Congratulations to Abbi and Rebekah, who were respectively named the 2017 Valedictorian & Salutatorian! Abbi, the daughter of Brad & Leanne Brenneman, earned a 4.3365 GPA and will attend Texas A&M University. Rebekah, the daughter of Sam and Fran Lisle, earned a 4.3259 GPA and will attend Union University in the fall.
Enjoy each graduate's speech to their classmates, as well as their interview responses as shared in last week's Frisco Enterprise, featured below.
Abbi Brenneman, 2017 Valedictorian
Where do you plan to attend college? Texas A&M University
What do you plan to major in, and what are your career plans? Biology, hopefully medical school
What school activities have you been involved in? Volleyball (varsity for three years, captain senior year), Club Med (medical club at school, treasurer), SALT (Student Activities Leadership Team, Special Events Committee)
What teacher impacted you the most and how? Mr. Doug Branch, who teaches sophomore chemistry and AP Chemistry (I took both). Mr. Branch taught me how to look for the answers yourself and be a critical thinker. AP Chemistry is a hard course, but it has definitely prepared me for college thanks to Mr. Branch.
What are your favorite memories of school? My favorite school memories are “Pack the Gym” volleyball nights that we would have during homecoming week, where everyone would come out and support and school spirit would be high. Our school went to the State Final Four in boy's basketball this year, which was a great memory of getting to cheer them on to State Runner-Up and take two road trips to Abiliene with all of our friends.
What is the most interesting school project you have done? In my physics class, my four friends and I built an amusement park for a project. All five of us had to build a ride and a concession stand. Our name was the “CEREALsly Fun Amusement Park” because we were cereal themed.
What advice do you have for future high school graduates? Don't procrastinate. Work hard and set achievable goals for yourself. Take your grades seriously, but do not miss our on having fun with those around you. Never be afraid to approach a teacher for help or ask questions. Enjoy high school, because it is over before you know it. Always be learning.
Rebekah Lisle, 2017 Salutatorian
Where do you plan to attend college? Union University
What do you plan to major in, and what are your career plans? History
What school activities have you been involved in? Concert Band, Marching Band, and National Honor Society
What teacher impacted you the most and how? The teacher that impacted me the most was Karen Bixler, my English teacher in 7th, 8th, 11th, and 12th grade. Mrs. Bixler is always enthusiastic about teaching, no matter what book we are reading, causing the class to become interested in the books. Her dedication to pray together before every class has shown me that she truly believes in the necessity of prayer in our daily lives and has pushed me to pray more often.
What are your favorite memories of school? My favorite memories of school are the band trips to Disney World and Chicago, the trips to Italy and France, the Senior trip to Camp Eagle, and going to football games with the band.
What is the most interesting school project you have done?Please describe. The most interesting school project I have done was the Amusement Park that we made in Physics. We split into groups of three or four students per park and each student had to create our own rollercoaster using our understanding of physics. We also had to decide on a theme within our group for our park and decorate our park accordingly, including concession stands and smaller attractions.
What advice do you have for future high school graduates? My advice to future high school graduates is to find a group of friends who will love you for who you are. Spend time with them, attend school events with them, and make memories with them. Do your best in your classes, but don't stress about your class rank. While it is important to pass, your grades don't define you, and no one will care what your GPA is in 5 years.
Legacy Christian Academy is Frisco's only Pre-K through 12 Christian school committed to educating students in a college preparatory environment balanced in academics, athletics, and fine arts–all within the context of a biblical worldview. For more information on Legacy, visit our admissions page.