Itโs that time of year again, when high school seniors approach the finish line, reflecting on all that theyโve accomplished in high school and getting ready for graduation. Valedictorians at each school will be named and will receive accolades for having their schoolโs highest grade point average.
Wesley Chapelโs public high schools also each honor an overall outstanding senior, recognized for being well-rounded leaders on campus, while also maintaining excellence academics. At each school, students vote for who they think should represent their class as their schoolโs most outstanding senior, and then the faculty votes to choose the winner.
Please note that one of Wesley Chapelโs high schools โ the Kirkland Ranch Academy of Innovation โ doesnโt have a senior class this year, so no Kirkland student is featured below. Even so, we offer our congratulations to the outstanding seniors at each of the other three high schools in Wesley Chapel.ย
Cypress Creek High
Katya La Costaย
Katya La Costa maintains a 4.4 GPA, is an athlete who captains the varsity volleyball team and was a track & field Regional qualifier. She also leads key events and clubs, and is her schoolโs go-to videographer.
She started a spirit club to organize dress up days, decorates for games and even started away game buses for students, explains Cassie Adley, Cypress Creek Highโs college and career specialist.
Katya also started a brunch for new students, where they are invited to share a meal and make connections.
โShe advertises everything on social media with clever posts and phenomenal videography,โ Cassie explains. โAt the start of the brunch, Katya plays her video which introduces key people at the school, clubs, school spirit, online platforms and more.โ
Katya plans to pursue nursing and participated in a pilot internship program at the University of South Florida while still a student at Cypress Creek. While maintaining impressive grades, extracurricular leadership, sports and an internship, she also worked part-time at Ice Dreammm Shop.
โKatya is one of a kind,โ says Cassie. โShe is intelligent…motivated….respectful… hard- working…kind-hearted…and diligent.โย
Wesley Chapel High
Joshua Mouaย
Joshua Moua is an Advanced Placement Capstone Diploma candidate, which means he not only took rigorous AP classes, but went above and beyond to earn the Capstone designation by taking designated AP classes that develop skills in research, analysis, evidence-based arguments, collaboration, writing and presenting.
Beyond the classroom, Joshua is president of Wesley Chapel Highโs Student Government, National Spanish, National English and National Honor Societies, and secretary of the schoolโs National Social Studies Honor Society. He is a graduate of Youth Leadership Pasco County, founded and serves as president of the schoolโs GSA (Gay Straight Alliance) club and is the co-founder and co-president of the schoolโs first ever Asian Student Association.
โWe are so pleased to have Joshua represent our class,โ says Kelly Faysash, Wesley Chapel Highโs college and career specialist. โHe is a dynamic, motivated young man who truly recognizes the importance of education. He is a model for our students in perseverance, responsibility, initiative and creativity.โ
His nomination letter calls him โa friend to everyone,โ saying he โsets the standardโ for other students to look up to as an example of good citizenship.
โJoshua has a very bright future ahead of him and we are thrilled to call him a Wildcat,โ adds Kelly.ย
Wiregrass Ranch High
Tanmay Patilย
Tanmay Patilโs rigorous academic classes have included many Advanced Placement courses, and despite the challenge, he has maintained a perfect, unweighted 4.0 grade point average.
โThroughout his high school career, he has taken honors, dual enrollment and AP level coursework,โ explains Diamela Vergne, assistant principal at Wiregrass Ranch High. โFor this school year, Tanmay was the only student at the school who qualified as a National Merit Scholar semifinalist.โ
He did that by scoring an impressive 1480 on his PSAT exam, a score he later topped by earning a near-perfect 1560 on the SATs.
While his academic record is impressive, Tanmay also serves as president of one of the largest clubs in the school, the service-oriented Key Club, with 115 members. He also is his schoolโs ambassador for the American Cancer Societyโs Relay for Life. In addition, Tanmay also volunteers at AdventHealth Wesley Chapel hospital as part of his schoolโs Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) program.
โTanmay embodies exemplary scholarship, leadership, citizenship, and service,โ says Diamela.