Many kids like to settle for the comfort of the average class, knowing they can excel with little effort. Others are just happy to be there. However, there are some students, a cream of the crop, that push themselves to the limit. Students have schedules filled to the brim with all sorts of activities, so maintaining an excellent GPA is very hard to balance in the chaos of high school. Certain students always find a way. Every year, each class will have a valedictorian and salutatorian, the two top weighted GPAs, respectively. Taking the most challenging classes with almost zero margin for error is no small task. These students only settle for the best marks and never slack off their goals. Om Rajpal (‘23), the class of 2023 salutatorian shares advice and reflects on his impressive four years at Brookfield Central High School. 

How did you manage time with a challenging schedule?

I think the most successful strategy was organizing everything based on my priorities, so only doing what was most important to me on days that I was pressed for time.

Were you able to pick classes you liked?

Yeah, I think in general I usually got all the classes I wanted. And even if it didn’t work out as I expected, I was able to make the most of the situation.

What other activities did you participate in?

I really enjoyed my time in Key Club, Tennis, SEAL Club, HOSA, and Science Bowl.

What class are you most proud of passing and how did you survive?

Definitely AP Chem, it felt impossible before covid, and I only got through it by making sure to take good notes and studying before tests. 

What was the most fun class you took at BC and why?

There were a lot of classes that were fun because of my friends in the class, but the most fun class solely off curriculum and teacher was APES with Gryzwa for me. There are so many fun labs and interactive activities that are really fun and make it different from any other class I’ve taken.