Andrea Ximena Padilla is the Denair High School Class of 2025 valedictorian thanks to her 4.26 grade-point average. The salutatorian will be Jack Ruane, who compiled a 4.15 GPA over four years.
Graduation is set for Friday, May 23 at Jack Lytton Stadium. Gates open at 6:30 p.m. and the ceremony begins at 7 p.m.
Padilla and Ruane recently took time to answer some questions about their high school experiences.
Question: What are the key things other students should know about your academic success and how you achieved it?
Padilla: I would like other students to know that although I studied very hard and I absolutely love school, I realized that I cannot dedicate my entire time to it because balance is essential. School has always been my main priority, but I feel as though I found more about myself in the moments that I dedicated to non-academic activities such as sports or clubs, and most importantly spending time with my family and at church. This time allowed my brain to detox and perform well for academic success.
Ruane: Academic success definitely takes sacrifice. I was still able to have a great time in high school of course, but I truly believe to set yourself apart, it requires an extra level of dedication.
Q: How much time outside of regular class did you spend studying or doing homework?
Ruane: Honestly, I mostly did not study for tests and I would instead focus on my class notes and understanding. As for homework, I very rarely did it at home as I always used extra class time and free periods efficiently.
Padilla: I usually spent two to four hours doing homework a night.
Q: Which classes and/or teachers at Denair High had the most influence on you?
Padilla: Mr. Wagner and Ms. North had the most influence on me. Mr. Wagner has been my teacher since freshman year for many subjects such as history, AP macroeconomics, AP U.S. government, and he’s even my track coach. Both my brothers were also taught by him and Mr. Wagner says he’s hard on me because he owes it to my brothers to help me succeed and reach my full potential. Because of him, I realized that I am much stronger than I think I am and he’s always pushed me to be the best version of myself. Whenever I feel overwhelmed with school, I talk to him and he gives the most honest and helpful advice. He always keeps me in check and I not only see him as a teacher but as a friend. Ms. North knows me better than most. She knows exactly what to say when I overthink an assignment or life in general. She’s been my teacher since sophomore year and has taught me pre-AP English, AP language and AP literature. Aside from literary help, I also confide in her during my moments of stress since her words give me clarity. Her class is the reason I have become so confident in my writing. She also does a great job of pushing me forward and challenging me to build my academic abilities.
Ruane: Miss Hilton and Miss North had the most impact on me at Denair, since both of them went out of their way to help me get acclimated to a new school. They would both go on to aid me greatly through my senior year, and each gave me valuable advice considering my future.
Q: How many Advanced Placement classes were you able to take? Were you challenged?
Ruane: During high school, I took four AP classes — physics, literature, government and macroeconomics. These are some of the harder AP courses, but I was able to get good grades in each.
Padilla: I was able to take every advanced class offered at Denair since junior year and have taken every math honors class since freshman year. Last year I took AP U.S. history, AP English language and AP Spanish and passed each AP exam. AP language was a class where I felt my writing had improved the most. I thankfully found my own literary style within the many essays Ms. North had us write and I’ve stuck to it since. AP Spanish was also a class that I didn’t struggle with but rather learned a lot from. Spanish is my first language, but the class helped me truly broaden my vocabulary and become confident in writing entire essays in my native tongue. This year I took AP macroeconomics, AP literature and AP government. AP economics is the first class I have ever truly struggled with. Although I am confident with math and reading, the math and reading in economics was something I could not get accustomed to because of the complex wording and various equations/ graphs we had to remember. It’s an entirely new subject that I’ve never learned before. I would spend a lot of time studying and asking Mr. Wagner questions which helped me start to understand its components, but I still don’t feel entirely confident in my economics skills (especially because it is only a semester-long class). After that semester is over, we transfer to AP gov and I’ve really enjoyed that class. I find it incredibly interesting learning all about how the country came to be, how the government works, and being able to truly understand the political news on TV. In AP literature this year I was able to practice the knowledge I had gained from AP language. I especially liked this class because Ms. North has the seniors do many fun assignments like recording yourself trying new food, writing an emotional essay about my time at Denair, and much more. I recently took my exams this week and I have to wait until July to see my scores but I hope I pass!
Q: What kind of culture of learning exists in your home? What has that meant for your success in high school?
Padilla: I come from Mexican Immigrant parents who have instilled the importance of discipline in my life. My parents never had to push me to study or tell me to stay in school because since I was little, I’ve put it upon myself to be academically driven. Through my own discipline, I have created my personal culture of learning in which my parents have proudly supported me. Their goal is to see their children have the bright future they envisioned for us when they immigrated to this country. Their sacrifices have constantly stayed with me as motivation to succeed, and thanks to them, I have continued my academic discipline in high school and become the valedictorian, which makes my entire family proud.
Ruane: Though my parents do not help me much with academics, I have learned from them how to have a high standard for myself and never give up through adversity. This gave me the desire to complete my work as close to perfection as possible.
Q: What should members of the community know about the quality of education at Denair High?
Ruane: The teachers at Denair truly care about your success in their class, and they are very helpful. As a new student, they did a great job of integrating me into their classes.
Padilla: Denair is a very small school, but it allows students to be closer to their teachers and classmates. This makes it super easy for students to feel at home on campus. Many times, I had to venture out to find opportunities, but it made me more passionate to work hard for what was not handed to me.
Q: Outside of class, what kinds of teams, organizations or clubs are you involved in? How important are extracurricular activities in preparing you for college and beyond?
Padilla: Outside of school, I carry a pretty packed schedule. I am the high school’s ASB president; and as for sports I have been a part of the high school’s cheer team and varsity soccer team for all four years. I was also named captain of both those sports this year. I also joined the varsity track team this year and I have continually placed in my 400-meter event and have made it to section finals. My sophomore year, I reinstated the Hispanic Youth Leadership Council, which had shut down due to COVID. I am now its vice president. I am also part of the school’s Friday night life club. I was also a leader for my church’s middle school youth group. These extracurricular activities have helped me manage a busy schedule and understand the importance of having a balance between academics and a personal life, which will help me as I continue the hefty study involved in college. All of these activities have also put me in a leadership role which has immensely helped me communicate with people, plan events and become confident in public speaking; this will help me in the career I pursue.
Ruane: Throughout high school, I’ve been obsessed with basketball and participated in it all four years. Though I struggled with injuries greatly, I learned the importance of developing passions through extracurriculars. Extracurriculars can help anyone learn skills that are applicable to real life.
Q: What is the right balance for teens busy with school, teams or clubs, and even part-time jobs?
Ruane: Each student obviously has their own circumstances and needs, but I believe that students should find out what they are passionate about and prioritize those things. School must always take priority, but after that, do what you love and run with it.
Padilla: I would say that the right balance for teens with a busy schedule is explained perfectly in the quote “Work hard, play hard.” It was very difficult for me to not feel burnt out with all of the studying I had to do, but I found it very beneficial to engage in physical activity like sports. I recommend doing the same because it allows you to focus on something outside of academics while engaging with friends. As I entered my senior year, I got to spend so much time out with friends and truly get the “high school experience” that I always wanted. It’s so important to carry on a social life because it’s refreshing to be around people that recharge your batteries when you’ve spent a long time working. It feels incredibly rewarding to work hard and have fun because you know you deserve it. We’re teenagers so we should be having fun as we work towards the future! Time is always there you just have to make it work for you.
Q: What are your college and career plans?
Padilla: I will be attending UC Merced in the fall and majoring in microbiology. Then after college I plan to go into medical school to become a doctor; specifically, an oncologist.
Ruane: I plan to go to CSU Stanislaus for 1-2 years and work at an investment internship, then transfer to a UC to complete a degree in finance. I plan on going into financial advisory and investment planning.
Q: What themes are you going to talk about in your graduation speech?
Ruane: During my speech, I will first express my gratitude and humility. I would then like to point to faith and ambition, and how both of those things are crucial to not just high school life, but life in general. Another theme I want to talk about is the strength of the Denair community and how the people here helped me make the most of one year at a new school. My classmates and teachers have not only contributed greatly to my success but gave me a sense of connection.
Padilla: I plan to center my speech around the memories my classmates and I have shared throughout our time together. I have attended DUSD my entire life (since preschool!), so I have grown up with the majority of my classmates and it will be one last time to reminisce on all our memories together. I’ll also encourage my class to look forward to the bright future that awaits us.
