Heather Crew, a very impressive student, has taken 13 AP classes spanning the four years she has been at Leesville. Graduating with a GPA of 5.25, Crew has been working for the title of valedictorian since the beginning high school. Her freshman year was the first year Leesville allowed underclassmen to participate in AP classes, and Crew took advantage of these opportunities, giving herself a head start on the building her GPA.
Due to her ambition, determination and work ethic in the classroom since freshman year, Heather has been named this 2015-2016 school year’s valedictorian.
“Since middle school, you could have guessed that she would be valedictorian because she always worked hard, had the grades and never slacked on anything,” said Zach Walker, a close friend to Crew. “I think [people need to know] that just because she is valedictorian, it doesn’t mean she doesn’t do other stuff; she is very involved in clubs.”
She has a sense of pride in what she does and enjoys helping others. Crew and a group of other students her sophomore year put their heads together to change the dynamic of the already existing Model UN club. Before the group intervened, meetings were rarely held, and the students didn’t take the club seriously. They made it respectable and competitive. Crew would later become president her junior year and also became president of the political club.
With graduation approaching, Crew has taken the limited time to reflect on her past and current classes. “I really like AP Spanish because anyone who has taken that class knows how magical it is. It seems cheesy but, the familia dynamic of the class actually does work. It is more than a class — it is an emotional support network,” said Crew. AP Spanish is difficult but a more enjoyable class compared to AP chemistry.
AP chemistry was completely different than the regular honors class she took her sophomore year. “I took AP chem because I really liked honors chemistry, and I thought I really clicked and gelled with the material,” said Crew. AP chemistry turned out to be not what she expecting, becoming her hardest class. It was very interesting but difficult for Crew, in the end, it was a rewarding experience.
Unlike most students, Crew has entered the college life early by taking courses at NC State to help with her transition in the fall. “I took a class on Spanish journalism [last semester] and am taking one right now on Spanish media,” said Crew. “It’s probably helping me transition better especially because the classroom format is so different. I feel like I would have felt like a fish out of water if I hadn’t spent the two semesters at NC State.”
In the fall, Heather Crew will be attending UNC Chapel Hill. “There is a cliche they say at all their college tours, but they really are an elite school without being elitists. I really hate the elitist mindset and attitude around every single Ivy League that I have ever been too and that is kinda encompassed by Duke too. I like the general attitude on campus [at UNC],” said Crew.
Before heading off to college, Heather Crew will be taking on Europe twice this summer. In June, Crew will travel to London for a week through the honors college at UNC and again in August with a school sponsored trip to London, Paris and Madrid. These opportunities give Crew a chance to wrap up high school by ending her journey with friends and memories that will last her a lifetime. “Overall I’m just really excited to graduate academically in June and graduate socially in August,” said Crew.
About the valedictorian:
I really like cage of the elephant. I was first introduced at this free concert they held my sophomore year in Raleigh. It’s just a really nice band and I really like all rock. My favorite movie is, it’s really obscure but it’s called Atonement. It’s really sad but it’s about this girl in WWII who falsely accuses her sisters boyfriend of molestation and I just really like historical time movies.
To juniors, keep your head down, you got this, only one more year and senior year really does matter don’t just take easy classes because you are shooting yourself in the foot. To sophomores, next year is the year it actually starts, and freshman, just try not being a freshman.
