The valedictorian of my high school was the only student to leave the state.
Valedictorian
Valedictorian is an academic title of success used in the United States, Canada, Philippines, and Armenia (and elsewhere in limited number of schools) for the student who delivers the closing or farewell statement at a graduation ceremony (called a valediction). The chosen valedictorian is traditionally the student with the highest ranking (highest Grade Point Average, or GPA) among their graduating class. The term is an Anglicised derivation of the Latin "vale dicere" ("to say farewell"), historically rooted in the
graduated as valedictorian of the Rogers High School class of 1877 and received a medal for scholarship. She was the first black student to graduate from Rogers High School.
Silone chose to attend the Rhode Island State Normal School in Providence to become a teacher, rather than pursuing a university career. She graduated in 1879, with honors, the only black student in her class. She was the first African American certified to teach in the schools of Rhode Island. She later received a master's degree from the National University of