Bellaire HS makes HISD history with 9 valedictorians
BELLAIRE, Texas (KTRK) -- For the first time in HISD history, there are nine valedictorians at one high school. Nine seniors at Bellaire High School all achieved a grade point average of 5.0.
The nine valedictorians are Alkiviades Boukas, Daniel Chen, Evie Tsen-Ying Kao, Angela Ling, Miles Mackenzie, Wenson Tsiah-Hao Tang, Christopher Zhou, and twin sisters Annie and Shirley Zhu.
In HISD, both "weighted" and "unweighted" GPAs are calculated. A weighted GPA includes courses that are considered to be more rigorous, like AP or dual credit courses. Any student with weighted grades can have a GPA above the standard 4.0.
The Zhu twins garnered national attention for cofounding Fresh Hub, an organization that takes unsold food and redistributes it to Houston families in need.
Both twins said they have loved their time at Bellaire High School. Shirley offers advice to other students to embrace their learning experience.
"Take joy in learning! There will be challenges, but challenges are what make something rewarding in the end," she said. "Put the time, effort, and energy into classes, but also explore your interests with different clubs and please prioritize your mental health. When you start to have tunnel vision ... take a step back and take a breather."
The valedictorians plan to attend various universities. Here is where they plan to go and what they plan to major in:
- Alkiviades Boukas: University of Texas at Austin, Physics
- Daniel Chen: Carnegie Mellon University, Information Systems
- Evie Tsen-Ying Kao: University of Texas at Austin, Business/Finance
- Angela Ling: Undecided, Business or Biology
- Miles Mackenzie: University of Texas at Austin, Physics
- Wenson Tsiah-Hao Tang: Carnegie Mellon University, Electrical and Computer Engineering
- Christopher Zhou: Rice University, undecided
- Annie Zhu: Stanford University, Symbolic Systems
- Shirley Zhu: Undecided, Computer Science
Bellaire High School will host its graduation on Sunday, June 13.
