Ashleigh Lacey had a lofty goal when she entered Cypress Creek High as part of its first freshman class โ she didnโt want to get anything lower than an โAโโ in any class she took. Ever.
It wasnโt that far-fetched of an idea. The only โBโโ she had ever received was in third grade at Denham Oaks Elementary. The subject was reading, which is actually something she loves to do. Like any good student, she analyzed why she didnโt get an A and made sure she never made that mistake again.
โBack then, I thought you could only get As if you were a nice person,โโ Ashleigh says. โI just thought I needed to be nicer. But, that isnโt how it works.โโ
It helps to be nice, and Ashleigh certainly is. But, the hard work is the most important thing.
After four years of budgeting her time between classes, extracurricular activities and a part-time job, Ashleigh has accomplished her goal.
She will finish her high school career with a weighted grade point average of 4.6. She earned only As in every class she took, which included her favorite classes (history and psychology) and her not so favorite classes (anything to do with math).
On June 2, Ashleigh will graduate as Cypress Creekโs valedictorian. She will be the first valedictorian to attend all four years at the school, which opened in 2017.
โI guess Iโm in the school history books,โโ Ashleigh (photo) says.
She already has taken enough college-level classes to earn her Associate of Arts (A.A.) degree, which means she will enter college needing only two years to graduate with a Bachelorโs degree. She will attend the University of South Florida in Tampa on an academic scholarship.
โIโm kind of a perfectionist, so when I entered high school I told myself that I want to get all As,โโ Ashleigh says. โI didnโt even know what a valedictorian was.โโ
It was certainly not an easy path to graduation for any student over the past year and a half. Covid-19 restrictions reduced half of the 2020 school year to on-line learning only. Students were given a choice of on-line or in-person learning this school year. Ashleigh did both.
Whatโs also impressive is that Ashleigh didnโt just spend her high school days in classrooms and libraries or behind a computer screen. She has been part of the schoolโs art club for three years. And, she is an important member of the Coyotesโ track team. She won the District long jump championship last month and advanced to the Regional meet. She also competes in the 100-meter and 300-meter hurdles and is part of the schoolโs 4x100m relay team.
In short, she is one of those student athletes who excels at whatever she decides to try.
โI would say thatโs right,โโ her father Robert says. โYou could see signs of it as a child, just in the way she organized and lined up certain toys in a perfect row. She always did very well in school. Sheโs just always done well in everything sheโs done. Sheโs competed in speech contests and done well. She played the flute for a while and became an All-County flute player. Sheโs a very talented artist. She excels at anything she picks up.โโ
The next step is college. Ashleighโs goal is to attend medical school at USF and eventually become a psychiatrist. Early on, she thought maybe she might like to be a lawyer, but after taking advanced classes in biology and psychology, she decided to change her goals.
โI would read books on those subjects just for fun,โโ she says. โSometimes Iโm kind of a nerd.โโ
Just because she is off to college doesnโt Ashleighโs goals will change. She still doesnโt want to get a B. And, she says she would like the chance to walk on to USFโs track team.
She wonโt be far away from the Wesley Chapel home where she grew up. Sheโll be able to visit her younger brother Luke and parents, Robert and mom Michelle, often. As expected, Ashleigh credits her parents as having been a key to her success.
โTheyโve been very encouraging,โโ Ashleigh says. โTheyโve never pressured me. They put a lot of trust in me.โโ
Well-earned trust.
โWeโre lucky that sheโs been so driven,โโ Robert says. โWe havenโt had to push her. Sheโs taken care of her academics. Sheโs really taken control of her life. Sheโs made our jobs as parents a lot easier.โโ
The Cypress Creek High graduation is scheduled for Wednesday, June 2, 7 p.m. at the schoolโs football stadium.