Our top five exceptional seniors in the class of 2025 were recently announced at our final assembly. These students have the highest grade-point-average among their peers. They have dedicated countless hours to studying and succeeding. Let’s meet our top five!
Our Valedictorian is Maya Quaranta. She says that as a student-athlete, she doesn’t have much free time, but when she does, she enjoys spending it with her friends. Maya remarks that her motivation was to make her parents proud, “they have given me everything I could’ve ever asked for, so I wanted to do it for them.” When asked who helped her succeed Maya explained, “Every person who I ever encountered. Every person who ever told me no. Every person who told me I couldn’t do it. Every girl that I sat for hours and studied with. Every teacher I ever had. Everyone. It’s not a journey of one but of so many people.” When questioned if she reached for Valedictorian, Maya answered no, that rather, she strives for excellence, which comes with endless sacrifices. “It wasn’t a happy accident that I worked hard. My hard work got me here. Not because I wanted to be defined by a number.” Maya’s advice for other students is that it’s just a grade, “Do your best. You are not defined by a rank…So, take the four years you have and cherish them. Nobody will remember your GPA in 20 years…Let academics slip from your mind every once in a while.” She hopes to continue a journey of greatness, “Not one of perfection, but of doing my very best every day.
The class of 2025’s Salutatorian is Chloe Retuya. She came to Sacred Heart Academy planning to excel academically; however, Chloe also notes that she, “strived to use her four years in high school to grow as an individual through her extracurricular pursuits and to discover her career path.” She has earned three Gold President’s Volunteer Service Awards, accumulating over 750 hours of community service. Chloe’s passion for volunteering, which led to her interest within the nonprofit sector, has led her to volunteer with letter-writing organizations for which she has created and sent over 1,000 handmade cards containing positive messages to hospital patients, senior citizens, veterans and the homeless. Chloe is the Founder and Director of Greetings for Healing, a service organization in which volunteers make digital cards of positivity for survivors of crime, violence, and abuse, which has amassed over 1,400 volunteers signed up from over forty countries around the globe.
For any students aiming to be in the top five students in their class, her suggestion is to “remain focused on your studies and maintain strong grades to the best of your ability,” but she highlights that “developing yourself through your extracurricular activities, your passions, and eventually taking initiative in your interests to make an impact in your community,” is also important. Chloe elaborates that, “high grades and a class rank are achievements to be proud of, but being able to go into college already with a resume demonstrating not only your academic potential, but also your passion and dedication to a cause higher than yourself, helps you stand out—not just a strong student, but as a future leader who is ready to go above expectations and tackle challenges beyond the classroom.” Chloe will be attending Cornell University, pursuing a B.S. in Industrial and Labor Relations with a focus on nonprofit management. She aspires to pursue a career in nonprofit executive leadership, creating transformative change for disadvantaged communities around the globe.
Third in the 2025 class is Kelly Blute. Her favorite subject is also math, but her favorite class was Bioethics with Mr. Bradley. Besides the academics, Kelly’s favorite parts of SHA are the musical, drama guild, Campus ministry and choir. She says the biggest sacrifice she had to make for her grades was her time, “I spent a significant amount of time each day after school doing work and sacrificed a lot of weekends and early mornings to make sure everything got done to the best of my ability.” Kelly explained that she didn’t really entertain the idea of reaching top five until she was named a SUMMA Scholar in March, “since our class is filled with so many high achieving students!” Kelly mentioned that her motivation predominately came from everyone else working hard around her. Her words of wisdom for any people hoping for top five are to not “treat is as a competition with others, work your hardest, take the classes you want to take and be confident in yourself!!” Kelly is not sure what she’ll do yet, but she’s “excited to go to college and figure it out!”
Our first tie for fourth place is Avery Stewart. Outside of school you can find her dancing, running and spending time with her family and friends. Avery’s favorite subject is math; she says, “I like how everything fits together once you understand it.” When asked if she strived for top five she explained, “I didn’t set out aiming for the top five, but I always put my best effort into everything and put in a ton of hard work.” What kept her going was “knowing that hard work pays off.” She mentioned that her family, friends, and teachers were always there to support and encourage her when she was stressed. In the future, Avery hopes to prosper in finance and admirably, “growing as a leader, while still helping others along the way.” Her advice for those who are aspiring for top five is: “Don’t stress about being perfect, just try your best, stay organized, and remember to enjoy the little things. You can work hard and still have fun.”
Our other tie for fourth place is Camila Ferro. Camilla will be attending New York University in the fall.
Congratulations and good luck to all in the top five and the senior class in all that they will accomplish in the future.
