In a class full of the academically competitive, four students rose to the top to claim positions as valedictorian and salutatorian. Normally, only two students win these awards, but this year produced a tie for both valedictorian and salutatorian. The overall highest GPA is announced as valedictorian, with the runner-up being the salutatorian.

This year, after calculating GPA, seniors Will Lewis and Katherine Glass were named co-valedictorians.

Will Lewis, a midfielder for Bearden’s soccer team, has accomplished inside and outside of the classroom. Academics are only one part of a well rounded student, and through participation in clubs and sports, Lewis is a perfect example of a holistic student.

“Push yourself to be the best you can be in everything you do,” Lewis said. “Whether that be school, sports, or any other activity, you must have a work ethic and attitude that reflects greatness.”

Lewis plans to pursue a path in business analytics or accounting at either the University of Tennessee or the University of Alabama.

Co-valedictorian Katherine Glass, former Bearden softball player, also participates in many activities outside of the academic field. She works at a day camp over the summer and is the parliamentarian of teen board.

Even though she’s also succeeded in a plethora of AP and Honors classes, Glass was not expecting to be named valedictorian.

“I had no clue that I was going to be valedictorian,” Glass said. “I was just hoping to be in the top ten.”

Succeeding in many different academic classes acts almost as a double-edged sword when deciding on a career path. Although Glass is not certain of her exact route, she has honed in on an area of focus.

“I definitely want to do something in the STEM field,” Glass said. “Either major in chemistry and go to medical school or major in chemical engineering and work at ORNL.”

This year, there were also co-salutatorians. Keith Gabrielson and Julianna Pulsinelli share this title after working diligently for four years.

“It was wonderful to finally get rewarded for our work and efforts into becoming successful students,” Gabrielson said. “The competitive side of me enjoyed the added competition.”

Gabrielson is heading to Princeton next year on a baseball scholarship.

She is a member of the History Club, Latin Club, Key Club, Senior Committee and National Honor Society. Not to mention, Pulsinelli also helps an ORNL astrophysicist to test code.

Pulsinelli is still deciding on her future school, but has shown interest in both Harvard and The Massachusetts Institute of Technology.