Published April 2nd, 2026
BY OLIVIA FORT
Prior to leaving for February break, 20 seniors of the Class of 2026 were informed that they would be representing their class as valedictorians at graduation—a number that has remained consistently high in the past decade under Carmel High School’s current policy in which any student who earns a 4.00 unweighted grade point average and completes at least 13 AP, Honors or Monterey Peninsula College dual-enrollment courses receives the title.
The policy, officially implemented in 2015, has seen the number of valedictorians fluctuate from 15 to 28, the high mark in 2023.
This year, 20 Class of 2026 valedictorians will be honored at graduation, reflecting the consistently large cohorts produced by CHS’ current criteria. courtesy of HOLLY LEDERLE
“The current valedictorian policy was created to transition away from GPA‑based criteria for two primary reasons,” CHS counselor Darren Johnston says. “First, because the highest GPA rarely correlates with the greatest academic performance. And second, to give students the opportunity to enroll in academic and elective courses without worrying about potential impacts to their GPA.”
The system was created in part to avoid the conflicts that arose under CHS’ previous model, which selected a single valedictorian. Kenna Little, a 2013 CHS graduate and now a teacher at Carmel Middle School, recalls that students who earned all A’s in a required number of Honors and AP classes were named salutatorians and then invited to apply for the sole valedictorian spot.
“We listed all of our extracurriculars for a committee to consider, and I can only imagine now how difficult it was to choose given the diverse experiences represented,” Little says. “I was competing with close, very talented friends, and while we were proud of each other, there was definitely tension between us, which seems trivial now.”
Among this year’s valedictorians, opinions differ. Senior Ryan Lin, who completed 15 AP courses and plans to attend Washington University in St. Louis next fall, feels proud to have earned the title.
“I feel really accomplished,” explains Lin, whose twin brother, Matthew is also a valedictorian. “I worked hard in all my classes and tried to maintain my grades.”
Some feel that the title has become diluted. Senior Kate Blakely, a valedictorian who has committed to Scripps College, believes the honor is too attainable.
“The fact there are so many valedictorians really takes away from the value of the title,” explains Blakely.
For valedictorian Averil Mabry, the title carries little practical impact. Due to the timing, colleges do not consider valedictorian status in admissions decisions.
“I’m proud of it, but the actual title won’t mean much after high school,” explains Mabry. “Part of me also feels like the title can be a little pretentious, because I know people who worked just as hard and definitely deserve it.”
Brent Silva, who teaches history at CHS, believes the criteria overlooks meaningful differences in course difficulty.
“You can have students who take real academic risks and end up with a B or two, but their overall workload is actually more rigorous than someone who took an easier path,” Silva explains. “And when so many students qualify, it doesn’t really set anyone apart.”
English teacher Barbara McBride supports the current model, noting that it provides clear benchmarks for students.
“I’m definitely a proponent of identifying clear benchmarks that students have to meet in order to qualify as a valedictorian,” says McBride. “What seems to be problematic or misleading is the name itself, as by definition the valedictorian is the highest achieving student.”
Another point of ongoing debate is the timing of the announcement. CHS names its valedictorians after first-semester grades are finalized, meaning spring grades are not considered. Over the past seven graduating classes, 122 students have earned the title, yet four received a B during their final semester, according to Johnston.
CHS finalizes valedictorian status after first-semester grades because graduation programs and valedictorian medals must be ordered well in advance. In addition, second-semester grades are not officially finalized until after graduation, as it’s held on the last day of school and finals.
But for now, the school’s inclusive approach remains in place.
