NEW TAMPA — Aarna Patel will open her valedictorian speech with a Sanskrit phrase.
Hasyena samapayet — end every day with kindness or a smile.
As Wharton High School’s Class of 2026 valedictorian, Patel will graduate with the highest grade-point average on record at the school. Still, she hopes her fellow graduates understand that no title or achievement will ever measure up to who they are as people.
“No one is going to remember what type of grades you get,” she said. “But they will remember if you’re kind, charismatic and honest.”
Patel will graduate with a 3.97 unweighted GPA and a 10.53 weighted GPA, the first weighted GPA above 10 in school history, according to Hillsborough County Public Schools spokesperson Debra Bellanti. Her sister, Heer Patel, graduated in 2024 with a 9.88 and was also class valedictorian.
To reach that mark, Aarna Patel said she took only two honors classes, focusing instead on Cambridge Advanced International Certificate of Education, dual enrollment and Advanced Placement courses. She leaned on organization, writing everything in her planner to stay ahead.
“All these classes have taught me is how to be a better student,” Patel said. “It’s not really proof that I’m the smartest, because that’s really not the truth. But it’s taught me how to study. It’s taught me how to time manage. There’s always something you can learn.”
Her biggest motivation was her family, she said.
“Everyone was just always there to encourage me and support me — just so I wouldn’t feel like giving up, or I wouldn’t feel the stress of everything else in my life too,” she said.
Patel said she rarely struggled with self-doubt because of that support system, especially from her sister. At the start of Patel’s freshman year, Heer made clear that setbacks were inevitable — but quitting was not an option.
“You’re going to get bad grades,” Heer told her. “But that’s not an excuse to start doubting yourself or quit. You’re going to just have to push through it with a better mindset if you want to be happy.”
Heer described her younger sister as confident, funny and driven, and said she is looking forward to graduation day.
“I think it’ll be cool to get to sit on the same side of the stage as she got to sit for me,” Heer said. “I know I’ll be cheering her on.”
Patel has not committed to a college but plans to study international relations and public policy on a pre-law track. She hopes to use her voice to advocate for others.
“I have a voice, and I want to use it,” she said. “I want to represent the people who don’t necessarily have a voice or don’t necessarily feel like they can speak out. … Your voice is going to mean something.”
As graduation approaches, Patel hopes her classmates remember to value more than achievement. Don’t spend four years grinding toward the top alone, she said. Graduate with family, friends and memories.
“Because if you’re at the top and you’re alone, there’s no point in being up here,” she said.
Wharton top 10 weighted GPAs
Aarna Patel — 10.5305
Chavi Lakhotia — 9.0000
Vy Doan — 8.8410
Ashray Sayini — 8.5090
Himani Mehra — 8.2676
Luke Dostal — 8.1346
Arvind Iyer — 7.8428
Fernando Soto-Briceno — 7.7455
Lauren Galfond — 7.6630
Jayden Tang — 7.5938