For the past four years, the two students who are named La Jolla High School valedictorians for 2025 have brought curiosity and dedication to their studies.
With cumulative grade point averages that easily top 4.0, David Abell and Sidarth Erat will be honored at the school’s graduation ceremony Thursday, May 29.
Neither set out to become a valedictorian, but both took advantage of challenging course offerings to get there.
“When I started my freshman year, I had no idea what I was doing,” David said. “So [becoming a valedictorian] was never the primary goal. I picked classes that I thought I would find interesting. After that, I became more methodical in how I chose my classes. I wanted to take the hardest classes I knew I would do well in.”
One example is environmental sciences. “I wanted to take computer science principles, but I got my schedule and it wasn’t offered when I had an open period, so I got environmental sciences,” he said. “But that ended up being really cool, and I was able to do well.”
Similarly, Sidarth said he took courses he found “interesting and challenging.”
“I took AP [Advanced Placement] chemistry in 11th grade, and that was a case where I came in with no knowledge of the subject but still managed to do well,” he said. “I felt I wanted to fill a gap in knowledge. But because I didn’t understand chemistry well enough, I was motivated to study outside of class. … That mindset helped me throughout high school. I’ve always been curious and ionate about STEM [science, technology, engineering and math] subjects, so this was a way to satisfy that curiosity.”
To find balance among all the academic rigor, both valedictorians have interests outside the classroom. Sidarth reads and does yoga, and David spends time with friends and goes outside.
Yoga “allowed me to keep myself centered, to calm down in times of stress or exams, and that helped me find balance in high school,” Sidarth said.
Additionally, he said, exploring topics both in and out of school brought more richness to the subjects.
“When I would immerse myself and explore these things outside of class instead of just doing the homework and assignments, it started to feel easy,” Sidarth said. “For a history class, for example, I might read a book from the time period or go to an art museum to view pieces from that period.”
David said it’s normal for students to be nervous about the challenges of school, “but once you have a circle of friends, you can build a network. I have friends that are miles ahead on certain things. I can ask them for help.”
“I [also] can go to the beach,” he added. “I like being outside and leaving everything behind for a while. There is something important about being able to detach. For me, I can’t just stay head down and focused all the time; you can get burnt out. In those cases, being in San Diego is the best thing ever.”
David said he hasn’t decided where he will go to college in the fall, but wherever it is, he’ll be taking a 4.91 high school GPA.
Sidarth, who also has a 4.91 GPA, plans to attend the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
La Jolla High School also will have three salutatorians: Elijah Jones, Luke Moreau and Grant Williams.
La Jolla’s other high schools — The Bishop’s School and La Jolla Country Day School — have different honors for top students.
Bishop’s awards its Harvard Cup to the graduate with the highest cumulative GPA, and Country Day does the same with its Trustees’ Award.
Those awards will be announced during the schools’ commencement ceremonies later this month, and the winning students will be featured in an issue of the La Jolla Light. ♦
