Valedictorian to represent the class of 2024.