More than 70 young people are graduating at the head of their class from Ventura County high schools this month.
The following list of valedictorians around the county does not include top students at Adolfo Camarillo High, Channel Islands High or Oxnard High, where valedictorians are not selected until later this month. And as a matter of tradition, neither Ventura High nor Buena High in the Ventura Unified School District selects valedictorians.
Royal High School, Simi Valley
Lindsey Aberle
GPA: 4.10
College: UC Santa Barbara
Career plans: Undecided
Life goals: I'd like to be happy and have a successful career.
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Alicia Bartholomew
GPA: 4.25
College: Brigham Young University
Career plans: Accountant
Life goals: After college I want to have a family and career while helping out in my community.
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Heidi Biersborn
GPA: 4.16
College: Pomona College
Career plans: Modern rock deejay
Like goals: I want to become a KROQ deejay, any time slot, like Jed the Fish, Sluggo and Richard Blade. I want to be married and living in L.A./Inland Empire area.
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Tatjana Bozinovski
GPA: 4.05
College: UC Santa Barbara
Career plans: Criminal psychologist
Life goals: To live my life to the fullest each and every day; to touch and change just one person's life in a positive way, and to do the best I can do at the career I eventually choose.
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Michelle Chang
GPA: 4.23
College: UCLA
Career plans: Surgeon
Life goals: I have nothing specific in mind. The only thing I want is to be content with whatever I am doing, to be content with life.
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David Clark
GPA: 4.32
College: UC Santa Barbara
Career plans: Engineer
Life goals: I would like to be a success in business, but most importantly I wish to start a family.
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Shabnam Farahmand
GPA: 4.25
College: UCLA
Career plans: Genetics
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Eric Frederick
GPA: 4.15
UC Santa Barbara
Career plans: Engineering or business management
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Susan Friedman
GPA: 4.07
College: UC San Diego
Career plans: Undecided
Life goals: I would like to create and become CEO of my own computer software-hardware-communications corporation.
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Alina Cheta
GPA: 4.05
College: University of La Verne
Career plans: FBI
Life goals: I would like more than anything to accomplish exactly what I set out to accomplish and nothing less. I also plan on adding to my love of languages by learning two more, Italian and possibly Russian, to the other three I already know.
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Jason Groves
GPA: 4.13
College: Moorpark College
Career plans: Genetic engineering
Life goals: Earn a PhD, work at Amgen, settle down with a nice family and see Jethro Tull in concert.
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Alexa Inkeles
College: UC Santa Barbara
Career plans: Travel
Life goals: Try every sport in the world.
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Jeremy Isch
GPA: 4.16
College: Cal Poly San Luis Obispo:
Career plans: I plan to make as much money as I can while doing as little work as possible.
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Brian Janssen
GPA: 4.10
College: UCLA
Career plans: Forensic science
Life goals: I would like to be a key elite in society. Possibly become a professional witness in high-profile cases.
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Youn Jin Kim
GPA: 4.20
College: UCLA
Career plans: Accounting, chemistry or teaching
Life goals: I really want to send my parents on a very luxurious fantasy land vacation. They have always supported me and given me the best they could during rough times. I always remember how my mom used to say that since she was brought up poor, she always wanted to give her children all she could. I just want to return the favor and thank my parents for truly giving me all I could ever ask for.
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Annie Kwok
GPA: 4.10
College: UC Davis
Career plans: Genetic engineer
Life goals: My main goal is to have a beautiful family, live nicely and be content in whatever I do. In short, I would have to accomplish never-ending happiness.
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Francisco Martinez
GPA: 4.17
College: USC
Career plans: Cinema/Television
Life goals: I want to make a blockbuster epic film, surrounding the Dark Ages and the life of a tragic hero, including his love affair with a beautiful vixen princess. All this leading to my Academy Award for best director and best picture.
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Chiara Murari
GPA: 4.00
College: A university in Italy
Career plans: I want to work in different countries as a journalist.
Life goals: My dream is to come to know as many foreign languages and cultures as possible, and to travel all around the world. I love writing and living new experiences, so I think that a job as a journalist will give me all that I want. I also hope I will be able to be useful and helpful to others somehow.
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Kirsten Nicholas
GPA: 4.14
College: Brigham Young University
Career plans: Doctor
Life goals: Be successfull in everything I do. Be able to contribute to society. Lead a happy life and have a family.
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Devin Petroff
GPA: 4.10
College: California Lutheran University
Career plans: Science
