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Student Announcer: Welcome to Mondays with Maria.

Announcer: Presented by Addition Financial Credit Union. Here's OCPS Superintendent Dr. Maria Vazquez.

Jose Martinez, Deputy Superintendent: Hi everyone. As you can see, I am not Dr. Maria Vazquez. She is a little under the weather today. So I've been asked to fill in because we have a full house for today's episode. I'm Jose Martinez, Deputy Superintendent and former Chief of High Schools. So, it's very fitting that I'm here with some of our amazing 2026 graduates, each one representing their high school, and they're all v Victorians of their class. Congratulations. That deserves a big round of applause. We get started. I'm going to let our first group of grads introduce themselves.

Brett, Apopka High School Valedictorian: Hi, my name is Brett Sellers, I'm the Valedictorian of Apopka High School, and this fall I'll be attending the University of Tennessee.

Brady, Boone High School Valedictorian: Hello, my name is Brady Graham. I'm from Boone High School, and I'm going to Stanford University. Go Trees!

Mia, Colonial High School Valedictorian: Hello, my name is Mia Abru, Valedictorian of Colonial High School's class of 2026. I am attending Duke University in the fall. Go Duke!

Mona, Orange County Virtual School Valedictorian: Hello, I'm Mona Farid. I'm the Valedictorian of Orange County Virtual School, and I'm planning to go to the University of Central Florida.

Amanda, Cypress Creek High School Valedictorian: Hello, my name is Amanda Mendicoa, and I come from Cypress Creek High School. I'm the valedictorian of the class of 2026, and I'll be attending Florida State University in the fall. Go Seminoles!

Isabella, Acceleration West High School Valedictorian: Hi, my name is Isabella. I attended Acceleration West High School, and in the fall, I'm going to UCF.

Kristian, Edgewater High School Valedictorian: Hi, my name is Kristian Osberg, and I'm the Valedictorian of Edgewater High School. I'm going to UC, Berkeley.

Breyanna, Jones High School Valedictorian: Hello, my name is Breyanna James, Valedictorian of the great Jones High School, and I will be attending FAMU in the fall. Go Rattlers!

Shaira, Oak Ridge High School Valedictorian: Hi, my name is Shaira Khan. I go to Oak Ridge High School and will be attending Wake Forest University. Go Deacs!

Jose Martinez, Deputy Superintendent: Thank you all for being here. Just amazing. You're definitely an impressive group of individuals, and we are so proud of all of you and what your future holds. I have a lot of questions that I think will be extremely helpful for our other students and parents. Let's start with Brett from Apopka High School. What does being named Valedictorian mean to you?

Brett, Apopka High School Valedictorian: So, to me, being named valedictorian, it means more than just my grade, like a momentary accomplishment. It represents many years of consistency and what I can accomplish through persevering towards my goals.

Jose Martinez, Deputy Superintendent: Love it. Perseverance. Thank you. Okay. Brady from Boone High School, was there a teacher or a mentor who made a lasting impact on you?

Brady, Boone High School Valedictorian: You know, it's so hard to put it down to one person because there are so many people in our public education system who mean so much to their students. Mr. Daniel, my finance magnet teacher at Boone, prepared me for pre-professional education so well that I feel that, over the next four years at Stanford University, I'll be able to overcome the professional obstacles that come my way. Mr. Listort and Dr. Tachon, my chemistry and calculus teachers, have prepared me for academic curiosity and rigor unlike anybody else. I know that I have teachers all the way back from elementary school, such as Ms. Gaines and Ms. Daniel. Ms. Daniel is the wife of Mr. Daniel, and they prepared me from a very young age that the foundation of public education and what I need to build my life around is compassion for others and relentless empathy.

Jose Martinez, Deputy Superintendent: Love that. That's great. Thank you. Mia from Colonial High School, what study habits or routine helped you the most

Mia, Colonial High School Valedictorian: To retain information? I like to focus solely on listening to my teacher instead of taking notes. And then when I get home, I take time from my extracurriculars and family in order to review slides or revisit materials or write down anything that I need to clarify. And while I'm studying, I like to listen to upbeat music to help me stay motivated and focused. And then after I study, I like to say what I learned out loud to check my understanding and help with my retention. Wow.

Jose Martinez, Deputy Superintendent: Talk about a perfect answer. Right. And also, the music. I love it. Okay. Amanda from Cypress Creek High School, what school activity or club was most meaningful for you?

Amanda, Cypress Creek High School Valedictorian: I think for me, I would definitely have to say the HOSA Club at my school. I got the amazing opportunity to lead it for these past two years, and it has really shown me how beautiful it can be to be in the same environment as other people who are just as passionate as you are about something. I'd say one of my favorite things about it is that up to the last meeting we had this year, the room was always so flooded with students that we didn't have enough chairs for anybody. Wow, for everybody. And yeah, that just meant a lot to me because it showed that everybody was just as excited as our team was to learn and to help out our community in whatever way we could.

Jose Martinez, Deputy Superintendent: That's terrific. Thank you. Kristian from Edgewater High School, how did your peers influence your high school experience?

Kristian, Edgewater High School Valedictorian: I have to say I'm so lucky to have had so many good friends throughout high school, especially starting my sophomore year, meeting the people that I know now was truly a blessing. Some individuals challenge themselves, who really strive for the best, and I feel like this friendly competition that we have really helps me in my academic pursuits as well.

Jose Martinez, Deputy Superintendent: Spirit of excellence. I love it. Thank you, Kristian. Okay, Breyanna from Jones High School, what is your favorite memory from high school?

Breyanna, Jones High School Valedictorian: My favorite memory from high school was our Tiger Pride event at Jones, where all the alumni come together. We celebrate Jones history and how long it's been running, and its beauty basically. Yes,

Jose Martinez, Deputy Superintendent: That's it. The beauty. Thank you. Shaira from Oak Ridge High School. When you started high school, did you ever imagine this moment as a valid Victorian? How do you feel?

Shaira, Oak Ridge High School Valedictorian: Honestly? Yes, I did. Funny story. I was known as the smartest student at my school. Everyone would call me valedictorian even before anything was confirmed. But close to the start of senior year, I realized it was down to me and one other student. And I kind of lost hope a little that I would end up in second place, which is also still a huge accomplishment. But you know, being so close to number one was like, also like ugh, I just want to like get that number one spot, you know. But at the end, I did become valedictorian, and I was honestly shocked and just so proud of myself. Like, I was genuinely proud of all the accomplishments I've made. A big part of my high school career has been dual enrollment, which is, you know, taking college classes while I'm in high school. And I believe that is the reason that I became valedictorian, because it gave me these opportunities. It allowed me to learn so much from these great professors. So yeah, it's just a great opportunity, and I am genuinely so proud of myself for becoming valedictorian.

Jose Martinez, Deputy Superintendent: That's amazing. Thank you. Okay, Isabella from Acceleration West, what motivated you to push yourself academically?

Isabella, Acceleration West High School Valedictorian: So, moving from Brazil to the US without speaking any English was very challenging at first. I faced a lot of difficulties, and a few staff members from OCPS also helped me really learn English. And throughout that, I realized that I should push myself and actually motivate myself to do better and provide something better for my family.

Jose Martinez, Deputy Superintendent: Yeah. Oh, that's great. Thank you. Mona from Orange County Virtual School, how did being involved in school shape your leadership skills?

Mona, Orange County Virtual School Valedictorian: So, I think dual enrollment was definitely a great opportunity to gain a lot of insights into leadership skills, especially at Valencia. I had the amazing opportunity to serve as a founding member and president of the Muslim Student Association at Valencia Lake Nona campus. And I think that taught me a lot about how leadership isn't just about recognizing, you know, everybody and who they are, but also their strengths and how different experiences and stories and backgrounds all contribute in different ways to forming such a powerful, in this case, club. And of course, in the workforce and community in general, people's experiences and insights always come together to form something powerful, even if they're not the same.

Jose Martinez, Deputy Superintendent: That's absolutely amazing. Thank you. Wow, this is really great. You all will be sticking around, but let's meet our next group of graduates.

Luz, Windermere High School Valedictorian: Hi, I'm Luz Clavijo Mojica. I'm the Valedictorian at Windermere High School, and I'm excited to attend Vanderbilt University this fall. Anchor down.

Lucca, West Orange High School Valedictorian: Hello, I'm Lucca, Valedictorian of West Orange High School. I'm going to the University of Florida Gall Gators.

Collier, Lake Buena Vista High School Valedictorian: Hi, my name is Collier Alexander Sawyer. I'm the Valedictorian of Lake Buena Vista High School, and I will be attending Yale University this fall. Boola Boola!

Jean, Evans High School Valedictorian: My name is Jean Baptiste Estiverne, and I'm Valedictorian of the Evans High School class of 2026. During the fall, I'll be attending the University of Florida.

Emma, Olympia High School Valedictorian: Hi, my name is Emma Hodson. I currently attend Olympia High School, and I'll be going to the University of Florida in the fall. Go Gators.

Shaurya, Lake Nona High School Valedictorian: Hey, my name is Shaurya Tandon, and I currently attend Lake Nona High School, and I'll be attending UCLA in the fall. Go Bruins!

Jimmy, Wekiva High School Valedictorian: Hi, my name is Jimmy Nquyen. I go to Wekiva High School, and I plan to attend the University of Florida.

Suhani, Winter Park High School Valedictorian: Hi, I'm Suhani Sehgal. I'm the Valedictorian of Winter Park High School, and I'm going to UF honors.

Abdiel, Acceleration East High School Valedictorian: Hey, my name's Abdiel Durant, I'm from Acceleration East, and I'm going to UCF in the fall. Go Knights.

Jose Martinez, Deputy Superintendent: Another impressive group. Welcome, Emma from Olympia High School. How can students make the most of their high school years?

Emma, Olympia High School Valedictorian: I think what's most important is to make sure to get involved in your school. Obviously, it's school, so everybody thinks, you know, you attend all your classes, and you take as many classes as you're interested in, but there are also so many clubs and everything that is offered, and they can also help build your college application. So I would say that's pretty important. But I am National Honor Society president, and I think it was probably the most important thing I did in high school, not even valedictorian, because I got to see so many kids learning in different ways to become involved in their community and how that can have such a positive impact on them. That's

Jose Martinez, Deputy Superintendent: Great, thank you. Okay, Luz from Windermere High School, what are you most proud of in this moment?

Luz, Windermere High School Valedictorian: Well, first off, I'm most proud of you know, getting to my dream school on a full ride. That was like my dream. Wow! Since I was a little kid. But definitely, besides that, I think it's being the first Hispanic valedictorian in the history of Windermere High School. I got here freshman year from Columbia, and I was able to, you know, achieve this like amazing title, and I think I'm an example to people in my community that it doesn't matter where you come from, but where you're going and where you can go, and you know, to work hard. So I'm very proud to represent my Hispanic community.

Jose Martinez, Deputy Superintendent: That's amazing. Thank you. Okay, Suhani from Winter Park High School, how did you find out that you're the valedictorian of your class, and how did it make you feel?

Suhani, Winter Park High School Valedictorian: So, I found out they kind of called us in a group of I think 20, and it was the top 20, and then they kind of just went up from 20 all the way to one, and then they announced that I was number one. And it was honestly, it was kind of surprising because I didn't even expect that I would be there but it just kind of made me proud of all the hard work that I put in and just, it made me proud that even though I wasn't maybe the most like only academic, I could live a holistic lifestyle and still be able to kind of achieve something that was also the first valedictorian in my family. So that was really exciting. And I also think I really liked what she said, where it's an example to anybody looking up to me, as maybe like an Indian American or as a girl, and that they would feel inspired to do the same thing.

Jose Martinez, Deputy Superintendent: That's great. Thank you. Okay, Jean from Evans High School, if you could give yourself your younger self one piece of advice, what would it be?

Jean, Evans High School Valedictorian: Keep going. Just that's really all I have to say because I mean I've been through a lot, but I say that discipline has really been the one thing that's stuck with me, and that's how I was able to get to the position that I'm in right now, where I'm valedictorian of my class of 2026. And I think that as long as I maintain my discipline, I can just keep going to higher heights.

Jose Martinez, Deputy Superintendent: Love it. Higher heights. Thank you. Abdiel from Acceleration East, what do you think is your greatest lesson that you'll take into the future with you?

Abdiel, Acceleration East High School Valedictorian: So my greatest lesson is actually one my dad taught me when I was very young. He always said, " Learn as much as you can because now's your time to grow. So, for example, I play guitar, and when I was learning, he was telling me that I have to practice more, learn more because it'll help me advance and take it and apply it into your future. So, I take that into my studies as well when I go to UCF, very excited about that. I'll try to learn everything as much as I can. Try to take time to study, and yeah, that's basically the best lesson I think I've learned.

Jose Martinez, Deputy Superintendent: Great. Pushing through. Great. Okay. Jimmy from Wekiva High School, what message do you hope classmates take from your valedictorian speech?

Jimmy, Wekiva High School Valedictorian: So what I said in my speech was, even though you might not think that you did enough, somewhere out there, someone's going to accept you and you're going to be able to do something because like at the end of the day, if you get denied from your college, your dream college, you'll still be able to, there's, there's still, there's still other college you can do and you can still persevere through that. And you can always take that leap of faith to go wherever you want to go.

Jose Martinez, Deputy Superintendent: Love it. Taking advantage of the opportunities. Thank you. Jimmy Lucca from West Orange High School. What are you most excited about after graduation?

Lucca, West Orange High School Valedictorian: After graduation, I'm mostly excited to spend time with my family and friends in the community I've built over these four years. We are all going to go to college, and some of us are going to part different ways. For example, I have a friend who's going on a mission, so I'm not going to see him for a long time, but spending this last summer with our community, I think, is going to be the best thing I can do.

Jose Martinez, Deputy Superintendent: Family and friends. Thank you, Lucca. Okay. Shaurya from Lake Nona High School, what advice would you give incoming freshmen? The class of 2030?

Shaurya, Lake Nona High School Valedictorian: Yeah, so I mean my brother's entering that class, and what I'd give, what I tell everyone is, is that you only get one chance to go to high school. You only get one chance at life, and you have to make the most of it. So, like for me, like trying to play two sports, like captain a tennis team and play hockey, and be like president of a cultural club and attempt to be valedictorian, it can sound like a lot, but we really only get one chance to continue to excel in what we want to do. And so really try to make the most of it, you know, don't be too stressed out, but definitely know what you want to do and work your hardest for it.

Jose Martinez, Deputy Superintendent: The impact. Great, thank you. Okay, Collier from Lake Buena Vista, how is high school preparing you for the future?

Collier, Lake Buena Vista High School Valedictorian: What I've learned through my four years at Lake Buena Vista is kind of how to navigate systems. Not just any system of a school or a job or any career, but just how to work your way through life. Whether that be, you see two years, four years, eight years, or the rest of your life. And I learned it's okay to do everything and it's also okay to come in first place and first place can be, that can be subjective, however you narrow that down. For me, it ended up being the valedictorian, going and being one of the best trombone players in the state. Going to be the first in my family to go to an Ivy League school. And so, there are so many obstacles that you can overcome, no matter who you look up to and what you think you amount to and who you look like. But I have changed because of what I've learned from going through my high school and understanding that it is okay to be great, in how you define greatness.

Jose Martinez, Deputy Superintendent: Bad experiences. Thank you again. Wow. You all did a great job. We did have a few valedictorians who could not be with us today, but we wanted them to introduce themselves. Take a look.

Tyler, Innovation High School Valedictorian: Hello, my name is Tyler Dy, and I'm the Valedictorian of Innovation High School. I plan on attending the University of Florida Honors program as a mechanical and aerospace engineer. Go Gators!

Alexis, Ocoee High School Valedictorian: Hello, my name is Alexis Martinez. I'm the Valedictorian of the Ocoee High School class of 2026. I'll be attending UCF in the fall. Go Knights!

Jacob, Timber Creek High School Valedictorian: Hello, I'm Jacob Melendez, Valedictorian of Timber Creek's class of 2026. I'll be attending Stanford University in the fall. Go Cardinals!

Giangoc, Freedom High School Valedictorian: Hi, my name is Giangoc Vo. I'm the Valedictorian of Freedom High School class of 2026. I'll be attending the University of Central Florida in the fall. Go Knights!

Jose Martinez, Deputy Superintendent: This has been a lot of fun. The next chapter for all of you is going to be amazing. You're the best of the best in Orange County Public Schools. Thank you all again for being here. Graduation ceremonies start tomorrow and are scheduled over the next two weeks. Congratulations to all of our graduates. The class of 2026.

Jose Martinez, Deputy Superintendent: Woo!! Congratulations!

Jose Martinez, Deputy Superintendent: Now that is what I call the power of public education. Thank you all for watching. Don't forget to like, follow, and subscribe. We will have more on the podcast. Just go to wherever you get your podcasts and search for Mondays with Maria. That is a wrap for season four. This is the final episode of the school year. I hope everyone has a safe and restful summer. We will see you in August for the 2026-27 school year and season five of Mondays with Maria, with Dr. Vazquez.

Announcer: For an extended conversation on today's topic. Listen to the Mondays with Maria podcast. Available wherever you get your podcasts. Mondays with Maria is presented by Addition Financial Credit Union. Count is in for every step of your financial journey. Learn more at Additionfi.com. For more OCPS news and information, visit TheSlice.ocps.net. I'm your announcer, Emily Hannon, a student at Audubon Park School. Thanks for watching, and have a great week.