Sometimes there’s a tie, but both Gabrielle Monique Gaceta and Joshua Gabriel Rusit are winners, having earned the second highest grade point average (GPA) in the Class of 2023.

“It feels surreal to be in this position,” said Gaceta. “I usually don’t focus on academic standing and instead focus on making my parents happy with my grades. I didn’t think all this work would go towards getting salutatorian. I wasn’t formally informed of my title; I just realized that my transcript said my placement was 2nd overall in my cohort.”

Rusit is also pleased with earning the title. “I’m very grateful to be chosen for this position. I feel like my hard work these past four years have paid off,” he said. At the time of the interview, it was www.The-Armijo-Signal.com that had informed him about the role. “I was never truly informed. I had an idea about it after seeing my class rank on my mid-year transcript, but I haven’t been informed about it officially,” he said.

Being a top student means so much more than grades, though, and both Gaceta and Rusit have gone above and beyond in their four years at Armijo.

“I have been a part of the Armijo Super Band and the IB (International Baccalaureate) program at Armijo,” Gaceta said. “They are both fun but demanding programs that I’ve experienced. May had been very challenging with taking lots of IB exams in such a short amount of time. It was draining due to cramming but very rewarding due to not thinking about the test anymore.”

“I have played basketball for Armijo for the past four years and golf for the past three years. I was a class officer from my freshman through junior year and I am the ASB (Associated Student Body) Treasurer this year,” said Rusit. “I also serve as an officer for the National Honor Society.”

Two University of California campuses will benefit from these students, both of whom are driven for success. Gaceta plans to attend UC Davis and major in Molecular and Medical Microbiology with the goal of pursuing a career in as a laboratory scientist. “I think working indirectly to help people become healthy is a cool and intrinsic experience, so I hope I get to see myself in this position in the future,” she said.

“I plan to attend UCLA this fall and major in business economics,” Rusit said. “Afterward, I hope to go to law school and become a corporate lawyer.”

Becoming one of the top students in the class is not easy, but it is achievable with commitment. “If you are interested in achieving something like this, I’d suggest using the academic opportunities this school offers,” Gaceta said. “Joining the IB program is definitely a perfect example for an academic opportunity at Armijo since it helped me get to this spot.”

“The main advice I would give to someone hoping to achieve this honor is to stay on top of your work. Studying hard, staying organized, and having motivation is also important,” he said.

It’s not a goal that is done alone. Gaceta’s older sister, who is nine years older, is her role model because “she’s basically the person who raised me from the little kid I once was,” she said. “I really love her because she’s been taking care of me all these years, so when I grow older, I want to give that same care to her.”

Rusit also has an older brother, Justin, who is 21 and a graduate from Armijo, but he said that his main role models are my family, my friends, Lightning McQueen, and LeBron James.

While both of these students are driven, life isn’t all about studying and time management. In her limited free time, Gaceta enjoys watching Studio Ghibli movies and listening to orchestral music. Rusit, on the other hand, likes to play sports, especially basketball and golf. “I also enjoy sleeping, eating food, spending time with my friends, and exploring new places, he said.

Goals are important, but they’re not everything, and Gaceta recognizes that. “Being valedictorian or salutatorian is only a small factor to a bigger picture if you think that this will ride you through college applications or life accomplishments,” she said. “The only thing that really matters, in my opinion, is having common sense and being a well-rounded person.”