Granite Hills High School is proud to recognize three outstanding valedictorians from the Class of 2025: Rebeca Ortiz, Emily Santoyo, and Grace Gonzalez.
Each of these young women has demonstrated astonishing academic achievement, dedication, and grit throughout their high school journey. Let’s get to know each of our valedictorians a little bit more.
Rebeca Ortiz
Rebeca Ortiz is one of Granite Hills High School’s valedictorians, graduating with an impressive 4.56 GPA.
She is headed to UC Irvine after high school to pursue a degree in nursing. Ortiz hopes to become a pediatric travel nurse.
As a student in the Law, Justice, and Ethics (LJE) pathway, Rebeca has shown extreme dedication throughout her high school career, especially after receiving the State Seal of Civic Engagement award.
She has received four scholarships, giving her a total of around $11,000. This has led her to choose UC Irvine over UCLA due to better financial aid.
As her biggest inspirations, Ortiz credits her parents and her older sister, a former valedictorian.
Question: Who’s the most underrated teacher at this school?
Answer: Mrs. Ross deserves more attention because her teaching style is really good. She has been here from the beginning and didn’t completely change to digital. I liked her style the most.
Q: What’s your go-to study snack or ritual?
A: My go-to study snack would probably be Dutch, I get Dutch and start studying. I get a midnight iced tea.
Q: Do you think being valedictorian defines who you are?
A: I don’t think it defines me as a person because even if I weren’t valedictorian, I’d still have the same amount of smartness. We all worked hard, but we weren’t the only ones, it was that one test (CAASPP) that knocked a lot of people off. So, if it defined us then it’d define them too since they kept their grades up.
Q: If you could give any incoming freshman tips on becoming valedictorian, what would you say?
A: Some tips I would give are to study and ask for help. If they never ask for help, then they’ll never learn. Don’t cheat off your friends because then you’re just going off based on what they know; at the end of the day, it’s not going to help you.
Q: What was your most challenging academic moment, and how did you overcome it?
A: My most challenging academic moment was AP calculus because there were a lot of times when my grades would go below the 90 percent mark. I overcame it by studying and going to the study sessions Mr. Vigil gave after school.
Q: What subject came most naturally to you, and which one didn’t?
A: Math was the easiest class I’ve had because I’ve always enjoyed numbers. It was always something I automatically knew. The one that came the least naturally was science. When it came to physics and chemistry, I never knew what was happening.
Q: What was your school hot take that no one agreed with?
A: A hot take I have is I like waking up early in the morning. I know a lot of people don’t like it but I’m usually up really early.
Q: Would you rather take finals every month or do group projects every week?
A: I’d rather do finals every month because I do not like working in groups. I feel like it’s too much stress and when it’s with my friends we usually wait last minute. When it’s with people I don’t know, one person usually ends up doing all the work.
Emily Santoyo
Emily Santoyo is graduating with a 4.47 GPA and is another of this year’s valedictorians.
She plans to attend Porterville College for one year before transferring to UC Davis to study mathematics.
Santoyo’s goal is to become either a high school math teacher or a college math professor.
Like Rebeca, Emily is also part of the LJE Pathway and has earned the State Seal of Civic Engagement. This award recognizes her dedication to civic involvement.
Due to financial aid challenges, her college path was influenced for her, but Emily continues to be determined to achieve her goals.
Q: Who has been your biggest supporter or mentor throughout high school?
A: A big shout-out to Rebeca Ortiz Mendez. She’s literally my twin … she’s been my second biggest support. My number one has to be my boyfriend Hernan Gutierrez, who’s also a valedictorian at PHS. He’s the reason I keep trying to be better because I want to be better than him.
Q: Did you ever have doubts about reaching the top of your class?
A: I had doubts all the time. I’m a very unmotivated person. I hated homework, I’m always procrastinating, and I leave everything for the last minute. I’ve had this constant struggle of staying at the top because I don’t do my work.
Q: If you could trade places with anyone in the school for a day, who would it be and why?
A: I think Mr. Vigil, I know it sounds weird but I want to be a math teacher someday. I also love the way he teaches.
Q: What’s something people would be surprised to learn about you?
A: I’m very unorganized and my room’s a mess since I’m always studying. Also, I’m not just involved in academics… I have over 200 hours in community service hours and 200 work experience hours too.
Q: If you could change one thing about your high school experience, what would it be?
A: I wish I went to the same high school as my boyfriend. It would have been more nostalgic leaving and we would have been hanging out everyday. I also wished I played softball again this year.
Q: What failure or setback taught you the most in high school
A: I’ve never had a grade lower than an 85 or 90 on a math test, but when I did, it made me think I wasn’t a math person. I had to realize that a grade doesn’t define who I am.
Q: If you could give any incoming freshman tips on becoming valedictorian, what would you say?
A: I would say your freshman grades do matter. Even if you don’t want to be a valedictorian as a freshman, you could be in the running later if you keep your grades up. I almost didn’t make it because I didn’t turn in a book report in my freshman year.
Q: Are you going to your dream university?
A: Unfortunately, I’m not, UCLA was my dream, but when I saw the tuition, I couldn’t afford it and decided I couldn’t go. So I switched to UC Davis, and I’ll get there. It’s not where you start, but where you end.
Grace Gonzalez
Grace Gonzalez is graduating with a 4.3 GPA and will be attending UC Berkeley to major in Environmental Policy.
She also plans to either double major or minor in music, continuing her legacy from Granite Hills as the marching band drum major.
Gonzalez hopes to become an environmental specialist and the voice for the Central Valley.
She was awarded the prestigious Gates Scholarship. This award is a reflection of the hard work and dedication she has shown the past four years.
Gonzalez is a part of the Academy of Careers in Education (ACE) Pathway, where she is involved with children and practices teaching strategies.
Growing up in a large family, Gonzalez often had to balance school with babysitting responsibilities, which makes her academic achievements even more impressive.
Q: Is there a song that got you through tough study nights?
A: Although I didn’t have a specific song that got me through study nights, I did listen to a lot of Lana Del Rey.
Q: What’s one thing you’re proud of that isn’t academic?
A: One thing that I’m proud of that isn’t academic is being able to perform with so many musical instruments. I dedicate a lot of my time to my music and learning different instruments. I’ve been playing the flute since 5th grade, and I also play the alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, clarinet, piccolo, and mallet percussion.
Q: If you could relive one day from high school, which would it be and why?
A: If I could relive a school day, it would be the day we did a wake-a-thon with the Granite Hills marching band. That day was very special to me because everyone got to goof around. We got to stay at school for all of Friday and Saturday, it was very interesting to see everyone in a cranky mood.
Q: If you could trade places with anyone from this school for one day, who would it be, and why?
A: I would be Abraham Navarrete for a day. He’s super extroverted, and he seems super fun.
Q: What’s something people assume about you as valedictorian that’s not true?
A: Something that people assume is that I’m really smart, and I don’t think that’s true. I think being valedictorian is just a reflection of working hard and getting your work done.
Q: Was there ever a time you wanted to quit—and what kept you going?
A: This year, I faced a lot of difficult challenges and managing my time became difficult. My senioritis started hitting. Something that did keep me going was my parents because I really want to see their faces at graduation.
Q: Would you rather study for 10 hours straight or write a 10-page essay overnight?
A: I’d rather write a 10-page essay overnight. I think I wouldn’t get it done because I’m a huge procrastinator.
Q: As a Gates Scholar, how much pressure does that take off for you?
A: It takes huge pressure off of me. Having the Gates scholarship eases the pressure of paying for college. All I would have to worry about is personal expenses.
