Valley Streamers lead Sacred Heart’s class

With graduation becoming a distant memory, Sacred Heart Academy of Hempstead’s valedictorian Anna Gunther and salutatorian Angela Lo, who are both Valley Stream residents, are getting a true lesson on what it means to reflect on the past to dream of a bright future. For the ladies, the days of child’s play, friendly lunch time banter, and honor and Advanced Placement classes are gone. As both graduates begin to prepare for the next step in life — college — they will never forget the lessons taught at the academy.

“One thing about being at a catholic school is you learn that it is not about you, but it is about service and what you can offer to others,” Gunther said. “You make time to be kind…I will always keep that lesson with me for the future, which was strongly emphasized at the academy.”

For Gunther, she has always tried to apply another lesson to her life, which is one of hard work. When she found out that she earned the coveted spot of valedictorian with a 104.8 grade point average, she was very happy. “I was really excited and thrilled,” she said. “My work had paid off throughout all my years in high school.”

Early on, she would never have expected becoming valedictorian was an attainable goal. “I definitely did not think it was possible to earn valedictorian going into [the academy],” Gunther said. “After I realized this year that I was in the running, it became a goal, but I tried not to put too much pressure on myself.” She noted that the valedictory speech was particularly nerve-wracking, but she was glad it was received well by her peers at the graduation ceremony on June 5.

As a National Merit Scholar because of her high PSAT scores, Gunther did not shy away from excellence in academic achievement. She loves theater and served as the president of the Catholic League and writer for the school paper. She is very grateful to the academy for all of their help.