As the school year comes to a close, the Class of 2026 is prepared to walk the stage, marking the end of their four-year high school journey. The 2026 valedictorian, Kelly Ye, is one of the many students ready to throw their caps as cheers from loved ones flood MacDonald Stadium.
With high school coming to an end, Valedictorian Ye has come to the everlasting realization that “school is as valuable as you make it to be.” Despite her common dread of Mondays, shared with many other high schoolers, she is grateful that high school has provided her with a place where she can laugh with friends, talk with her favorite teachers, and “learn a wide variety of topics in one place,” shared Ye.
Ye, who is committed to major in mechanical engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, highlighted her struggles in feeling a need to live up to parental expectations. Although these expectations have made her who she is today, encouraging her to work harder, she found a new focus—not in external validation—but in simply working hard to meet her own dreams and wishes for the future. “I want to be the best version of myself,” expressed Ye.
Taking extensive courses like AP Research, AP Physics II, AP Language and Compostion, AP Calculus BC, AP Chemistry, and more, Ye has demonstrated not only her academic excellence, but also integrity. Going into engineering, Ye dedicated the majority of her academics to the sciences yet, she has also taken a deeper dive into what she believes makes a good engineer.
“I believe what makes a good engineer is having diverse perspectives and skillsets, which is why I wanted to work on my writing and research skills as well,” noted Ye.
Out of the many classes Ye has taken throughout her high school career, she depicts AP Physics I taught by Brian Morrison as the most memorable but also one of the most challenging classes she’d ever taken. Morrison believes that Ye’s “integrity, humility, and genuine enthusiasm for learning inspires those around her.”
Ye recalls spending hours watching physics videos especially before the AP exam, but she grew to love the subject. “The class taught me to take initiative for my learning and working hands on and performing calculations with labs made me realize I love the process of investigating and creating tools,” said Ye.
Besides academics, Ye’s extracurriculars revolve around student clubs. As president of both Science National Honors Society and Key Club, she had displayed her immense communication skills.
As a female, a minority in the engineering field, Ye is extremely passionate about “bringing STEM education towards younger generations and minority communities through educational initiatives with SNHS, Red Cross, and Girls Who Code.”
For Ye, high school will be remembered as a feeling of fondness and warmth: “desperately holding in laughter mid-class, post-exam hot pots with my physics class, taking long ‘bathroom breaks’ with friends, and much more.”
All in all, Ye is glad to have gotten through it all with her community.
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