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Writer's pictureJoel Mathew

2024 Valedictorian: Saloni Agshiker

JOEL MATHEW, Contributing Writer


As the year comes to a close, we are introduced to incoming freshmen and saying our goodbyes to the senior class. Recently seniors were acknowledged for achieving academic accomplishments throughout their time here at NBTHS. One in particular is the Valedictorian. This is a position which holds a lot of respect, commitment and overall good characteristics; the Valedictorian carries the highest GPA of the entire senior class. This year's Class of 2024 Valedictorian is Saloni Agshiker.


What do you feel about graduating?

The only word I find fitting would be bittersweet, even if it doesn't make complete sense. It’s just super exciting to see what’s ahead and I’m also going far away for school. It will be a new environment and I will definitely feel sad and know others will also feel that this chapter of life is coming to an end. Regardless, I am still excited for the future.


What is your most cherished moment of high school?

Probably for me, my most cherished memory would be the trip to Prague with Model UN. It was a crazy experience. Truly unforgettable in general, but for the chance to take what has been practiced in high school and to go international for the first time is an incredible experience. Additionally, to be able to represent our school while meeting other schools was pretty insane while fun at the same time; overall I really enjoyed it.


Will you remember anyone in particular in North Brunswick? Why?

I will definitely remember some people in school. Someone I would remember well would be Doctor O'Reilly when working with the Waksman club. She is truly a sweet and caring teacher. It was definitely a challenging club to lead because we were doing a lot of college level work so there were a lot of lessons we learned and she was really helpful and taught us so much.


Over the last four years who or what has been your motivation?

I have tried to be as good as I can be. I pushed myself; I also had support from my family and friends. My parents and sister were always there for me. I just think innately I had the drive to make the school a better place and make an impact on the world, so that was probably my main focus as my motivation.


What message do you have for underclassmen and incoming freshmen?

Enjoy high school. It goes by really fast and everything will work out in the end to how it’s meant to be. So don’t stress and enjoy every moment.


Do you regret not doing anything in life so far?

I could’ve been a bit more relaxed. I like to keep myself busy so I think to be able to just enjoy the moment is important. It's not exactly a regret, but something I wish I did more of and I know I will manage in the future.


Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

I'll probably be starting my own company regarding AI; hopefully on a path forward to help simplify peoples lives and make life better in general through Artificial Intelligence. Maybe I'll be somewhere on the West Coast; I always liked the West Coast.


Have you met the goals you set for yourself when you first started high school?

I always wanted to be at the top of my class so that criteria was definitely met for me. I wanted to set myself up for a good future and a good college. However, in that process I realized that it’s important that you don't have to be able to achieve everything but to try your best.


What college are you planning to attend and what will be your major?

I am currently planning on going to Georgia Tech and will be majoring in computer science.


What struggles did you have getting to where you are in life now?

I did a lot of extracurriculars. Basically I had a busy schedule the entire year so it was a lot to manage. It was definitely challenging to manage it at times and to keep being 'on the go,' but I learned balance and time management along the road so it worked out okay.


What’s something you used to help stay on top of things such as scheduling or time management?

A to-do list is something I set up to complete everyday. I usually just work on trying to get things done and see what is left at the end of the day to see how productive I was, where I could manage my time to work more efficiently, or just know what else I have to move around in my schedule to complete it on a later basis.


What is the biggest challenge you think students would have in the future to become Valedictorian? 

It requires a lot of internal motivation to keep your grades really high for four years and to be taking rigorous AP classes. I also teach as a math instructor so I know when kids feel like they don’t know the purpose of why they do things; that will definitely be an issue if students don't have that inner motivation to keep pushing them.


How does it feel being the Valedictorian of the Class of 2024?

I think it’s kind of unreal. It hasn't fully set in yet. I know this sounds kind of cliche or weird, but it honestly feels pretty normal which is interesting. However, it’s definitely a proud feeling, to have this accomplishment, especially for something I tried to strive for. So to see my work pay off is definitely a happy moment for me.


Do you believe you achieved your expectations you set yourself from when you were in 9th grade until now?

I think I have definitely met my expectations for myself. I set up pretty big goals to try to and push myself. There is always more things I can do better, so I always strive to do that.


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