Sparta High School Announces Top 10 Students in Senior Class

Written by: Elise Kerim 

As the 2017-2018 school year comes to its last stretch, final grade point averages have been calculated for the graduating class of 2018 and final class rankings have been released. With pride, the Sparta High School administration and Guidance department announced the Top 10 students in the senior class. These students have made an exemplary effort in their studies while balancing other activities and responsibilities. Being in the top ten is a big honor as a result of the hard work and determination that has been invested in their educations.

The ranking is as follows:

1. Alexandra Poret

2. Audrey Biss

3. Bader Al-Aydi

4. Melissa Nolan

5. Erin Walsh

6. Eileen Huhn

7. Victoria Heim

8. Paige Smith

9. Soumya Duggirala

10. Benjamin Dottinger

Speaking with Valedictorian Alex Poret on how she has been able to balance all of her responsibilities, she joked by saying, "not sleeping!"
"I've maintained an intense drive," Poret continued. "I find it helpful to beat procrastination by filling my time with binal relaxation and productivity. If I'm stressed to the point where I can't do work, I'll go for a run. I also skip around from assignments - when I can't focus on one, I'll move to something else that I have to do instead of stopping altogether and watching TV. I've been able to remove useless down time and put it into something productive."

Paige Smith, who will be attending Indiana University in the fall simply stated that she feels relieved.

Victoria Heim feels a sense of pride. "I'm happy for my other peers who ended up in the top ten. It was four years of hard work and studying!" Audrey Biss agreed with Heim, adding, "I'd say I'm thankful for the opportunities that I've had and that all of the hard work has paid off!"

Bader Al-Aydi, best known by his peers as Buddy, commented that, "Getting into the top ten took a lot of hard work and a lot of sacrifice, but all that hard work and sacrifice was well worth it in the end."

Similar to most of his peers, Ben Dottinger is feeling the stresses of the college admissions season. "It seems to me as though rank hasn't had much of a profound impact on my application," Dottinger started. "I know people of higher rank with seemingly better applications who have been waitlisted or denied for the same schools I've been accepted to. I'm waiting to hear back from most of my schools, but I will be attending somewhere to help me fulfill prerequisites for medical school."

Beyond the classroom, their peers know these students to be role models and friends as well as someone they can always approach for assistance as a resource before the teacher.
As students, it can be helpful to go to one of your peers when you have questions on an assignment or specific topic - especially when it's eleven in the evening and teachers won't be answering emails!



The Oracle and Sparta learning community would like to congratulate these students on their academic achievement and wish them the highest success in their future endeavors.

Credits: Sparta High School
SHS Top 10 Students, 2018. Left to right: Buddy Al-Aydi, Paige Smith, Erin Walsh, Victoria Heim, Audrey Biss, Alex Poret, Soumya Duggirala, Melissa Nolan, Eileen Huhn, Ben Dottinger