Ryan Rose is the current top-ranked student for the class of 2024 and the editor of The Breeze newspaper! He has been thriving with his grades and now is ranked #1. Congratulations Ryan on this great success! Ryan has taken a total of eight Advanced Placement classes in his high school career, which is insanely impressive. His freshman year he took AP U.S History I and in his sophomore year he took AP U.S History II. Then in his junior year he took AP Computer Science Principles, AP Modern World History, and AP English Language and Composition. Now, in his senior year, he is currently taking AP European History, AP Statistics, AP English Literature and Composition, and AP Psychology. In his earlier years, Ryan attended Berkley Elementary School and Berkley Middle School. He has worked hard to get to where he is now and he 100% deserves this position. Now let’s get into the interview and see what Ryan has to say.
How would you describe the 4 years of High School that you experienced?
I would just start by saying that these past four years have been fast, very fast! I feel like I was just starting my freshman year not that long ago. Overall, though, my high school experience has been very positive. I’ve enjoyed my time here at SBRHS and am grateful for all the opportunities that were presented to me here.
What was your favorite memory from high school?
I’m not really sure if I can pinpoint one specific memory, but I’d say that the connections you make here and the experiences you have with people are by far the best part of high school. I’ve been lucky to have great peers and teachers during my time here and am grateful for the connections I’ve been able to build.
How do you feel about possibly being the valedictorian for the class of 2024?
I was really surprised when I found out that I was at the top of the class in early fall. It was a surprise when Ms. Meader, my guidance counselor, let me know. I didn’t really know how to respond at the time, but I am proud of the work that I’ve done that has helped me make this achievement.
What is the biggest accomplishment that you had?
Academically, I’d say taking five dual enrollment courses at Bristol Community College on top of my classes at SBRHS was one of my biggest accomplishments that I’ve had during my time here. I say this not just because it was challenging, but also because taking these courses helped me to decide on my post-high school plans. Taking those classes ended up paying off very well and I’m proud of the work that I did in those courses.
What did you do to get to the point that you are at now?
I’m not sure if I did anything specific to get here. Class rank and GPAs weren’t really something I thought about until the start of senior year once everyone started talking about them too. I’ve just always enjoyed school and tried to do as well in my classes as I could. I tried to take classes that were of interest to me, which I’d say made it far easier to maintain good grades and stay motivated to be involved in my courses.
What are your future plans for after high school?
After high school, I want to go to college and double major in political science and history. I do this with the intent of going to law school and eventually having a career in law.
What is a piece of advice that you would give to someone who is in high school?
I would say to always try your best in the things you do, whatever that means for you specifically. For some people that’s doing well academically, but academic success isn’t the only thing that is important. For some people, succeeding in athletics is what is most important to them, for others its creating art or music. For some, trying their best is just trying to make it through the day and cope with things that are out of their control, and that is okay too. I guess what I’m trying to say is to just put in your best effort and recognize that doing that is a success in itself. There’s really no need to compare your successes to anyone else’s so long as you know that you’re doing the best that you possibly can.
