Oriana Sampson

Spring has arrived and the school year is coming to a close. A part of spring for seniors is finding out who has been named valedictorian. Being named a valedictorian is a very prestigious position, given these students have maintained a perfect GPA throughout all four years of high school.

Oriana Sampson is one of 14 seniors who has a perfect GPA. Over the past seven semesters of high school, she has never had a grade below an A. “I worked hard for the grades,” Sampson said.

Sampson is a part of the Link Crew and robotics team here at BSM. She spends a good amount of time at BSM in the engineering room, this class plays a big role in how she thinks about her future. Her plans after high school vary, she does plan on going to college. “It’s through cool robotics opportunities that is the reason I’ll probably be going into something engineering-related in college,” Sampson said.

Oriana began her interest in engineering early in high school. “She as a sophomore started exploring artificial intelligence for our competitive robot, she travelled to Australia with us as a sophomore, I don’t think we have ever taken a sophomore before,” engineering teacher Ms. Anne Dougherty said.

Despite how much she has enjoyed engineering, Sampson may end up in a different area of the engineering field. “More and more I am realizing I don’t want to be behind a computer all day and code… I may go into a management crowd or into finance,” Sampson said.

Sampson has done an amazing job getting to this position, because of this she gives advice. “Just do your homework on time, it helps a lot with getting the grade you want… to take classes you find interesting. If you’re bored, you won’t do as well,” Sampson said

For Sampson, the most influential people here at BSM were the engineering teachers. “Their class is different from the others: they teach you to manage yourself, not always focused solely on deadlines, to explore ideas through your own innate curiosity,” Sampson said.

Sampson definitely hasn’t wasted any time in her high school years; outside of school, she plays the piano and violin, is learning Mandarin, and taking math courses at the University of Minnesota, which she has been doing since middle school.

“I wouldn’t say to obsess over grades, don’t miss football or soccer games to do more homework, it’s not always the top priority, though don’t let your grades slip… You can be a much more interesting applicant if you have a passion for something,” Sampson said.

Engineering teacher Dougherty sees Oriana as a remarkable student who has made an amazing impact on not only herself but the students around her. “She is so thoughtful, asks great questions, not just for herself but even with her collaboration with others, she makes their work better by helping them think through,” Dougherty said.

Oriana began her interest in engineering early in high school. “She as a sophomore started exploring artificial intelligence for our competitive robot, she travelled to Australia with us as a sophomore, I don’t think we have ever taken a sophomore before,” Dougherty said.