Class of 2019 Valedictorian

Rory King, Staff Writer

While it may feel like only yesterday that they walked in the doors of Mepham for the first time, the class of 2019 is reaching the end of their journey. Amongst the class is valedictorian, and The Buccaneer’s own co-editor in chief, David Collins. David’s journey through high school is a story of great academic achievement, culminating in the accomplishment of his lifelong goal, to be Mepham’s Valedictorian.

Being Valedictorian is an outstanding achievement, one that David accomplished with a great deal of hard work. School had to be the number one priority, but being all school, all the time is no way to live and isn’t healthy for your sanity. Due to this, David made sure to be wise with his time and try to finish his work as early as he could so he still had time to engage in the activities he enjoyed such as hanging out with friends. This way he could maintain his spectacular scholastic success while also not missing out on some enjoyment in his high school years.

Participation in the school newspaper has been a great experience for David as well. David has made his way from being a writer, to the News Editor, and finally to co-Editor in Chief. The Buccaneer taught David valuable lessons in writing, something he was never very fond of, and making it something he could embrace. David also spent some time working with the Skull and Bones drama club where he was able to learn about theatre while controlling the lights.

In my view, one of the most impressive things David did in his years in high school, was his Advanced Science Research project. The research was titled “The Effects of Cooperative Video Gaming on Socialization in Students with Autism” and consisted of putting four students with autism together to play video games. The exercise forced the students to work with each other and communicate. As time went on, the students interacted more and more and eventually became good friends. Not only did David get to experience real life research and experimentation, but he also got to leave a positive impact on young lives, something that can’t be measured in numbers.

Photo courtesy of yearbook.

High school has been a time of great learning for David. With all the physics and history he has absorbed, still the biggest lesson he has learned is that no matter how badly you want something, there’s no guarantee you will get it. There may be times where you work your tail off for something that just doesn’t pan out, but that is no time to quit. Success comes from staying committed in these moments but also after you’ve achieved a goal since there will always be another step to take. David’s next steps will take him to Binghamton where he’ll major in mathematics and look to pursue a career in business administration. Congratulations, David, on your tremendous success, and good luck in all your future endeavors.