While one is looking forward to launching into the wider world and the other is looking forward to gaining his independence, Heritage High School’s Valedictorian and Salutatorian definitely have one thing in common – the two overachievers have big plans for their careers.
Valedictorian Diana Rose Thompson and Salutatorian Sebastian Moore are looking forward to graduation and beginning their paths toward adulthood.
Diana Rose Thompson
Equally as active in extracurriculars as she has been in her studies, Thompson will be continuing a family tradition by heading to Georgia Tech this fall just like her father and brother before her. With plans to major in business management or industrial engineering, it was her love of math, calculus and history that propelled her into the top spot in her graduating class.
“I’ve really loved the people here (at Heritage),” Thomson said this week. “It’s always friendly to come here. The teachers have been awesome.”
Thompson has been active in Beta Club, the National Honor Society, Interact Club, Model Arab League and Demouth Society in addition to being a member of the flag and dance program and the competition dance team.
“I am looking forward to being on my own and starting a new chapter and doing something different,” she said. Thompson is daughter of Mark and Debbie Thompson and is the recipient of the Georgia Tech Conyers Alumni Network Scholarship.
Sebastian Moore
Sebastian Moore may be heading off to Georgia College and State University (GCSU) in Milledgeville in a few short months, but the college experience is nothing new for him. He started taking college courses at Georgia Perimeter College two years ago at the start of his junior year, and the17-year-old will be a junior in college with a 3.84 GPA after graduating from Heritage next week.
“Most people take a light course load senior year, and this last semester has been my hardest,” Moore said of the grueling semester he just finished. Having quit soccer in order to focus on his college career when he was 15, Moore is used to buckling down and focusing, which will benefit his career choice to become a surgeon.
“I am looking to the independence that comes with moving away to go to college,” Moore said of his post-high school graduation plans to study pre-medicine. “I like the idea of being independent so I can focus on the things I have to do.”
Moore was one of 106 graduates nationwide to receive the Horatio Alger National Scholarship, an award that recognizes academic achievement and leadership potential in students who have a commitment to use their college degrees in service to others. He is the son of Terri and Keith McGiboney.
