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TOP SCHOLARS: Sebring's Valedictorian And Salutatorian Have Big Plans

Kathy Waters/Highlands Today

From left: Amy Hart is this year's valedictorian and Mary Midence is this year's salutatorian for Sebring High School Class of 2008.

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By MARC VALERO | Highlands Today

Published: May 6, 2008

SEBRING — As the school district's Math and Science Student of the Year, Sebring High School's Amy Hart knows her calculations and knows her grade point average to six decimal places – 5.262456.

That number put her at the top of the Sebring High Class of 2008 as the school's valedictorian.
"It's kind of cool to be the last one," Hart said.

Next year the graduation ceremonies in the district won't have valedictorians and salutatorians. Graduation recognition will by grade point averages that fall within three recognition categories: Summa Cum Laude, Magna Cum Laude and Cum Laude.

Amy, who is the daughter of Barney and Janine Hart of Sebring, was active in the following extracurricular activities: varsity swimming, girls weightlifting, currently co-president of Mu Alpha Theta (math honor society) and the National Honor Society.

The reward for being the math and science student of the year meant you had to take a test with other top students in the region in Fort Myers, Amy said.

"I competed among nine other students," Amy said. "All they told me is I didn't get first in the region."
She plans to start her studies in engineering in the fall at the University of Florida.

"I'm just going to take some classes in some different areas of engineering to decide more about what I want to do," she said.

In five years Amy sees herself working on her master's degree

Sebring High Salutatorian, Mary Mindence, earned a 5.20 grade point average.
Mary, who lives in Sebring, is the daughter of Robert and Norma Mindence.

She was on the varsity tennis team for four year and was also a member of Mu Alpha Theta and the National Honor Society.

A highlight of her high school years was being the first seed on the tennis team for the past two years.
Unsure of a major at this time, Mary plans to take pre-medical courses at Tufts University in Boston. She has two cousins attending the university.

"I haven't seen Tuft's campus, but I went to Boston two years ago and I saw the city and I liked it a lot," she said.

In five years she hopes to be studying in medical school.

Mary plans to start working on her graduation speech after studying and taking her advanced placement course exams this week and next week.

The Sebring High School graduation ceremony will be held at 9 a.m., May 31 at Firemens Field in Sebring.

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