The valedictorian of my high school was the only student to leave the state.
I guess having the highest GPA gave them more opportunities in other states.
Yes, they went on to become very successful from what I could tell. 
It's interesting that that title is not used frequently in places like Austrailia and New Zealand.
I did not know that. Is there a ranking system in schools over there though?
It seems that the highest-ranking student in those areas is called a "dux" meaning leader and may or may not give a speech.
Is giving a speech up to them or the school? Our valedictorians here can be sensored, and their speeches are carefully scrutinized.
I think in the US at least, the valedictorian always gives a closing or farewell statement at graduation.
Yes it is, some people may cry or laugh but in my case it was very boring.
valedictorian's traditional role as the final speaker at the graduation ceremony before the students receive their diplomas. The valedictory address generally is considered a final farewell to classmates, before they disperse to pursue their individual paths after graduating.
In Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Ireland, India and the United Kingdom, the title valedictorian is not used frequently. In Australia, the title is sometimes awarded to a member of a graduating university class on the basis of contribution to the school rather than academic success. The highest-
, even though I don't show it as much. Love becomes a commodity when it's spoken of too highly and too frequently. I used to sing my praises very frequently when our love was new, like the nightingale which sings in the summer and stops at summers end. It's not that the summer is less pleasant for the nightingale, it's simply that the songs of other birds fill the air, and when things become common, they become less dear. It's for this reason, I, like