Who's The Valedictorian Of This Texas High School? There Are 9

BELLAIRE, TX — There's no greater academic honor for high school students than to become the class valedictorian. At Bellaire High School in suburban Houston this year, nine classmates are sharing the honor.

The nine class of 2021 students at suburban Houston high school tied for the top grade point average at 5.0, Houston Independent School District officials have said.

Alkiviades Boukas, Daniel Chen, Evie Kao, Angela Ling, Miles Mackenzie, Wenson Tsiah-Hao Tang, Christopher Zhou and Annie and Shirley Zhu all earned a 5.0 weighted GPA during their high school careers. A weighted GPA takes into account more challenging courses, like advanced placement and honors classes.

Annie and Shirly Zhu are twin sisters and the co-founders of Fresh Hub, an organization that redistributes unsold food to food deserts across the Houston-area, the school district said.

"It's never like we were vying for one spot," Shirley Zhu said in a school district video featuring the nine valedictorians.

The nine-way tie for the top academic honor is a historic first for the school district — and something that has never even come close to happening, Bellaire High School Principal Michael McDonough told Patch.

"No HISD high school has had more than two in one year from a single school," McDonogh said, noting the most recent occurrence of co-valedictorians came at Bellaire in 2019.

Bellaire is considered a larger than average high school, with about 800 seniors expected to graduate at the end of the school year, McDonough said.

It was apparent the class of 2021 was special when the current seniors were freshmen, McDonough said in a news release.

“I began to consider the idea of two to three valedictorians, but I never imagined nine,” McDonough said. “These students are also involved in after-school activities and leaders in various organizations."

"To juggle their schoolwork and extracurriculars, then throw in a pandemic and virtual learning, and still maintain a 5.0 GPA ... is nothing short of amazing," the principal said. "I could not be prouder of them.”

ICYMI: Last week, #HISD honored its graduating valedictorians and salutatorians with the Scholars Recognition Ceremony. Among the attendees? The nine—count ‘em, NINE—valedictorians from @BellaireHigh. Read more about these incredible scholars here: https://t.co/vvSGrIiUPU pic.twitter.com/BjJ108a4DK
— Houston ISD (@HoustonISD) April 21, 2021