AMERICA | An 18-year-old Nigerian American girl named Esther Fadumiye has emerged as the valedictorian of Cardinal Spelman High School in the United States after scoring a perfect 4.00 grade point average.
Esther earned the achievement with a perfect 100.330 grade point average, the highest grade in he set.
Aside from winning the valedictorian award, she was also honored for her perfect record of attendance. Esther has never missed a day of school since she was in kindergarten.
“My parents are both immigrants, so they taught me drive, perseverance, and hard work. We’ve got to keep at it every day,” she said. Talking about her achievement, Esther said it was not extraordinary as anyone could achieve it, but she is glad she did.
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“I’m not better than anyone else. Everyone could do what I did. I’m taking it all in, just living in the moment, but there is always stuff to do, so I’ve got to move forward,” she said.
Esther expressed her gratitude to her parents and God while giving her speech at her high school’s graduation ceremony in 2018. “I’m standing here today because God decided that I can,” she said.
She announced during her speech that she will be proceeding to Harvard University, Cambridge, to study for her undergraduate degree in Physical Sciences.
“It’s only because of his grace that I’m able to say this: Hey guys, I’m going to Harvard. This is just the beginning. You will see more of me,” she said.
Esther’s mother, Doreen Fadumiye, a registered nurse, said she was not surprised by her achievements. She added that the secret to Esther’s success is hardwork, and her academic accomplishments were sometimes a family effort.
“Hard work pays off. I was expecting it. She stayed up and studied hard, and we stayed up with her, especially with the science projects,” Doreen said.
The Assistant Principal of Cardinal Spelman High School, Kyle O’Donnell, said Esther has shown dedication and hard work in her academics, and it is no surprise that she has achieved success as a student and as a young woman.
“You can’t ask for a better student to come to Spellman High School. The sky is the limit for Esther. Once she puts her mind to something, it’s unbelievable. She’s just a great kid,” Kyle said.
When she is not studying, she watches Korean dramas and plays volleyball with her friends at the park. She also participated in extracurricular activities, including student government.
Esther does not own a cellphone and has no social-media profiles, and if she wants to connect with someone, she prefers to talk to them in person.
“I never had a cellphone, because I just chose not to. I didn’t see the point,” she said. “I’d rather talk to people in person because over cellphones, social media, and stuff like that, you often lose the value of communication.”
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