QAND A
New Waverly High School ’ s Valedictorian & Salutatorian
VALEDICTORIAN
Isra ’ a ( Susu ) Mahmud PARENTS : Shereen ( mother ) and Majdi ( father ) Mahmud
Q : What are your plans after graduation ? A : After graduation , I plan on attending Texas A & M University . There , I will major in biology and potentially become an optometrist in the future .
Q : What scholarships have you received ?
A : I have not received any major scholarships , but I have received the opportunity to join the Science Leadership Scholar Program , which offers a scholarship of $ 2,500 per year .
Q : What does being valedictorian mean to you ? A : To me , being valedictorian means that all of my hard work and dedication that
I have poured into my education was all worth it in the end .
Q : How has COVID-19 affected your senior year ?
A : Due to COVID-19 , my senior year was much different than what I had imagined when I was younger . This year , my class and I were deprived of many typical school sponsored events . We did not have any pep rallies , a powder-puff game and we had to have the parents host our prom .
Q : Outside of the classroom , how do you spend your time ?
A : Outside of the classroom , I spend my time like any other typical teenager . Aside from doing homework and working at my job , I enjoy spending my time hanging out with my friends and going shopping .
Q : Do you think New Waverly has changed you ? How ?
A : Personally , I believe New Waverly has changed my overall perspective on life . Since I moved to New Waverly , I have learned many values that I now hold dear to myself . I have learned that diversity is an important factor in living , in general . Also , I believe that since I arrived in New Waverly , I have become more motivated and determined to succeed in school .
18 | CLASS OF 2021 | COMMEMORATIVE ISSUE
SALUTATORIAN
Gracie Barnett PARENTS : Amy and Frank Barnett
Q : What are your plans after graduation ? A : After graduation , I will be attending Texas A & M University , where I will be majoring in communications and minoring in journalism .
Q : What scholarships have you received ? A : I have received the National Recognition Scholarship .
Q : What does being salutatorian mean to you ?
A : I ’ m proud of being salutatorian , because it ’ s a reflection of my hard work throughout my high school years . It ’ s nice to know that all the late nights I spent studying and the time I put in have paid off .
Q : How has COVID-19 affected your senior year ?
A : Throughout this year , my school has gone remote a couple of times , due to COVID-19 . This has made me appreciate in-school learning more and feel lucky for the time I get to spend in the classroom .
Q : Outside of the classroom , how do you spend your time ? A : Outside of the classroom , I spend a lot of time doing homework . When I ’ m not doing work , I enjoy writing and playing guitar .
Q : Do you think New Waverly has changed you ? How ?
A : New Waverly has made me appreciate what a small school has to offer , and has also taught me to value and take advantage of the opportunities available to me .