When Jonier Ayad’s older sister Karin graduated from King High School’s IB program as salutatorian in 2021, she jokingly told her family she’d one day top her. Five years later, the 18-year-old Brandon resident is doing just that, graduating as King IB’s valedictorian with a 3.833 GPA and heading to USF to pursue a career in psychiatry.
Ayad credits her parents’ sacrifices, a tight-knit extended family and teachers who made her fall in love with subjects like history and biology. But ask her what success really means, and the title isn’t the answer.
“I could be valedictorian and not have the love and support from my family and friends, and I don’t think it would mean anything,” she said.
International Baccalaureate Valedictorian: Jonier Ayad
Age: 18
Residence: Brandon
GPA: 3.833
Weighted GPA: 8.79
Clubs: Key Club, Beta Club and Foreign Language and Culture Club. “That was really nice because I can speak some Arabic and we took turns teaching each other different languages.
“My friends and I started a volleyball club. We were on the school volleyball team, but we wanted to have an activity where boys could also play so we formed this volleyball club where anyone could play.”
Favorite teachers: “My history teacher, Mr. Tamargo, and my biology teacher, Ms. Lis, because they both had such a passion for their subject and they taught me a lot about enjoying what you teach.
“When I started learning about history it was not my favorite subject. But Mr. Tamargo helped me understand why societies change and to understand events and history as a whole.
“Biology was something I definitely enjoyed before going into the class. But Ms. Lis reassured that feeling and it was nice to understand what was behind different diseases or analyzing other biology topics.”
College: “USF because I want to stay near my family.”
Major: “I hope to be a psychiatrist. I want to double major in biology and psychology. Then after that go to med school.”
Activities Outside School: “I’m very engaged in my church, Saint George Catholic Orthodox.
“I’m really close with my family and cousins. We live in the same community so we’re all really close.
“I really enjoy hanging out with my friends. It helps me during stressful moments to feel lighter and makes everything a lot more exciting.”
Favorite Song: “Don’t Dream It’s Over” by Crowded House. “I like a lot of the pop girl music. I like songs that make me feel nostalgic and I was watching a documentary about the Menendez brothers and I heard this song and I really liked it.”
Favorite food: “I love Machas. It’s a green tea mixed with milk and you put ice in it. You can put different flavorings in it like vanilla or banana.”
Favorite weekend activity: “Sometimes on Saturday night we’ll all meet up at my cousin’s house and just hang out and have quality time. It’s sort of like de-stressing after the entire week of school.”
Do you stress over your grades? “It depends on the subject. I’m really concerned about my grades and I’ll be upset if I don’t get a good grade on something. But I’m usually just go with the flow until the night before a test until I start stressing.”
Who do you look up to? “My sister, Karin. She graduated from King IB in 2021 and was salutatorian. She had a higher GPA than me, but I would joke around and say that I hope I would become valedictorian one day, although it wasn’t something I planned. So she’s been my inspiration and someone my family looks up to and relies on because she’s the older sister and has all those qualities that make her the leader in our family.”
What inspired you to aim for the top of your class? “I enjoy learning about new topics and how different things work. I think curiosity motivated me to keep pushing myself academically.”
Was there a specific moment when you realized you could become valedictorian? “I saw a 1 on my transcript, but usually it would say 1 out of about a 1,000 something. But my transcript had a 1, then it was blank and then a 5. So I didn’t know. And I went to my counselor, Ms. Stubbs, and she said, ‘Congratulations, you’re number 1 as of now.’ Then I realized this could be serious and that I might be valedictorian. I didn’t know officially until the end of February or March.”
Who or what kept you motivated during tough times? “My parents made a lot of sacrifices for my siblings and I. They always kept me motivated and to keep pushing and to take advantage of all the opportunities that I had.”
What was the biggest obstacle you faced in high school, and how did you overcome it? “Transitioning from middle school (Williams Middle School) to my freshman year at King because I was so used to having my friends from school. I was so young I felt like I had found my group of friends.
“It wasn’t hard for me to make friends; it was more just adjusting to a new environment and different friend groups because it’s an IB school, so there were a lot of really smart kids, and I felt like I wasn’t going to find my group of people. But I was completely wrong and I found a group of people that I enjoy being with.”
How did you balance academics with extracurriculars, friendships and personal life? “Managing my time and prioritizing what was important to me. While I worked hard in school and still had different goals, I still made sure to spend time with the people that calmed me down. I realized that maintaining friendships and relationships was very important for my personal well-being. In a sense it always feels more important spending time with the people you love than the academic validation.”
What’s your favorite high school memory? “The little moments with my friends. Being in a classroom and laughing with different people even if they weren’t in my direct friend group. I just enjoyed spending time with the kids in my grade. We’d hang out together, and things like grad bash was a lot of fun.”
How has your perspective on success changed since freshman year? “I feel like I’ve grown so much through the years in my perspective on things. I realized success is a lot more important than a title or a number. Because I could be valedictorian and not have the love and support from my family and friends and I don’t think it would mean anything.”
How do you define success beyond grades? “Having a positive impact on others and helping people in general is really important when it comes to success.”
What’s one habit or mindset that made the biggest difference for you? “I learned to surround myself with more positive people. Making time for people I care about even during the busy periods of my life.”
How do you hope to make an impact in the world? “Making others feel heard and understood and cared for. Positively influencing others around you. It really goes back to how the small acts of kindness can affect people a lot.”
What advice would you give to students who want to excel academically? “Don’t compare your journey to anyone else’s. If you want to do something, and have a really important goal, stay consistent with your effort rather than aiming for perfection, because in the end if you’re consistent I truly believe it will come to you.”
Where do you see yourself in 10 years? “I really hope I have a meaningful career that I’m passionate about and that can help others. Then hopefully I’ll be married with at least one kid because I want a family.”