Friendly competition drove two students and friends to earn Princeton High School’s top academic honors.

Princeton High School aca­demic rankings place Rayna Samples as valedictorian and Vivian Long as salutatorian of the 341-member Class of 2021.

Rayna posted a weighted grade point average of 5.38 and Vivian came in at 5.3. The weighted averages consider additional points awarded for completing advanced aca­demic classes. The valedicto­rian and salutatorian each had an unweighted average of 4.0. Both Rayna and Vivian are at­tending University of Texas at Austin after graduation.

Vivian will major in chemis­try in the school’s honors pro­gram and plans to become an anesthesiologist.

Vivian said she is looking forward to the freedom that col­lege brings.

“My parents are strict,” Viv­ian said. “Not in a bad way, but they have always pressed me to do better. I think I know what I am capable of now so it will be nice to give it a go.”

Rayna said she doesn’t know exactly what she wants to ma­jor in yet, but said she keeps circling back to a career in high school education, specifically English. She said her English teachers have impacted her greatly.

“Of everyone in my life, the people who have been there for me and supported me when I needed it most, have been some of my teachers,” Rayna said. “I go off and want to do different things, but I always come back to teaching English and I see myself enjoying that.”

Vivian said she comes from a family of scholars; both her par­ents and her older brother were valedictorians.

Academia has always been important to Vivian and she is happy she and Rayna are com­peting at the highest levels.

For the full story, see the Apr. 29 issue or subscribe online.

By Dustin Butler • [email protected]