Avon High School
Sarah Nawar
Town of Residence: Avon
School to attend: Indiana University
Major: Biochemistry
What is the best advice you’ve ever been given?
My mom always tells me to “move on.” Whether the situation is positive or negative, life will go on, and you have to keep moving with it. If you experience defeat, you can’t dwell on it forever and let it take over your life. In the same way, if you accomplish something, you can’t revel in it forever; your achievements are not the end result, but rather a beginning of something greater.
What did you have to sacrifice to be at the top of your class?
I’ve had to sacrifice a lot of sleep. I frequently prioritized my schoolwork over my sleep (even though this is not great advice, and your health should always come before school).
If you could go back, name something you wouldn’t have worried about in high school:
I would’ve worried less about the future. The future is so uncertain that no matter how much you worry or plan for it, you will never have complete control over it.
What are three things you want to do before you turn 30?
- I want to fund the building of a well in an impoverished area.
- Travel to all the continents.
- Learn how to hula hoop.
In 20 years I hope that I can…
Afford a Gucci belt.
Bethesda Christian School
Daniel David Wilmot
Town of Residence: Brownsburg
School to attend: Indiana Wesleyan University
Major: Biology/Pre-med
What is the best advice you’ve ever been given?
Proverbs 3:5-6: Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.
What did you have to sacrifice to be at the top of your class?
Time. I didn’t get nearly enough sleep and sometimes had to work instead of going out with friends.
If you could go back, name something you wouldn’t have worried about in high school:
I wish I hadn’t stressed out as much over making assignments better than they had to be.
What are three things you want to do before you turn 30?
- Get married.
- Finally get a job after 11 more years of school and residency.
- Go skydiving.
In 20 years I hope that I can…
Still dunk a basketball.
Brownsburg High School
Abbie Aldridge
Town of residence: Brownsburg
School to attend: Indiana University
Major: Neuroscience, psychology
What is the best advice you’ve ever been given?
You’re going to have to do it anyway, so why not just smile along the way? － My mother
What did you have to sacrifice to be at the top of your class?
Time, a lot of time.
If you could go back, name something you wouldn’t have worried about in high school:
All of the little grades that didn’t really change things in the long run.
What are three things you want to do before you turn 30?
- Run a marathon.
- Backpack across Europe.
- Become fluent in Spanish.
In 20 years I hope that I can …
Say that I am genuinely happy.
Cardinal Ritter High School
Mitchell Jacob
Town of residence: Brownsburg
School to attend: University of Notre Dame
Major: Chemical engineering
What is the best advice you’ve ever been given?
Hard work outweighs talent. My cross country coach told me this my sophomore year, and I took it to heart. I improved my cross country times by almost 5 minutes from freshman to senior year.
What did you have to sacrifice to be at the top of your class?
To be at the top of my class, I had to sacrifice some extracurriculars. After earning the rank of Eagle Scout my freshman year, I devoted more and more time to my grades and activities in my high school. I was unable to spend as much time with my Boy Scout troop after that, which is unfortunate because I love camping, hiking, backpacking and other outdoor activities.
If you could go back, name something you wouldn’t have worried about in high school: My grades. I know it seems counterintuitive, but the more I allowed my grades to stress me out, the worse they became. It was always better to do my work and study hard than to spend time worrying about my grades.
What are three things you want to do before you turn 30?
- I want to travel abroad.
- Run at least five trail races of 15 kilometers or longer.
- Take a fly fishing trip with a friend to a first-class fishing location.
In 20 years I hope that I can…
Be fully and completely happy with my career and family.
Cascade High School
Dustin Huffer
Town of Residence: Clayton
School to attend: Trine University
Major: Civil engineering
What is the best advice you’ve ever been given?
The best advice that I have been given is to “give it my all no matter what.”
What did you have to sacrifice to be at the top of your class?
The biggest thing that I have sacrificed has been my social life. I can’t hang out with friends like other people, nor can I always go to practice or do everything that I want to. I rarely have free time, and when I do, I don’t have money to spend because I don’t have time for a job.
If you could go back, name something you wouldn’t have worried about in high school:
If I could go back, I wouldn’t worry nearly as much about what other people think of me. I was always afraid that others wouldn’t like me, but now I know that what others think doesn’t matter. I’m doing what I enjoy and that is what is important.
What are three things you want to do before you turn 30?
- Get married.
- Buy a house and start a family.
- Travel around with loved ones.
In 20 years I hope that I can…
In 20 years, I hope that I can be done paying student loans and focus on my own family and happiness.
Covenant Christian High School
Ben Dubke
Town of residence: Avon
School to attend: Concordia University Wisconsin
Major: Secondary education-mathematics
What is the best advice you’ve ever been given?
You are not owed anything. The world is not indebted to you. If you truly want something, it is worth earning.
What did you have to sacrifice to be at the top of your class?
Lots of hours mining creative energy I didn’t know I had. Most subjects and academic disciplines come pretty naturally to me, but I find writing and other creative tasks quite difficult. Completing a paper or other writing assignment is always a grind, and I sacrificed many evenings to produce my best work.
If you could go back, name something you wouldn’t have worried about in high school:
Fulfilling the expectations of others. By sophomore or junior year, I was known as the smartest kid in the class, and I worried a lot about maintaining that reputation.
What are three things you want to do before you turn 30?
- Obtain a fulfilling job as a high school math teacher.
- Start a family.
- Read a lot of good books.
In 20 years I hope that I can …
Travel the world and meet new people.
Danville High School
Halle Higbie
Town of residence: Danville
School to attend: Purdue University
Major: Biochemistry
What is the best advice you’ve ever been given?
The best advice I have ever received is from my parents. They tell me that perseverance is key in all that you do. Diligence, determination, and drive will allow you to soar to great heights.
What did you have to sacrifice to be at the top of your class?
Between swim practices and working a part-time job, every free moment I had was spent studying and preparing for upcoming tests. I would say I missed a LOT of sleep and had to take a backseat to some social events with friends.
If you could go back, name something you wouldn’t have worried about in high school:
If I could go back, I probably would have worried much less about running out of lead. I often would bring a stash of sharpened No. 2 pencils to every standardized test, but only ever needed one.
What are three things you want to do before you turn 30?
- I would like to have completed all of my post-graduate work.
- Have begun a career.
- Travel the globe with a husband and a couple of kids.
In 20 years I hope that I can …
Be making a difference in the medical world, whether that be through patient care or in my work on a medical research team.
Plainfield High School
Brigham Anderson
Town of Residence: Plainfield
School to attend: Wabash
Major: Biology, business, Spanish
What is the best advice you’ve ever been given?
No matter what your doing, do it to the best of your ability.
What did you have to sacrifice to be at the top of your class?
Not very much. It was just a good balance of everything. Although, I did take summer courses, but besides that I didn’t have to sacrifice too much.
If you could go back, name something you wouldn’t have worried about in high school:
Don’t worry about what others think or don’t think about you. High school is over in the blink of an eye, and it will no longer matter what they thought of you.
What are three things you want to do before you turn 30?
- Start my own business.
- Become a doctor.
- Travel at my own leisure.
In 20 years I hope that I can…
Do something that will make someone’s life at least a little bit better.
Tri-West High School
Blake Newton
Town of residence: Lizton
School to attend: IUPUI
Major: Business
What is the best advice you’ve ever been given?
“Wanna be happy? Have zero expectations of others.” － Gary Vaynerchuk
What did you have to sacrifice to be at the top of your class?
I had to sacrifice much of my leisure time to be at the top of my class.
If you could go back, name something you wouldn’t have worried about in high school:
Tests.
What are three things you want to do before you turn 30?
- Travel the world .
- Find my passion.
- Run a marathon.
In 20 years I hope that I can…
Be a better person than I am now. I hope that I continue to grow as an individual, continue to be more optimistic and continue to be patient.
