SONOMA (KRON) — Angelica Griggs-Demmin is the 2015 valedictorian at Sonoma Valley High School, and is heading to Georgetown University in the fall.
Just hearing her talk, it’s easy to see why she has gotten where she is. “My final goal is to be an orthopaedic surgeon, but that’s subject to change. As of now, my major at Georgetown is International Health, so that will expose me to public health and epidemiology, but also focus on human science. I think that’s a really good combination for me,” said Griggs-Demmin.
Her history teacher, Andy Gibson, says that it isn’t just Griggs-Demmin’s ability to work hard that helps her excel, it’s also her desire to help others. Gibson elaborated, saying that Griggs-Demmin is “always listening to what people had to say, trying to provide help how she could, that’s the one thing that struck me initially about her.”
Her drive is apparent even when it comes to her extra curricular activities. When an injuries kept her from dancing with her ballet group, she taught the younger students at her school and gained a lesson about herself. “I didn’t think it would be so gratifying for me to help others, but it ended up being with tutoring and babysitting and teaching ballet and helping with rehearsals. I think I gained more from it than my students do. It’s sort of an interesting paradox, but I love it,” said Griggs-Demmin.