MORGAN COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL VALEDICTORIAN, SALUTATORIAN ANNOUNCED

By Ramsey Nix

On Monday morning two seniors at Morgan County High School heard the news they'd been waiting for and working toward ever since they enrolled here. Principal Mark Wilson gathered several advanced placement classes outside, in front of the school. He said, "The local newspaper is here to take a picture." The students put their arms around each other's shoulders and smiled. Nobody asked why they were posing for a picture.
Then a long, white stretch limousine pulled up to the curb.
“Today I’m happy to announce that Grant Phelps will be valedictorian and Daniela Belton will be salutatorian of the class of 2009,” Wilson declared.
Their classmates cheered and pulled Phelps and Belton out of the crowd, as their parents spilled out of the limo to congratulate them. Several teachers and administrators were there to shake the honorees hands before Aces Limo Service carried them off to lunch at the ChopHouse with their families.
Inside the limo, Belton thanked her parents for the new pair of boots they had bought her during their family trip to Austin, Texas, over the weekend. “Now you know why we had to catch that plane back in time for Monday morning,” her mother, Theresa Belton, said.
Both sets of parents expressed pride and gratitude at what their children had achieved, and they admitted that the rivalry between them had helped them succeed. “They’ve challenged each other,” said Lissa Phelps.
“I’m proud of her not because she’s smart but because she’s worked so hard,” said David Belton.
“It’s good to see that hard work pays off,” said Garry Phelps.
Valedictorian is the academic title given to the highest ranked student among those graduating from a particular school. The term derives from the Latin "vale dicere" ("to say farewell") and is rooted in the valedictorian's traditional role as the final speaker at the graduation ceremony. The second-highest graduate earns the title of salutatorian and is also expected to deliver a speech at graduation.
Neither Phelps nor Belton had given their speeches any thought; they’ve been too busy deciding which college to enroll in next fall. Phelps has chosen Yale, and Belton remains undecided.

Profile of a Valedictorian: Grant Phelps

What is your favorite book?
"The Count of Monte Cristo." It’s a great novel with a great theme: many men waste their lives when they allow themselves to become consumed by an "idée fixe," and they often find in the end that that which they pursue is in fact hollow and unfulfilling. Also, as an avid French scholar, Dumas’s works will always have a special place in my heart.

What is your favorite music?
My musical palate comprises a hodge-podge of genres, artists, and tunes. If you were to scroll through my iPod, you’d find an album or two of Ella Fitzgerald, a broad sampling of orchestral music, a robust collection of Beatles tunes, the soundtracks to a number of Broadway shows including “West Side Story” and “Rent”, and a few random songs like “Time Warp” and “American Pie” to which some of my favorite memories are attached.

What is your favorite quote?
“You can’t direct the wind, but you can adjust your sails”—It’s a German proverb that helps me make the most of tough times.

What is your personal motto?
If you have something important to do, avoid Facebook at all costs. Social networking is academia’s worst nightmare. I speak from experience.

If you could give any advice to upcoming seniors who strive to be valedictorian or salutatorian of their class, what would it be?
If you want to finish at the top of your class, you’ve got to put in some effort and make some sacrifices. Most importantly, try not to procrastinate. I admit that I am just as guilty of it as anyone else, but it’s a great feeling to be done with projects before their deadline and to be able to avoid the mad dash the night before.

When you don’t think you can study anymore, what do you do to keep going?
When I feel like I’m going to explode with stress, I caffeinate. During my four years of high school, I’ve learned there’s not much a cup of hot coffee can’t fix. For that reason I’ve become quite close to my coffee maker. Whenever my schoolwork calls for onerous last-minute cramming, I rely on the percolator to perk me up.

Who are your greatest influences?
My parents and my teachers— they’ve always been there to push me to my full potential, counsel me when I’m struggling, and comfort me when I’m stressed.

How would you describe yourself? What are your character traits?
My room is truly a reflection of my character. At any one moment, it’s heaped to waist-level with sheet music, sheaves of homework assignments (each margin decorated absently with webs of meandering scribbles), projects, and piles of various collections—comprised of anything from Indian arrowheads to old coins. Bloated with novels, a bookshelf sags with the sagacity of my favorite authors. The surface of a dresser hides from sight, every square inch sunken in trinkets and abandoned art projects. My room is at once a testament to my disorganization, my love of musical and artistic creativity, and my insatiable appetite for learning.

What do you consider to be the greatest virtues?
Kindness, humbleness, and the ability to dream. Those who pursue their aspirations often become great achievers, and kind and humble achievers help others to dream and achieve their goals. When people work in concert with their peers, a colorful and creative society of learning is created.

If you could meet anyone (alive or from history), who would it be?
I would definitely meet Beethoven. He was truly a musical visionary, and as a musician and a composer, I really appreciate his contributions to music and his tenacity in pursuing his dreams. Even when he went deaf, he continued to compose and to secure his place in history as one of the musical greats.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
I hardly have enough foresight to see a week into the future, much less 10 years. Ten years from now, I hope to have earned a Ph.D. in the subject I choose to pursue in college, but as for now, I’m not entirely sure what that subject will be. Most importantly, I hope to be employed in a field that makes me happy with a job that makes me excited to get up every morning.

What is one thing you want to accomplish in life?
I really hope to join the Peace Corps some day and help to house and feed third world nations. I’d love the opportunity to use my love of foreign languages and cultures to help benefit those in need.

Profile of a Salutatorian: Daniela Belton

What is your favorite book?
"Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen. I love it because it is such an inspiring book for women and for everyone because it shows how people often let their pride and prejudices deter them from finding out who a person truly is.

What is your favorite music?
I don't have a specific favorite type of music. I like a lot of current music, but I also am very acquainted with classical music so I have grown to like it. My sister is really into a lot of classic rock from the ‘60s to the ‘80s, so I also have grown to like that a lot as well.

What is your favorite quote?
"What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us" by Ralph Waldo Emerson. This is so because I am a firm believer that a person is the only one that can totally control his or her own destiny.

What is your personal motto?
My personal motto is that one has to believe completely in himself or herself

pletely in himself or herself to achieve anything. It is one's desire and strength that allows them to persevere through all trials and tribulations.

If you could give any advice to upcoming seniors who strive to be valedictorian or salutatorian of their class, what would it be?
Shoot for the stars. It takes an enormous amount of hard work, and only those willing to put in the long hours will achieve. However, when you achieve what you desire, whatever that may be, it is totally inspiring and creates such a strong sense of self worth.

When you don’t think you can study anymore, what do you do to keep going?
The single thing that keeps me going is the desire for something more. I know that drive is the single thing that separates those who do something good and               those who do something great. There is no way I can achieve all that I want to if I do not push myself to the limit and sometimes past that.

Who are your greatest influences?
There are so many people that have influenced me and given me great opportunities and I would not be where I am without them. First of all, my parents and my brother and sister have always had a huge presence in my life and have always supported me in everything I have done. I have also had great support from everyone at MCHS, specifically Dr. Malanowski, Ms. Saylor, Mr. Reeves, and Coach Fowler. Each and every one of my teachers and administrators have greatly contributed to what I have been able to accomplish, but these specific teachers really did give me extraordinary opportunities that have furthered my belief in myself. I have also been greatly influenced by Ronald Reagan and his beliefs because he has truly inspired me to work hard for our country because it is the greatest country on Earth, bar none.

How would you describe yourself? What are your character traits?
Very hardworking and persistent. I don't know exactly what I am, but I know who I strive to be everyday. I try to always be helpful and understanding, kind and compassionate, and to always put others first.

What do you consider to be the greatest virtues?
Integrity, compassion, perseverance, and humility. Every person should simply be the best they can be and always treat others with compassion and love because we are all equal. Every person also must be humble because there is so much that we can learn from each other that furthers our understanding of the world and ourselves.

If you could meet anyone (alive or from history), who would it be?
Ronald Reagan. I think he is one of the greatest Americans to have ever lived and sacrificed so much for his country. I also admire his total commitment to protecting the nation from nuclear war and communism. Former President Reagan was an amazing leader who revolutionized the world.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
I wish I could see myself in 10 years because that would be quite helpful for making decisions now, but I’d love to be working for non-profit organizations because that is where the real work happens, on a local level. When people can be helped without much government funding and it truly affects everyday Americans' lives, then real change and work is taking place and I want to be a part of that.

What is one thing you want to accomplish in life?
To affect at least one person positively. If I can make one person believe in herself/himself a little more and bring them more opportunities that they may not have had, then I know I will have truly made a difference.

PUBLISHED IN THE FEBBRUARY 12, 2009 EDITION