C.S. Lewis Academy named Jocelyn Ayers (center) named valedictorian, while Eliana Ray (left) and Julia Heimuller tabbed as salutatorians. (Staff photo: Gary Allen)

Jocelyn Ayers named valedictorian, while Eliana Ray and Julia Heimuller tabbed as salutatorians

A trio of young women represented the best and the brightest of C.S. Lewis Academy’s Class of 2025 in commencement ceremonies held in late May.

In a rare move, one valedictorian and two salutatorians were named this year.

“Our valedictorian is chosen by looking at the cumulative (grade-point average), freshman year through Semester 1 of their senior year,” administrator Vickie Fivecoat explained in an email. “Jocelyn Ayers is our valedictorian with a GPA of 4.0.

“Our salutatorian is chosen based on the same method and is the student with the second highest GPA. This year we had a tie, so we have two salutatorians.  They are Eliana Ray and Julia Heimuller; their GPAs are 3.95.”

The Newberg Graphic reached out to each student with a few questions on their honors. Some answers have been edited for brevity.

Did you intend to seek being named a valedictorian/salutatorian when you started high school?

Ayers: “I didn’t really seek out to become valedictorian when I entered high school. I hoped that I would be able to accomplish it, but I would say that my goal was more to just get straight As.”

Ray: “No. I didn’t really think much about it when I first started high school, because I was going to a big public school at the time and wouldn’t have expected to receive something like that.”

Heimuller: “I had no intention of being salutatorian when I started high school. I knew that I had good grades, but I didn’t get those grades with the goal of salutatorian. A strong GPA has been a natural gift of mine, but the title of salutatorian came as a surprise.”

What does receiving the honor mean to you?

Ray: “It’s a huge honor considering how academically accomplished our class is as a whole.”

Ayers: “Receiving this honor is kind of a mixed bag. I am really proud of this accomplishment, but at the same time it kind of just means that I have to write a speech for graduation, which is going to cause me so much stress because I hate public speaking.”

Heimuller: “I’m thankful that I am able to represent CSLA and the Class of 2025 well. My whole class works hard, in and out of school, so it’s an honor to be a representative of the 12 of us.”

Did earning the honor take you by surprise?

Ayers: “It wasn’t a huge surprise. I knew the consistency of my grades, but I didn’t really know what other people’s grades were.”

Ray: “Yes, it definitely did! I was a little confused when I first received the award. I knew that my GPA was within the top three of my class, but I didn’t expect to get it since I had heard that my GPA was about the same as Julia’s.”

Heimuller: “Yes, I was surprised to be awarded salutatorian. I didn’t think my grades were better than a couple of my classmates, so I was extremely surprised to find out that I’m a salutatorian. I was even more surprised to know that it was an exact tie between me and my co-salutatorian, Elie.”

What extracurricular activities did you participate in that may have helped in achieving the honor?

Ayers: “My extracurricular activities include playing volleyball all four years of high school and being on student council my sophomore year as secretary and junior year as treasurer.”

Ray: “I feel like running cross country and track helped teach me a lot about perseverance and self discipline, which definitely helped when it came down to studying/completing assignments on time.”

Heimuller: “I have done many extracurricular activities. I’m very involved in CSLA through academics, sports, tutoring and being a teacher’s aide. I compete in volleyball, basketball and track and field. I have worked hard in all of these sports and have had the opportunity to go to state multiple times in all these sports throughout high school. … I have spent the past couple years helping in the kindergarten and first grade classes in my open periods as a (teacher’s assistant). Also, we had a middle school student join part way through the year that I had the privilege of tutoring in pre-algebra. Every activity outside of academics is one that I’m forever grateful for.”

What are your plans following graduation?

Ayers: “I plan to attend George Fox University this fall and major in English. I don’t really have any further plans after that, I’m mostly just taking things one step at a time and we’ll see where the Lord leads me.”

Ray: “I plan on attending George Fox University in the fall to study biology. With a degree in biology I’m hoping to go into something more ecology/wildlife related.”

Heimuller: “I plan on attending Pacific University in Forest Grove. I will study psychology and pre-occupational therapy with the goal of attending their grad school. They have a guaranteed spot in grad school for me if I meet certain requirements in my undergrad years, and I plan on using that opportunity. Also, I have been blessed with the opportunity to compete on their track and field team and women’s basketball team.”

What was the biggest challenge in earning the honor of valedictorian/salutatorian?

Ayers: “The biggest challenge was probably learning how to use good time management. I had to learn a good balance between school, working, volleyball in the fall and also just general life things. I had to figure out what I was going to prioritize in my life and how to not get so overwhelmed by all the things I had to do.”

Ray: “The biggest challenge was probably physics junior year. It was a hard class, but I’m glad I got to take it because it was very beneficial and I feel like I learned a lot.”

Heimuller: “My biggest struggle I faced when earning the title of salutatorian was physics class my junior year. I love math and science, but I really struggled in that class because it was unlike anything I had done before. Many new concepts were introduced that were hard for me to grasp.”