Wesley Chapel High Valedictorian: Camden Battey
Age: 18
GPA: 4.0
Weighted GPA: 4.78
College: University of Florida
Major: Biomedical Engineering
Clubs: National Honor Society in science and math
Other activities: Golf team for four years
Moffitt Volunteen Program at Moffit Cancer Center – “I volunteered in the Intensive Care Unit. It was great first-hand experience into the medical field and what I might want to do in the future.”
“Special Olympics in bowling and golf, where you coach someone with special needs and practice with them. It was one of my favorite things I did in high school, aside from playing varsity golf.”
Favorite teachers: “Golf coach Joshua Raskopf. He was also our U.S. history teacher and he was upbeat and always engaging. He was also my seventh grade teacher. As a coach he was great with the mental part of the game and would keep you focused and from getting upset if you made a bad shot.”
Favorite class: “AP Calculus because I like math a lot.”
Favorite music/song: “I like different genres — classical, jazz, R&B”
Favorite food: Korean barbecue
Favorite weekend activity: “Going to the beach. Playing golf with my dad and friends.”
Who do you look up to?: “My parents: My mom, Aerin, and dad, Brandon. They always gave me the support I needed to get to where I am today and going to higher places in the future.”
What was the biggest obstacle you faced in high school, and how did you overcome it?: “Finding friends. Playing golf definitely helped me meet new people, and I put myself out there more.”
How did you balance academics with extracurriculars, friendships and personal life?:
“With golf it’s hard because you have to practice so much to see a one percent improvement. It was hard to balance golf and school. But golf helped me relieve some of the stress from studying so much.”
How has your perspective on success changed since freshman year?: “There’s definitely more to success than GPA or what college you get into. That’s basically the goal in high school, right, get good grades so you can go to your dream school. But some people find success in finding friends, or playing sports, so it’s more than just numbers. It’s about the moments you experience.”
What advice would you give to students who want to excel academically?: “Don’t put as much pressure on yourself as you think you need to. At the end of the day it’s high school. If you get into any college and you plan on doing something after undergraduate like going to graduate school or doing a trade, nobody is going to ask what GPA you had in high school, and half the time they won’t ask what college you graduated from for your undergraduate degree. It’s more the experience you have in that job or where you graduated from in graduate school.”
Message to fellow graduates: “Have fun and live life to the fullest because there’s so much more than GPA and test scores. In high school you lose track of that, especially if you’re trying to get into the top colleges. That consumes your life for a couple years. Try and get along with everybody and enjoy the experience.”
Where do you see yourself in 10 years?: “Hopefully either in medical school or doing some sort of research in biomedical engineering. For now, mainly medical school.”