St. Patrick Graduate is 2022 West Catholic Valedictorian

St. Patrick School graduates go on to do amazing things. Some excel in sports, others in music and theatre. Many graduates are known for their volunteerism and – yes – a number find themselves at the top of their class academically.

In fact, it has become an almost yearly tradition for St. Patrick alumni to land in the top ten of their high school graduating classes or be named their class valedictorian or salutatorian.

This year, Anna Richmond joins their ranks as valedictorian for West Catholic High School’s Class of 2022.

AP Scholar with Distinction

Out of her graduating class of 107 students, Anna took the top spot academically with a GPA of 4.607. She achieved that impressive number thanks to the 10 AP classes she took while in high school.

AP – short for Advanced Placement – is a program administered by the College Board that allows students to take college-level classes in high school. At the end of each class, students take a test created by the College Board that is scored on a 5-point scale. Colleges and universities use these scores to award college credit to incoming freshman.

Anna’s 10 AP classes is double the number needed to graduate as an AP Scholar with Distinction, the highest honor awarded by the College Board.

In addition to being an AP Scholar with Distinction, Anna was named the science student of the year, something that seems only fitting given that AP Biology was her favorite course in high school.

“I was really prepared,” Anna says, reflecting on how her time at St. Patrick School helped her in high school. “Mrs. Gasper did a really, really good job,” she adds, mentioning our long-time middle school science teacher.

Academics wasn’t the only place Anna excelled in high school either. She was on the West Catholic track and cross-country teams and was a captain for each during her senior year. She was also part of her class leadership, serving as secretary for four years.

Up Next: University of Michigan and Navy ROTC

This fall, Anna will head to the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, and there, she will study nursing and be part of the Navy ROTC program.

“I like learning about the stuff that goes on in the body,” she explains. After graduation, she’ll spend four years in the military as an officer. Then, if all goes according to plan, it will be back to school to become a physician assistant.

For Anna, heading into the military means following in the footsteps of her dad, who has a long record of service in the U.S. Marine Corps, and her older siblings. Her brother, Alex, graduated in the top 10% of his class at the U.S. Naval Academy, and Anna is following closely the path taken by her older sister Olivia, who also studied nursing and joined the Navy ROTC.

Our congratulations to Anna as she closes one chapter of her life and prepares to begin another. Our prayers and best wishes go with you!