Stellar high school seniors are recognized with highest honors
Stellar high school seniors are recognized with highest honors
Description: 2007 THS Valedictorian and Salutatorian
Topics: school, valedicorian, foster, adhikari
Posted by editor Tue Nov 30, 1999 00:00:00 PST
Viewed 860 times
0 responses 0 comments As college acceptance letters and scholarship honors begin pouring in, the Tehachapi News elected to salute local high school students with extraordinary scholastic and personal achievements.
Valedictorian
Alisha Adhikari came to the United States at the age of 7, where she proceeded to live in Ohio, Wisconsin, Maine and Fremont, Calif. before moving to Tehachapi with her father, mother and younger brother.
Born in Nepal, Adhikari feels that the driving factor to her academic success has come from her past.
“Being born a foreigner, I know I need to keep up with the competition or else the work my parents have done to get me here will be wasted,” she explains. “They have worked to make it possible for me to go to school in a country with public education.”
Adhikari has never received a grade lower than an A in her four years at Tehachapi High School, and her straight A record has presented her with the honorable title of valedictorian for the Class of 2007.
“She is very academic, very organized and mature for her age,” said Ellen Anderson, career technician at THS. “She is focused.”
Seventeen-year-old Adhikari has been in French Club for four years, and has currently holds the position of president. She is a member of the California Scholarship Federation and the National Honor Society. She has competed in Mathletes for three years and is the current vice president of the Space Settlement Design Competition Team.
“She loves learning. She is one of the reasons that the Space Settlement Design Competition Team has done so well in the last few years,” explains Lauren Hollen, Space Settlement Design adviser and physics teacher.
Outside of school, Adhikari finds time to practice the art of tae kwon do, a recreation she thinks has taught her discipline and respect.
“When I first started [the self-defense class] there were a lot of kids younger than me who were higher ranks. It taught me to respect those younger and older than me,” said Adhikari.
Still deciding between the Universities of California, Berkeley, and San Diego, Adhikari plans to study molecular and cell biology or human biology this fall at college. She plans to eventually tackle medical school and one day become an M.D.
“I like the idea that one day I can research the cure to a disease and possibly save lives,” she explains. “I could go to a third world country and help them find cures for diseases not common in the U.S., but deadly to them.”
Adhikari has already passed three Advanced Placement tests in the subjects of Biology, English Language and U.S. History. She will take Calculus, English Literature and Government and Politics before graduation.
In regards to the speech, she will be giving to her fellow classmates that first week in June, she says she won’t have to time to think about it until later.
Salutatorian
Many teenagers blame their parents for something.
In the case of high school senior Tim Foster, he accuses, “They must have done something right.”
Foster has been selected to be salutatorian for the Class of 2007 at Tehachapi High School, the same school where his older sister was valedictorian five years ago.
“They [Foster’s parents] always told us that our grades are for us,” he said.
His academic excellence has granted him an acceptance to University of California, San Diego, where he plans to study biology in the fall.
“I know I want to do something in research; possibly pharmaceutical research.”
Currently holding down a job at Cold Stone Creamery, Foster, 17, is studying for three upcoming Advanced Placement tests. This year he will take English Language, U.S. History and Biology. He as already passed the AP subject tests in English Literature, Calculus and Government and Politics.
Foster attributes four years of running as his outlet for stress relief. Cross country coach Mike Heckathorn has seen Foster through a journey of development.
“I met Tim his freshman year in cross country. He was a very shy, very quiet young man,” says Heckathorn. “Even as a freshman he impressed me with his willingness to accept challenges and his willingness to succeed even if there wasn't an immediate reward. He will do well in whatever he chooses to do, wherever he goes – be it academic or athletic.”
Foster has been a team captain in cross country and soccer. He has played tennis and ran on the track team too. He is a member of California Scholarship Federation and the National Honor Society. He has been the vice president of the Future Business leaders of America club for two years and an active Key Club member. He is the editor for the academics section on the Yearbook staff and most recently has been editing video for the Yearbook DVD.
Steve Hansen, Yearbook adviser and Foster’s freshman year Honor’s English teacher explains what he’s learned about Foster in recent years.
“Tim Foster has impressed me by balancing the demanding responsibilities of an AP student, a valuable editor of my yearbook staff, and a variety of other academic organizations. Tim does not avoid challenges.”
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