At the top: Valedictorian Stephanie Howard, Jackson High School

Parents: Mark and Susan Howard

What is your most notable academic achievement? Well, being valedictorian is pretty notable. Other than that I would have to say having more than 40 hours of college credit before even starting college is a notable academic achievement.

What is your favorite school activity and why? My favorite school activity was academic team ... because all the members are my friends, and it was just fun to hang out with all of them.

What is your favorite high school memory? I have quite a few favorite memories of high school.

Describe your favorite cafeteria food: I never ate the cafeteria food. I always brought my lunch.

What's your school mascot? The Indians

If you could have a personal mascot, what would it be? My personal mascot would be a ninja because I think that would be a cool mascot, and I really like martial arts.

Complete this sentence: Without me, my teachers are likely to ... have more people coming to them asking for help. A lot of times in the morning and after school I would have people come to me and ask me to explain something to them or help them with a math or physics problem.

Who is your favorite teacher and how did they inspire you to learn? Two teachers who inspired me to learn are Mrs. Keen and Mrs. Gibbs. Both of them made learning fun and interesting by having lessons that included using milkshakes to teach calculus and shooting cannons at Lego castles to teach physics.

Where do you plan to go to college and what will you study? I plan to go to Southeast Missouri State University and study applied mathematics and physics.

What is the biggest challenge facing your generation? I think the biggest challenge facing my generation is the morals and ethics that come with new advances in technology.

How do you hope to address it? I think that before I hope to address this issue I first need a better understanding of some of the newer forms of technology.

Sum up your high school experience in six words: Friends, learning, stress, fun, laughter, interesting