WCHS announces 2007 valedictorian
Torie Smith is following in her brother Nathan?s footsteps. Three years after he was named WCHS valedictorian, Torie has worked her way to the same honor.
?My mom is a teacher at Hickory Creek and she has always pushed education. My dad has too,? said Smith, the daughter of Mark and Jackie Smith. ?I guess I?m a little bit of an overachiever.?
She narrowly edged Morgan Gonder for the distinction of No. 1 in the 2007 graduating class. Both have made straight A?s their entire high school careers. The difference comes from weighted classes during their freshman and sophomore years.
?I still have a 4.0 GPA for college and that?s all that matters to me,? said Gonder about barely missing the top spot in the class. He is the son of Rufus and Donna Gonder.
Neither student said they have a clear-cut favorite subject, although Gonder came the closest.
?I like to eat so I?d say lunch is my favorite,? Gonder said.
Smith is undecided on a college major, saying she?s considering anthropology or astronomy. Her only reservations are a career with too much math.
?My AP calculus class this year showed me I don?t know how much math I want to do,? said Smith, who is considering UT-Knoxville, along with several other colleges.
As for extracurricular activities, Smith is vice president of the Key Club and she performs in the first violin section of the Murfreesboro Youth Orchestra. Her violin accomplishments are especially noteworthy because she didn?t begin her classical violin studies until 16. She also enjoys photography.
Gonder is a member of the Pioneer tennis team and he is also treasurer of the Interact Club and National Honor Society. As treasurer, he holds the Interact Club checkbook but says he has restrained himself from taking his friends out to dinner.
Gonder says he wants to attend Tennessee Tech or Lipscomb and ultimately work toward being an orthodontist.
?I worked for Dr. Jones last year and watched him make retainers and things like that,? said Gonder referring to local orthodontist Robert Jones.