As the Pascack Valley class of 2024 wraps up the highschool chapter of their life, the valedictorian and salutatorian are announced to commend the top two seniors for their achievements throughout high school. This year, the valedictorian is Jillian Suarez and the salutatorian is Izzie Velez.
Both Suarez and Velez heard that they were valedictorian and salutatorian respectively on March 1. They didn’t expect the news that day nor that they had achieved this accomplishment.
“My mind kind of just went blank,” Suarez said.
Velez shared these feelings of shock.
“I was kind of surprised because I feel like no one’s really talked about [being valedictorian and salutatorian],” Velez said. “I’m not really into the whole competitive aspect [of grades].”
Suarez and Velez are not only academic students but are also involved in the community. Suarez started cheerleading as a sophomore, becoming the captain her senior year.
“I think that [being captain] definitely helped me with my communication skills,” Suarez said.
She’s also passionate about art and has been a member of the Art Club all throughout high school and even led the club as president this year.
“Those [cheer and art] are two really big pieces of me,” Suarez said.
Outside of school, Suarez shadowed doctors because of her interest in medicine, specifically orthopedics.
“I volunteered at my local hospital and I also shadowed my orthopedic surgeon,” Suarez said.
Like Suarez, Velez also participated in a number of activities throughout high school. She was a member of Camp Rasberry for all 4 years and was on its executive board for 3 years. According to Velez, she always had a lot of fun interacting with all the kids.
She was also on the Pascack Valley Executive Council as the Freshman Liaison, Sophomore Liaison, Student Representative to the BOE (Board of Education) her junior year, and senior liaison.
“Last year was probably the most interesting [year on the PV executive council] because I went to all of the BOE meetings and gave a student report.”
During school, she could often be found holding meetings for the History Club as its president. After school, you can find her doing hurdles and high jump as part of the PV Track and Field team.
Suarez credits success in high school and becoming valedictorian to her work ethic.
“I’m definitely one to sit down and get everything done,” Suarez said.
Similarly, Velez thinks working hard helped her get this far.
“I don’t think I did anything crazy [to be salutatorian],” Velez said. “I just always did my best.”
When asked where the motivation behind their strong work ethic came from, Suarez and Velez had the same answer: their motivation came from within themselves.
“You could have outside people try to motivate you to do things, but you’re the only one who can get it done,” Suarez said.
“I feel like it was a drive within myself. I know my parents never pressured me. My mom would honestly tell me to ‘calm down’,” Velez said.
Although it can be difficult to maintain good grades, Suarez and Velez believe that the environment at PV helped make a positive impact on them.
“The environment at Valley is just a good environment to learn in, and I feel like I enjoyed my time here,” Velez said. “I thought that all the teachers were really nice and I feel like they taught us really well. They [teachers] really understand [their subject] and enjoy teaching.”
Suarez explains that she also enjoyed her time at Valley for a number of reasons.
“I definitely had a good high school experience. The teachers were great, and there were so many opportunities to try new things and be with people that you could share common interests with,” Suarez said.
Velez emphasized that to be successful while in high school, you should learn how to spend your time.
“You have to have a good balance. Keep hanging out with your friends,” Velez said. “Don’t stress so much. You just have to have a good time while you’re [in high school].”
Suarez recommends always staying on top of your work.
“Don’t slack because it will catch up to you,” Suarez said.
After high school, Velez plans to major in biological engineering, and Suarez will major in neuroscience on a pre-medical track at Northwestern University. Although high school will soon be over for them, they will always remember their time here.
“Thanks to all the teachers who helped me along the way and all my friends. I’m definitely going to look back at [high school] really fondly,” Velez said.
Suarez agrees that she will miss high school.
“Definitely enjoy your high school experience,” Suarez said. “It’s a once in a lifetime experience.”
