Emma Sarmiento and Brayden Hart didn’t give much thought to being the class valedictorian or salutatorian when they first entered Denair High School.

“Honestly, I never really thought about it until last year,” said Sarmiento, the Class of 2026 valedictorian. “It wasn’t until last year that I realized it was a possibility for me. And this year, it kind of got more real.”

Hart felt similarly.

“I went into ninth grade just wanting to pass my classes,” said Hart, this year’s salutatorian. “But at the end of freshman year, I knew I had the highest grade-point average. I was like, ‘I’m just going to keep going and keep getting A’s.”

Hart had the highest GPA among any member of the Class of 2026 until last semester, when Sarmiento overtook him. She has a 4.35 cumulative GPA, five-hundredths of a point higher than Hart, who owns a 4.30.

Sarmiento will attend UC Merced next year, and plans on majoring in human biology with the goal of someday becoming an ophthalmologist. Hart will attend Fresno State, where he plans to major in business, with designs on becoming a financial advisor.

Both excelled outside the classroom, as well.

Hart played on Denair’s football and baseball teams – each qualified for the Sac-Joaquin Section playoffs – during his senior year and previously was on the school’s basketball squad. He is also vice president of the Associated Student Body and has been involved with Friday Night Live and the National Alliance on Mental Illness. This summer, he’ll show a duck named Rooster at the Stanislaus County Fair as part of Denair’s FFA program. He’s earned $2,500 is scholarships toward his education.

Sarmiento, meanwhile, played on the varsity soccer team for four years, was a member of varsity track and field for three years, played varsity volleyball during her junior and senior seasons, and was named the Southern League’s Scholar Athlete of the Year for 2025-26. She was also active in FNL for four years and served as club treasurer this year for the Hispanic Youth Leadership Club. She’s been associated with NAMI, PHAST (Protect Health and Slamming Tobacco), and was a counselor for Foothill Horizons the past two years. Between UC Merced and community partner scholarships, Sarmiento has secured $20,000 toward furthering her education.

“Both Emma and Brayden have been really great students,” said DHS principal Breanne Aguiar. “I’m very proud of them, and I’m just excited to see what their futures hold.”

The immediate future for the students includes giving speeches during commencement on Friday, May 22, at Jack Lytton Stadium. The ceremony is slated to begin at 7 p.m.

“I just want to congratulate everybody for going through these 12 years of school and let them know that our future is bright,” said Hart. “It was hard, but we all came through it.”

Early drafts of Sarmiento’s speech focused on a shared memory that would connect all students.

“It was too hard to pick one thing,” said Sarmiento. “I think my overall message will focus on how we’ve developed and transformed from being kids into young adults with knowledge and memories and experiences that will help us in the future.”