Unlike traditional valedictorian selections, where a student is chosen because their grades are simply the highest in their graduating class, Bow Valley High School’s process to select its valedictorian is layered and arduous.
Students apply for the role and their applications are judged based on excellent grades, personal character, and involvement in school extra-curriculars.
As the selection pool was cut by half, Aliyah Grund became one of just a handful of students selected to give a speech before Bow Valley High’s grad committee. Next thing she knew, she had been chosen as the valedictorian for the class of 2025.
“It was a really good group this year,” she said. “Everyone was very strong academically.” Grund added that she’s intimately involved with the schools athletics department and has a leadership role on student council as her grade representative.
Grund has participated in most of the sports Bow Valley offers and helps coach the boys and girls soccer teams, doubling up her role as a player on the girls team.
Next year, Grund plans to attend the University of Calgary to study Health and Exercise Physiology in the faculty of science. Eventually, she said she’d like to possibly transfer into nursing and make a career as a pediatric nurse.
For many students, the move from high school to university–from small town to a big city–can be daunting and a bit of a learning curve. Grund, who has been a Bow Valley student since grade nine, said the thought of moving onto university is “a little scary.”
“I’ve known most of the people I’ve gone to school with since kindergarten and I’ve known most of the teachers for years; so it’s a little daunting,” she admitted. “But it’s also exciting because it’s a new pool of people and it’s a completely new experience.”
Inevitably, high achieving high school students end up running out of significant challenges. Sometimes they do all the things that are offered to them, like being academically inclined, an athlete, a coach, and even a member of student government. What else is there to do? Grund believes she’s ready for the challenge university will offer her.
“Yeah, I think [I’m ready]," Grund said. "I’ve definitely tried out all the school has to offer and I’m definitely ready for the next steps and to see what comes next."
Those next steps begin with a walk across the stage, which Grund and the rest of her class will do on June 26 at the Bow Valley High School graduation ceremony.
