Tyler ISD’s Early College High School has announced its top scholars for the graduating Class of 2024: Natalie Smith as Valedictorian and Diego Solis as Salutatorian. Both students achieved exceptional academic success while simultaneously earning an associate degree from Tyler Junior College, a hallmark of the Early College program.
Natalie Smith, the 2024 Valedictorian, graduates with an impressive 4.7083 GPA. She plans to attend Texas A&M University, located in College Station, TX (https://www.tamu.edu), to major in Biomedical Engineering. During her time at Early College High School, Smith demonstrated broad academic prowess, securing second place in UIL Ready Writing at Regionals, and actively participating in UIL Number Sense, Science, and Literary Criticism. Her leadership and service extended to the National Honor Society, Student Council, and HOSA Future Health Professionals. Her advice for future students is, "make sure you enjoy what you're doing, stay present, and don't be afraid to take on challenges."
Diego Solis earned the Salutatorian honor with a 4.6970 GPA, an incredibly close margin to the top spot. Solis is set to attend The University of Texas at Tyler (UT Tyler) in Tyler, TX (https://www.uttyler.edu), to pursue Mechanical Engineering. He was deeply involved in UIL competitions, including Ready Writing, Literary Criticism, and Computer Science. Solis also served as Student Council Treasurer and was a member of the National Honor Society and HOSA. His parting words of wisdom are, "Work hard but also remember to have fun."
The achievements of both Smith and Solis are particularly notable given the rigorous curriculum at Early College High School, where students simultaneously complete their high school diploma and an Associate of Arts or Science degree from Tyler Junior College (https://www.tjc.edu). The 2024 graduation ceremony for Tyler ISD's Early College High School is scheduled for May 23rd and will be held at UT Tyler's Herrington Patriot Center, located at 3900 University Blvd, Tyler, TX. More information about Tyler ISD can be found at https://www.tylerisd.org.
