Congratulations to area high school valedictorians

Senior proms have come and gone, final exams have been aced and graduation caps and gowns have been stored -- wherever it is people store them.

Each summer, the Southeast Missourian presents the area's valedictorians on its Thursday neXt page. We honor those who went a little further than most, dug a little deeper, studied a little harder and were rewarded with a lifetime of bragging rights for earning the elusive valedictorian distinction.

So far we have honored Notre Dame Regional High School's Josh Seabaugh, Riley Knight of Cape Girardeau Central High School, Lindsey Breer of Jackson High School and Creighton Miles of Advance High School.

These students represent an interesting cross section of the high-school experience. Among them are members of the National Honor Society, the National Spanish Honor Society, math clubs, varsity sports teams, the International Thespian Society, Beta Club, Future Business Leaders of America, student council, Future Farmers of America and more. Valedictorians balanced academics with extracurricular activities, an accomplishment that, though ideal for developing into well-rounded individuals, is not easy to pull off.

We look forward to honoring more standout students in the following weeks as we honor more valedictorians each Thursday.

Congratulations to all area valedictorians for not only representing your respective high schools well in the activities in which you participated, but for stellar academic achievement, which enabled you to graduate at the head of your classes. If your pasts are any indication, your futures will be as bright as you are.