OLEAN, N.Y. — Archbishop Walsh Academy has announced the valedictorian and salutatorian for the graduating Class of 2018 are Sophia Garvin and Aliyah Tejera, respectively.
Both graduates will be recognized during commencement ceremonies scheduled for 6 p.m. June 1 at the Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts on the campus of St. Bonaventure University.
Both are graduating as a diploma candidates in the International Baccalaureate Degree Programme and have completed requirements for an Advanced Regents Diploma through the New York State Regents program. They are both members of the National Honor Society, in which Garvin served as president of the Archbishop Walsh Chapter and Tejera served as treasurer.
Valedictorian Garvin’s parents are Mary Beth and Eric Garvin of Olean.
Garvin has achieved special recognition receiving the County Youth Citizenship Award and being a member of the Olean Youth and Recreation Advisory Board for three years. She was also recognized as an Outstanding National Honor Society Member by her NHS peers at the Cattaraugus County National Honor Society Banquet. In addition, she has been a member of the Interact Club, the varsity volleyball team, the tennis club, the pep club and the drama club.
Garvin’s unweighted grade point average is 96.352, and her weighted GPA is 99.264. She plans to attend Allegheny College in the fall where she has been accepted into the Early Acceptance Program for LECOM’s College of Osteopathic Medicine and the Global Citizens Scholar Program, majoring in environmental studies and science.
Salutatorian Tejera has consistently been on the high honor roll throughout high school. As a junior, Tejera was awarded the RIT Innovation and Creativity Award for academic achievement and creativity and was also nominated for The University of Rochester’s Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass Award for demonstrated commitment to understanding and addressing difficult social issues. The salutatorian has been a member of the Interact Club and is an award-winning artist.
Tejera is the child of Elisa and Leo Tejera of Olean, and Jody Peterson of Olean.
Tejera’s unweighted GPA is 96.019, with a weighted GPA of 98.910, and plans to attend the State University of New York at Geneseo in the fall majoring in geophysics.
