Louis Fernandes
Oswego High School,
Oswego, N.Y.
Louis Fernandes chose to take a tough chemistry course rather than rest on his stellar academic record in his final semester in high school.
"I had a free period at the end of my schedule and I wanted to take something worthwhile," Fernandes, the class valedictorian, told the Oswego Daily News.
"There are more important things to worry about than whether you got a 93 or a 95 on a test or how close someone else's grades are to yours," said Fernandes, who plans to major in physics. "If you gave it your all, that's what's important. Where you are is where you are. Just keep doing your best and try to improve."
