![Walking through the tunnel created by the cheerleaders and Celebrities, senior Frances Tran smiles as the soccer team is sent off during DEN for their playoff game against Rouse tonight. Tran said the wins against Smithson Valley and Alamo Heights gave the team a morale boost to take on the Raiders tonight. “I know we were not 100% confident in those games,” Tran said. “But, Rouse is a big opponent for sure. We’re definitely going into tonight with a lot of morale [because of the previous wins].”](https://cphswolfpack.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/frances-tran.jpg)
![Holding a bucket of materials in one hand and a roll of tape in another, anatomy and biology teacher Tyler Terry prepares for a lab. Terry said his proudest moments are when his students are happy to see him. “When I take my wife to a football game or something and a bunch of students want to say hi to me or they like to smile and wave and it just makes me feel good that the students are really kind and supportive of me,” Terry said. “[I’m also] proud when I see students perform really well in their extracurriculars because I can see how hard they’re working in my classes, [so] when I see that they’re also working so hard in other things. Like they’re winning band competitions or they’re getting awards for their theater productions, or I see them put on their choir shows, that’s like, wow, you guys are incredible.”](https://cphswolfpack.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Rags-6.png)
![Catching a ball, junior Alivia Robinson plays at the Cedar Park vs Glenn game. Having played since she was 5 years old, she is dedicated to softball and has committed to UTPB for softball. “When I got my offer it took me a very long time to decide where,” Robinson said. “Softball has always been my dream for college, and UTPB is my fit. When [I committed] I knew I was going to be loved and supported.”](https://cphswolfpack.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Lilly-Adams-3.13aliviaedit-901.jpg)
Top of the Timberwolves
Valedictorian Feels Success, Receives First Year Tuition Waiver From UT Austin
Ending the year with a 5.75 GPA, senior Grant Lee is the 2019 valedictorian of his senior class. He was given the news just a few weeks ago, along with other students who are top in the class. “Being told I am officially the valedictorian was easily one of the best feelings ever,” Lee said. “Four painful years of studying and working hard ultimately paid off in the end.”
May 21, 2019
On May 31, nearly 500 seniors will walk across the stage and be recognized for obtaining a high school degree. On this day, senior Grant Lee will stand in front of his classmates, friends and family to be acknowledged for his whopping 5.75 GPA, making him the valedictorian of this year’s graduating class.
Lee’s rank started out at number two during freshman year and it wasn’t until the end of the first semester of his junior year when he claimed his spot as number one in the senior class of 473 students. Lee was recently informed that his rank is secure and that he is the valedictorian of the class of 2019.
“Being told I am officially the valedictorian was easily one of the best feelings ever,” Lee said. “Four painful years of studying and working hard ultimately paid off in the end.” Being told I am officially the valedictorian was easily one of the best feelings ever. Four painful years of studying and working hard ultimately paid off in the end. — Grant Lee (12)
Lee said he pushed himself throughout high school by taking 12 AP classes: Human Geography, World History, English III, Chemistry, US History, Spanish IV and V, Macroeconomics, Government, Environmental Science, Biology and Calculus.
“Calculus was probably the most interesting AP class to me simply because it’s math, which is my favorite subject,” Lee said. “AP Chemistry was pretty hard, but my weakest subject is definitely history, so I would have to say that AP World History was the most challenging for me.”
Although his course load kept him busy, Lee managed to be involved in National Honor Society, Mu Alpha Theta, National Spanish Honor Society, the Asian Heritage Club, Timberwolves for the Environment and DECA.
“One of my favorites is definitely Asian Heritage Club, not only because I am a co-president, but also because I helped found the club,” Lee said. “At our meetings we play games and do fun activities that relate to Asian culture, gaining a loyal fan base in the process. I also love DECA because I was able to go to Disney World and Universal Studios in Orlando for winning State.”
Lee said how he remained focused while juggling all these tasks and responsibilities, explaining that his motivation to succeed was driven by a financial motive.
“As shallow as it may seem, money has kept me focused throughout high school,” Lee said. “In freshman and sophomore year, I tried my best and just happened to be highly ranked, but in my junior and senior year, I was most motivated by the first year tuition waiver granted to the highest ranking graduate of Texas public high schools. Without that financial incentive, I very well might have burnt out a long time ago.”
Next fall, Lee is attending the University of Texas at Austin, which is granting him several academic scholarships on top of the first year tuition waiver he earned for being valedictorian. Lee said he plans on majoring in environmental engineering because he loves math and the environment.
“I’m most excited about meeting new like-minded people with similar interests as me,” Lee said. “I usually don’t like getting out of my comfort zone, but being on my own in a college environment next year will force me to get out and socialize with more people.”
![Holding her dog, Nova, senior Ariana Balakrishnan poses for her senior pictures while Nova wears a bandana with her college decision. Balakrishnan applied to 18 colleges in total, but she decided on Columbia in the end. “Right before I clicked the button to open Columbia’s letter, I literally looked at the camera and go ‘This is just gonna really suck because I wanted it so bad,’ and I clicked it and all of a sudden you hear trumpets,” Balakrishnan said. “There’s a video that plays when you open it and I actually didn’t watch the video, I just watched the screen go black, because every day of December before ED [Early Decision] I would go on YouTube and watch the acceptance video to manifest it, so immediately when the screen went black, I started screaming and jumping up and down. And my parents in the video are like ‘What are you doing, where’s the letter,’ and I was just screaming ‘I got in, I got in.” I just started crying, and it just felt like everything in the world came together.”](https://cphswolfpack.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/ariana-2-300x217.jpg)
![Catching a ball, junior Alivia Robinson plays at the Cedar Park vs Glenn game. Having played since she was 5 years old, she is dedicated to softball and has committed to UTPB for softball. “When I got my offer it took me a very long time to decide where,” Robinson said. “Softball has always been my dream for college, and UTPB is my fit. When [I committed] I knew I was going to be loved and supported.”](https://cphswolfpack.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Lilly-Adams-3.13aliviaedit-901-600x400.jpg)
Carla Brady • Jun 24, 2019 at 10:41 am
Congratulations, Grant! You are an exceptional young man, and we need to sponsor the advanced education of such men and women as you.
I hope you maintain your enthusiasm.
Just please take good care of yourself and your balance. Burnout–no! JOY–YES!!!
Joanna L Avera • Jun 7, 2019 at 10:23 am
Fantastic job, Grant! I commend you on your maturity, persistence, and hard work. It will pay off in folds. May God bless you with all the goodness life has to offer.