IH Valedictorian and Salutatorian 2023

Indian Hills Valedictorian and Salutatorian 2023
Posted on 04/05/2023
Indian Hills Valedictorian and Salutatorian 2023

JESSICA STRICKLAND - VALEDICTORIAN

 

Not only does Jessica Strickland stand at the top of her class academically, but she also has dedicated her time to her passions for flying, adventure, music, dance, writing, and serving others. Jessica has been taking flight lessons since middle school and has completed both ground school and air hours to attain her student pilot license. In addition, Jessica’s thirst for adventure led her to hike the Colorado Trail in the summer of 2021. She backpacked for five hundred miles from Denver to Durango, spending thirty nights in a tent and was the youngest person on the trail that summer. Jessica also expresses her creative side through music, dance, and writing. She has been doing Aerial Dance for the past seven years, practicing three times a week and creating her own original choreography. She has also written two fantasy/dystopian novels and has been writing music compositions and playing piano for over a decade. Jessica serves as the Director of Creative Arts for Interact, participated in Relay for Life, Holiday Festival, and Alzheimers walks, and has been an integral member of our award-winning DECA club. Jessica will be attending the University of Chicago and is considering focusing her future studies in physics, economics, or mathematics, and is not ruling out a minor in Spanish. 

 

CHRISTINE PENG - SALUTATORIAN

 

Senior Christine Peng has been given the honor and recognition of being the Class of 2023's Salutatorian. Christine is a part of the Science, Medicine, and Research University Program. During her time in the program, not only was Christine nominated for the NJ Governor's School in Science, but also spearheaded the project titled 'Give and Grow', which was an educational gardening plan designed to meet the needs of families that had experienced employment instability and food insecurity as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. This classroom project transformed into a long-standing initiative for Christine. Not only was her project selected for the NJECC Design Thinking Challenge competition for leading innovation in learning environments using technology in New Jersey, but won first place. Christine went on to collaborate with the Horticulture classes and the Interact Club in order to incorporate her gardening infrastructure on campus in both collaborative and philanthropic ways. Christine is also a member of the National Honors Society, Academic Decathlon, Inscape, Asian Appreciation Club, Physics League, and Math Team. Outside of the walls of Indian Hills she is a competitive piano player and artist. Just recently, she was the National Scholastic Regional Gold Key Winner for poetry. Christine will attend Brown University in the fall and will pursue studies in English and Environmental Studies.