At the top: Valedictorian Aftan Cato, Advance

Parents: Brian and Tiffany Cato

What is your most notable academic achievement? Staying on A honor roll for my entire high school career.

What is your favorite school activity and why? Beta Club state meetings were always a lot of fun. We got out of school on Fridays and went to Branson, Mo., for three days.

What is your favorite high school memory? Winning the SCAA softball tournament this spring.

Describe your favorite cafeteria food: Well, I really haven't eaten cafeteria food in at least four years. We had off-campus lunch.

What's your school mascot? A hornet.

If you could have a personal mascot, what would it be? I guess a cardinal. I love the St. Louis Cardinals.

Complete this sentence: Without me, my teachers are likely to ... have a lot more quiet classrooms.

Who is your favorite teacher and how did she inspire you to learn? My favorite teacher was Mrs. Anderson. She was my language teacher in junior high and high school; she moved up when we did. She always pushed me to do my best on papers and projects.

Where do you plan to go to college and what will you study? I plan to go to Ole Miss and major in pharmacy.

What is the biggest challenge facing your generation? This health care system is a mess, so is the economy. Also, more and more people are being diagnosed with cancer.

How do you hope to address it? Well, I hope that our generation has some leaders that can take over and help our country. Personally, I hope to help cure people through medical research.

Sum up your high school experience in six words: Dramatic, emotional, fun, challenging, annoying exciting.