Over the last four years, Farmersville High School valedictorian Alex Brooks and salutatorian Kylie Self have traveled similar paths, finding success in both the classroom and on the athletic field.

As participants in varsity sports throughout their high school careers, both students had a similar top-ranking strat­egy, taking as many dual credit classes as they could.

Despite the time commit­ment required for athletics, both athletes said they appreci­ated the opportunity to compete in the classroom, hoping to set an example for any athlete who wants to excel academically.

“For me, [athletics] always came first, because that’s what I loved doing, but I always made time for my academics,” Alex said. “You need to make it important, because without that you cannot play those sports. It’s really important to take your time, take your classes se­riously, because those do mat­ter in the long run.”

Alex finishes as the top-ranked FHS student this year with a grade point average of 4.4633. Studying extra hard in addition to her team practices, Alex said she appreciates being able to claim the top academic honor for FHS.

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By Jackson King • [email protected]