Each year, Tracy High recognizes two students that have had exemplary academic records as the valedictorian and salutatorian. The Class of 2014 valedictorian is Aditya Gupta and the salutatorian is Hilarie Sit.

Gupta, while honored by receiving the title, seeks to acknowledge the effort of his fellow seniors as well.

“I feel rewarded,” Gupta said. “I can’t say that ‘all the years of hard work have paid off’ because my colleagues have worked just as hard as me.”

However, Gupta’s academic record speaks for itself, having earned a cumulative 4.7 GPA.

“I am in six International Baccalaureate (IB) classes, one AP class, and I have a zero period Biotechnology class,” Gupta said.

Gupta will be attending the University of Southern California (USC) in the fall, majoring in Biomedical Engineering.

“I’m super excited to go to USC because it has a balance of social life and academics,” Gupta said. “I decided to major in Biomedical Engineering because I wanted to study the technology behind the medical industry.”

Surprisingly, Gupta’s biggest challenge in high school came not from demanding coursework, but from within.

“The most challenging thing would be accepting myself for who I am and not getting caught up in meaningless words people throw at me,” Gupta said.

One of his happiest memories was winning the title of Mr. Bulldog during Tracy High’s annual Hoopla week.

“It was an honor because it was one of the first non-academic recognitions I received,” Gupta said.

While Gupta participated in an array of extracurricular activities, from being president of the Scientifically Speaking club to tutoring, he does have one regret.

“After watching my younger brother play football, I wish I would have tried out for the team,” Gupta said.

To current and future Tracy High students, Gupta offered this advice:

“Always keep your goals in mind and never let anything get in between you and achieving your goals.”

Sit sees earning the title of salutatorian as validation for the effort and persistence she put into her schoolwork.

“I feel honored that I’m getting this award,” Sit said. “I’m happy. It’s a reward for all of my years of hard work.”

Sit, like Gupta, was enrolled in six IB classes, one AP class, and Biotechnology.

“My overall GPA was 4.44, and I’m happy with that,” Sit said. “The course load was manageable, but you had to put in the time and effort and realize that it will pay off in the future.”

Sit will attend Cornell University in the fall.

“I’m going to major in either Biological or Chemical Engineering,” Sit said. “Biology and chemistry are my favorite subjects and I like engineering because I get to create things. I’m excited, but kind of freaked out for college.”

The biggest obstacle Sit faced in high school was “The Beast,” a large, mandatory research paper assigned to students in IB History of the Americas I, clocking in with a 3,500 word count requirement.

“The Beast was the longest and most challenging paper I have ever written,” Sit said. “I wrote mine about the Enlightenment in Russia. I got an A, so I’m very happy with my grade.”

One of the most memorable moments for Sit came during her senior year.

“One of the happiest moments for me was going to San Francisco with the IB Diploma kids this year,” Sit said. “We got to hang out and relax.”

Also similar to Gupta, Sit wishes she had been more involved with campus sports teams.

“I regret not going to any football games,” Sit said. “I also regret not playing a sport. I almost tried out for basketball my freshman year.”             Sit hopes to emphasize to Bulldogs the importance of making the most of high school.

“High school is one of the most important times of your life,” Sit said. “Give it your all. Good things will happen if you try.”