Meet the Class of ‘21’s Top Ten Students!

 By Noelle Hanek and Kavya Kamath

All throughout high school, we do the best we can in our classes while taking the hardest ones we can. And all for what? To challenge ourselves, of course, but one nice silver lining is to see that GPA higher than you expected. And even more fun than that? Seeing your rank and how you stack up with all your classmates! So, without further ado, here’s Sparta High’s Top 10: the ten seniors with the highest GPAs in their graduating class!

(And for your curiosity purposes, we’ve also included the college they will be attending next year, a few wise words of wisdom from students who’ve been through the academic wringer here at SHS, and their final thoughts on Being in the Top 10 and their high school experience.)

The Top 10:

  1: Kelly Zukowski: Haverford College

“It has been a long four years, and it is great to know that my efforts and studying are being recognized. I am so happy with this accomplishment that I can barely put it into words. However, I would remind people that they do not have to suffer quality time with their loved ones to achieve academic goals. During the four years, I have spent a lot of time creating friendships, hanging out, and making memories I will never forget. I went to nearly every school dance, and I have a strong friend group. Therefore, it is important to remind people to have a strong balance of relationships and academics. This is because if one suffers, the other will come crashing down with it. It is important to include that I would not be here if it wasn’t for the splendid teachers and school staff I had along the way.”

2: Jenna Bargfrede: United States Naval Academy

“To the underclassmen: Enjoy your 4 years in high school, have fun with your friends, make time for your family, and do what you enjoy, not only what is expected of you. “

“Final words: I know our high school experience hasn’t exactly been “conventional” but I’m really proud of what our class accomplished and our ability to keep our heads up high. I think that makes [being salutatorian] all the more meaningful”

3: Liam Rust: Stevens Institute of Technology (but on the waitlist for Johns Hopkins and Cornell!)

“I have 2 pieces of advice: (1.) Time management. If you can manage your time well and get things done before the last second, high school will be 1000% easier. Problem is, I didn't,so I kind of made everything harder than it needed to be. Be better than me. (2.) Enjoy your time, and don't stress too much. I know, I know, it's kind of cliche. But it's important to keep in mind that while, yes, school is important, you shouldn't lose too much sleep over it. Care about it, but enjoy yourself. Don't stay up all night for a test or anything, just do your best and then relax. Everything will be fine in the grand scheme of things, more or less. And as someone who lost almost a quarter of my high school years due to COVID, I'd emphasize this even more. Appreciate the time you have, and don't waste it all stressing.”

“Honestly, despite the chaos, I've had a good four years here. I've made good friends, I've developed as a person, and the only thing that I really regret is that I lost a good chunk of time here because of COVID. [The honor of being number 3] means... well, I'm not quite sure exactly. If I had to sum it up, it's a symbol of everything that I've done over the past years, which is really special. I'm gonna miss this, but hey, gotta move on sometime, right?”

4: Robert Scott: University of Massachusetts Lowell

“In terms of advice for underclassmen, I’d say to get your work done early when possible. Once it’s finished you can stop thinking or worrying about having to do it, and you have time to relax.”

“I’d say that I’ve enjoyed high school. I would change some things if I could—I would try to get to know more people, for one—but I’m glad to have met the people I’ve met and to have done the things I’ve done. I don’t have much to say about the ‘honor’ of making the top ten; I was always expecting to move down in rank rather than move up or stay where I was. So it was a bit of a surprise to end up as number four, but of course I’m proud of it.”

5: Kyle Sutton: Boston College

“My biggest words of wisdom are to take classes that you're actually going to enjoy and not worry so much about your gpa. High school is important but it’s also important to enjoy yourself. You have to get good grades because you want to, not because you're forcing yourself to.”

“And also not to stress too much if a test or quiz doesn’t go well. I’m number 5 in the class and I’ve failed quizzes and bombed tests. Psyching yourself out is only going to hurt your grades and mental health.”

6: Sophie Regeimbal: University of Virginia

“To underclassmen, my advice is to prioritize your wellness. That means striking a balance between the things you have to do that aren’t the most enjoyable and the things you want to do because they make you happy. It’s ok to go easy on yourself every once in a while, as long as you don’t take it too far and become self-destructive. Maintaining this balance is something I’m still working on today.”

“My high school experience has been unconventional in a lot of ways, but I’m still so grateful for the people I’ve met, work I’ve done, and maturity I’ve gained during this time in my life. Go Spartans!”

7: Kaela Burke: Middlebury College

“[For underclassmen], I’d probably say to join as many things as you can, even if you don’t know anyone else in a club or sport or anything. High school’s a time to try new things, because no one cares if you’re terrible at them! It’s all about jumping into stuff. Just go for it!!”

“And yeah, it was really cool to be recognized as a top ten student because academics have been such a huge part of my life for so long. All together, even with Covid and everything, high school’s been a blast and I couldn’t have asked for a better education, or more enthusiastic and helpful teachers… and my peers are pretty awesome too.”

8: Akshat Iyer: Rutgers-New Brunswick (but on 6 waitlists and waiting to see where those bring him!)

“Let's see... as for words of wisdom, try and come out of your shell more. It's high school, what you do probably won't be remembered for long anyways so take this time to really get to know yourself. My high school experience was mainly me trying to find out who was the person I wanted to be and I only recently figured that out after taking that first step outside of my comfort zone (I feel a lot more outgoing now).”

“Being in the Top 10 is honestly amazing and I'm frankly surprised that I made it here. It's been a long time coming and it really means a lot to me.”

9: Ula Bitinaitis: Northeastern

“For advice: Do what you want to do in high school, not what a college or your parents would like you to do. Regardless of whether or not you're aiming for a prestigious college, taking classes and doing clubs you'd love to do is infinitely better than exhausting yourself with fluff ones. Don't get caught up in the guise of "Join this! It'll look good on your college resume!" if you feel like you can't-- it'll only be exhausting and draining. You don't come into high school grown, you come to experiment and try. I regret not testing the waters as much for clubs in my freshman year under the guise of "Cornell will think this is dumb." Pouring effort into what you love and experimenting as much as possible will reveal your true passions to any desired college, and most importantly, make your high school journey healthier.”

"As for being in the Top 10- it’s bittersweet. It's indicative of my work ethic, which I am incredibly proud of, but simultaneously feels charged with the sour expectations and pressures from others during my first two years. However, I am leaving high school much more happy— my success has become driven by my optimism rather than my fear of others."

10: Rachel Young: Northeastern University

“I guess I’d say that hard work really does pay off! There will be times when things get hard and motivation is few and far between but pushing through and getting things done really is worth it. Also, make sure to have fun in high school! Yes, work hard, but don’t forget to take it easy on yourself, relax and take breaks when necessary, and make time for your friends and doing the things you love! You want to be able to look back on high school and be happy with the memories and person you were for those 4 years.”

*some quotes have been edited for meaning and/or clarity.