Valedictorian: Rachel Jervis Wise
Parents: Ernest Wise, Madonna Wise
GPA: 4.61
Future school: University of Florida
Ideal career: Lawyer/politician
Most influential/best teacher: Centennial Middle reading teacher Miss Cindy Fettig.
Favorite book: Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl, by Anne Frank.
Favorite quote: "That which does not kill us makes us stronger." Friedrich Nietzsche.
Clubs/extracurricular: Florida 4-H (state council president), Zephyrhills Paw Print (editor in chief), Zephyrhills News columnist, National Honor Society, Key Club, Interact Club, varsity tennis.
Hardships overcome: Time management was definitely a struggle for me, but with support of friends and family it was not insurmountable.
How has the state of the economy and budget cuts impacted your education and your choices for the future? Cost was one of the deciding factors in attending an in-state university instead of out-of-state. By going to the University of Florida, hopefully I can keep my family and myself out of debt.
Sage advice: Many aspects of education are found outside the classroom. Make sure to take advantage of those extracurricular lessons.
Name one thing you wish you had done in high school. I wish I had been able to play tennis my junior and senior years. Time constraints made it very difficult.
Salutatorian: Maddison Marshalsea
Parents: Cindy Odom, Charles Marshalsea.
GPA: 4.56 weighted
Future school: University of South Florida
Ideal career: Biomedical engineer
Most influential/best teacher: Mr. Richard Green, my calculus teacher who gave me a reason to love math.
Favorite book: The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck.
Favorite quote: "Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm." Ralph Waldo Emerson.
Hardships overcome: I was very fortunate to have a loving supportive family by my side.
Clubs/extracurricular: National Honor Society, Key Club, volleyball, track and field, coaching sports camp, volunteering.
How has the state of the economy and budget cuts impacted your education and your choices for the future? The state of the economy definitely limited the resources available, and limited my choices of colleges to in-state, and limited the classes available to me in high school.
Sage advice: Find something that sparks your motivation and follow it.
Name one thing you wish you had done in high school. I really wish I had tried a lot of other sports, they were so much fun, I would have liked to experience more of that.
Zephyrhills High commencement is at 7 p.m. Friday at the Bowman Center at Saint Leo University in St. Leo.
Zephyrhills High commencement is at 7 p.m. Friday at the Bowman Center at Saint Leo University in St. Leo.