THE ACADEMY FOR TECHNOLOGY AND THE CLASSICS

Merit Schumaker

When Merit Schumaker turned 7, he asked his parents where he came from. They told him the story of his life, from the moment he was born to that point. That's when he found out he was adopted — something he said pushed him to be a better person.

"It made me really work hard for the life that was given to me," Schumaker said. "It made me work hard for my parents because they love me so much."

The Academy for Technology and the Classics valedictorian said he owes his success to his parents, John and Julie Schumaker.

"They constantly told me that I needed to get over my challenges and constantly work hard to have a good work ethic," Schumaker said. "They taught me to put the blinders on during school and when you get to the summer, you can take them off and do fun things. They motivated me to do the best I possibly could."

Come fall, Schumaker will be studying mechanical engineering at Marquette University in Milwaukee, a move that will put him one step closer to his dream of owning his own company building something exciting, like spaceships.

"Right now, my visions are limitless," Schumaker said.

When Schumaker is not busy with his Eagle Scout responsibilities, he enjoys riding his dirt bike and doing sports shooting.

Schumaker plans to take the advice he gave to his fellow classmates in his speech at their graduation.

"I mainly talked about looking inside yourself to find hope and motivation rather than turning to others to ask for it," Schumaker said.

CAPITAL HIGH SCHOOL

Melissa Mallary

Capital High School Valedictorian Melissa Mallary took a medical anatomy and physiology lab that changed her life.

"We went to (The University of New Mexico's) cadaver lab and we saw a live autopsy," Mallary explained. That's when she decided she wanted to be a forensic pathologist. Mallary will enter UNM's pre-med program in the fall and hopes to stay in New Mexico when she's done with her schooling.

She said she credits her success to her parents, Glenda and Douglas Mallary; and her teachers at Capital High School.

"They push me to do everything the best I can," Mallary said. "My teachers always believed in me and pushed me to turn in my work on time and succeed in the classroom."

During her time at Capital High School, Mallary played volleyball, softball and was part of the National Honor Society. When she's not busy with all those activities, she loves to hang out with her friends and go to the movies, she said.

She said she's going to miss Capital.

"Everyone is really nice there, and there's not too much drama going on," Mallary said. "It's just a good working environment.

Mallary said her speech addressed the past and present and how both have helped she and her classmates start their futures.

"We're moving on with our lives and starting a whole new chapter," Mallary said. "There are all these things we have to look forward to."

DESERT ACADEMY

Rose Morris-Wright

Desert Academy's valedictorian, Rose Morris-Wright claims she's never been that ambitious.

"I've never had that, 'Oh, I'm going to grow up and be the president' attitude," Morris-Wright said. "I have this attitude of 'I'm always going to do my best and see what comes.' "

She said she credits her success to her teachers at Desert Academy.

"My teachers are so supportive and so encouraging and they really make it easy for me. But they do challenge me, they just make it enjoyable," Morris-Wright said. "I wouldn't be so successful if I didn't enjoy learning."

During her time at Desert Academy, she was involved in the school plays.

"I've been the assistant director for a few years," Morris-Wright said. She also sings in the choir and plays the piano. When she's not busy with those activities, she likes to knit, cook and take photographs.

She'll miss Desert Academy community most, she said.

"There's a real sense of community," Morris-Wright said. "I have a strong friendship with my classmates and my teachers."

In her speech, she talked about how both she, as an individual, and the class of 2009 have changed over the years.

Morris-Wright, who plans to attend Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania, is the daughter of Susan Wright and Stephanie Morris.

ESPAñOLA VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL

Cassandra Olivas

Cassandra Olivas has always admired her big sister, Jasmine Olivas.

"She actually just graduated from college and she's going to continue pursuing her dreams," Olivas said. "She's my idol and she set the bar. I had to follow. She always encouraged me to do well in school. She is supportive and motivational."

Her parents, Ross and Isabel Olivas, also motivated Olivas to do well in school.

Olivas will attend The University of New Mexico, where she will enroll in the combined bachelor's and master's degree program in medicine. She was awarded more than $55,000 in scholarships to pay for school.

"My parents are very pleased," Olivas said with a laugh. She plans to become a psychiatrist.

"I've always known that I want to help people," Olivas said. "Helping people makes me happier than anything else I can think of."

One day, Olivas hopes to return to her hometown and open a private practice.

"I see a great need for mental-health institutions and I want to help my people," Olivas said.

Olivas stays busy with extracurricular activities — being the president of both the senior class and the National Honor Society, Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement program (MESA) and being the captain of the golf team.

She also volunteers as a candy-striper at the hospital, and was part of the mariachi group that traveled to Washington, D.C., for President Barack Obama's inaugural parade. And when she's not busy with anything else, she enjoys working at the golf course, playing guitar, going to concerts and fishing.

She said she hoped her speech would give her classmates a shot of confidence.

"I want to let them know we're great people," Olivas said. "I want to inspire them and motivate them for the future."

MCCURDY HIGH SCHOOL

Corina Garcia

It's somewhat of a family tradition to be the McCurdy High School valedictorian, so Corina Garcia worked extra hard to make sure she kept it that way.

Garcia's sister, Selina Garcia, was the valedictorian in 2007; and come the fall, Garcia will join her big sister — who will be her roommate — at New Mexico State University.

"I'm excited to live with my sister," Garcia said. She hasn't decided on a major yet, but it's a toss-up between engineering and animation.

Her dream for the future is to "get a good job and be able to start my life."

Garcia was involved in cross country, basketball, softball, National Honor Society and her class council. When she's not busy with school activities, she likes to ride horses and camp.

"I'm going to miss seeing all my classmates every day and seeing all my friends," Garcia said. "But I'm excited to be having new experiences with new people."

Garcia is the daughter of Sam and Regina Garcia.

PECOS HIGH SCHOOL

Erik Varela

Pecos High School's valedictorian Erik Varela said religion plays a huge part in his life.

"I'm Catholic," Varela explained. "It helps me in the decisions that I make and in how I should help people and try to be a better person."

Varela moved to Pecos from Alamogordo when he was a sophomore and has found the school a great place for him to flourish, he said. He participated in baseball, mariachi, National Honor Society and MESA during his years at Pecos.

When he's not busy with his extracurricular activities, he likes to read, play video games and hang out with his friends.

He said friends, his teachers and his family — including parents Rick and Diana Varela — are the reason he's been so successful.

Come the fall, he will study either computer software programming or computer-information systems at The University of New Mexico.

"I want to be able to get a steady job and work with computers until I retire," Varela said.

In his speech, Varela talked about the challenges and joys of the Class of 2009's four years.

"I talked about how we worked for what we got and how high school wasn't just given to us," Varela said. "I also talked about how even though I wasn't in the class for all four years, I still felt accepted."

POJOAQUE VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL

Claire Thomson

Claire Thomson has that determination to make it.

"I've had a lot of support from home and everything; but I really think I had the drive to do it," Thomson said. "I believe that I should get good grades."

So the 2009 Pojoaque Valley High School valedictorian kept her grades up so she could be at the top of her class. She is determined to make it at New Mexico State University, but she's not sure what she's going to study quite yet.

She does credit a few teachers with helping her along the way, including Albert Fernandez and Kim Martinez.

"Mr. Fernandez was my math teacher for most of high school," Thomson said. "He was a really good teacher, really patient. Ms. Martinez was really inspiring and she taught me a lot."

During her time at Pojoaque Valley High School, Thomson was involved in the National Honor Society, played softball, was involved in Ski Club and was an peer tutor.

When she's not busy with her school activities, she enjoys hanging out with her friends and traveling.

Thomson used her speech to express gratitude and to remember.

"It was about remembering the people who have impacted our lives up until now and saying, 'thank you' to everyone," Thomson said.

Thomson is the daughter of Molly Magnuson and Curtis Thomson.

SANTA FE HIGH SCHOOL

Alex Vold

According to one of his teachers, Santa Fe High School's valedictorian, Alex Vold, is "a wonderful guy."

"He has extraordinary work ethic," said Vold's former AP Calculus teacher, Claudia Vanderkolk. "He has very clear goals and understands the steps to accomplish those goals. He did beautiful work (in class). If any of my other students did work as nicely as he did, I'd be happy."

Vold's clear goals include plans to attend the University of California, Santa Barbara, in the fall to study biochemistry. He plans to go into medicine.

He is the son of Erik and Irene Vold.

When he's not spending his time practicing for his freestyle swimming event or participating in the Key Club or Science Club, he likes to play Ultimate Frisbee, hang out with friends at the Plaza or the Railyard, and watch movies. He works as a lifeguard for the city of Santa Fe.

He used his speech to encourage the Class of 2009 to leave a mark on Santa Fe and go out into the world and make a difference.

"He's a wonderful role model with a passion for learning and excellence," Vanderkolk said.

SANTA FE INDIAN SCHOOL

Gabrielle Manus

When Santa Fe Indian School valedictorian Gabrielle Manus was a little girl, she heard German spoken in a movie and was fascinated.

"I just liked it," Manus said about her love for the language. She started to study German history and is using the Rosetta Stone program to learn the language. "I'm doing everything to learn."

"I've never been to Germany, but I want to go there to study abroad," Manus said.

German language and literature will be Manus' major at The University of New Mexico in the fall, and she said her degree will open up many doors for her.

"I would like to work in Germany for a while — maybe be a translator," Manus said.

Manus said she owes her success to her parents, Lou and Karen Manus, who live in the village of San Juan, between Pecos and Las Vegas; and the teachers who helped her while she was living in the dorms at SFIS.

"They've always encouraged me and made sure I got good grades and did the best that I could," Manus said. "Also, a few teachers at my school, because we have this thing called Study Hall for the kids who are in the dorms. From 7 to 9 (p.m.), some of the teachers come back to their classroom so we can get extra help with them. We get more one-on-one time with the teachers. It's not like they're just teachers — they care about you and want to help you. They also want to help you develop as a person."

In addition to participating in the National Honor Society and doing some community service, Manus, who has ties to both the Delaware and Cherokee tribes, said there is one very special activity she participates in.

"The most important to me is hunting with my dad," Manus said. It's a Manus family tradition.

"I have this picture of my dad and his dad, and they're sitting in front of their Jeep. They have two deer," Manus said. "They went hunting together forever — until his dad was 80 — and it just makes me proud of myself and proud of my dad because he has those memories and now we're doing the same thing."

SANTA FE PREPARATORY SCHOOL

Julia Leitner

Santa Fe Preparatory School's valedictorian Julia Leitner said there are two reasons why she's been so successful academically: her parents, George Leitner and Pamela Colgate, and the teachers at her school.

"At Prep, you get a sense of friendship with teachers. I think having that and being able to talk to teachers about either personal stuff or academic stuff has been a great help," Leitner said. "And of course, my parents who have been there and supported me every step of the way."

She said she'll miss that "personal element" when she attends Harvard in the fall.

"I feel like I've been lucky going to such a small high school. I know people and have been able to have that personal contact and be close to everyone," Leitner said. "It seems as though once you go to a big university you tend to get lost — you're sort of a name or a number."

Although her major is undecided at the moment, she's looking to pursue a career in international relations that focuses on the Middle East or Africa.

"I think especially in our world today, it's pertinent to have people who understand more about what's happening with different countries and to have people who understand the cultural differences — especially in the Middle East and Africa," Leitner said.

For eight years, Leitner has participated in competitive gymnastics. When she's not working on her gymnastics, she plays the cello. During her time at Prep, she worked as an editor for the school's literary magazine, participated in Model U.N., participated in teen court and did tutoring at Piñon Elementary School. She was an intern at The New Mexican this spring.

SANTA FE WALDORF HIGH SCHOOL

Emma Aders

Santa Fe Waldorf High School's valedictorian, Emma Aders, said she owes her accomplishments to her mom, Tara Aders.

"My mom has been a huge part of my academic success," Aders said. "She's always supported me and made sure I've been able to get what I needed."

She also credits the positive environment at Santa Fe Waldorf.

"I really enjoyed being at Santa Fe Waldorf School," Aders said. "The small environment worked really well for me. I've been able to work really closely with my teachers and it's been nice to have the personal attention and delve deep into subjects."

Come fall, Aders will be a student in the honors program at Boston University. She's not sure what she'll be studying, but is leaning toward something that will prepare her for opening her own social business, which she said would encompass business and sustainability to help underprivileged people.

"It's a really good way to help humanity," Aders said. "I'm interested in running any kind of business whose core purpose is to bring about social change and social betterment."

When Aders isn't working on her basketball or tennis skills, she's volunteering for the Special Olympics, something she's done for four years.

"My cousin has Down syndrome and he lives in Ohio, and I don't get to see him very often," Aders said about why she got involved in the organization. "It's like helping him without being able to be there."

Special Olympics is something she's passionate about.

"I totally fell in love with it because they are some of the nicest people that you'll ever meet," Aders said. "I come away feeling inspired, and it's really a great experience."

In her valedictory address, Aders expressed gratitude to the people who helped the small class of eight students graduate.

ST. MICHAEL'S HIGH SCHOOL

Jonathan "Jake" Matthews

St. Michael's High School valedictorian Jonathan "Jake" Matthews spends most of his time playing tennis. So naturally he's thrilled to be joining the tennis team at Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio.

"I'm really looking forward to continuing to improve my tennis," Matthews said.

He isn't sure what he plans to major in, yet.

"The big dream would be to try and find something that I'm really interested in and pursue a career I really enjoy," Matthews said.

When he's not on the court, he spends his time bicycling — both mountain and road — and participating in his extracurricular groups, which include the National Spanish Honor Society, National Honor Society and the Student Wellness Action Team.

The community at St. Michael's High School is what he'll miss the most, he said.

"Our class is really close and I've created a lot of great, very strong friendships over the years," Matthews said. "I'm going to miss the whole camaraderie."

But he is looking forward to college.

"I'm looking forward to a little more independence — being out on my own a little bit more," Matthews said.

He said he owes his success to his parents, Tom and Pam Matthews; and his teachers.

"My parents have been really supportive of me through my academic career," Matthews said. "I've been lucky to have a lot of great teachers over the last 12 years."