Senior class ranks are just about set in stone now that FHS is hurdling toward the end of the school year. This year’s top of the class are Valedictorian Jonathan (Eddie) Barnhart and Salutatorian Darren Paige.
Eddie Barnhart plans to attend The Ohio State University to major in Astrophysics and minor in Astronomy. Eddie would like to work for NASA, either at the Marshall Space Flight Center or at the Kennedy Space Center. His ultimate goal is to become an astronaut.
“If I work at NASA in a STEM position for two years, I will be able to apply for the Astronaut Selection Program,” he said. “It is extremely competitive and I’m not expecting to get in, but I’ll be content if I can apply.”
Barnhart is extremely prideful in the fact that he was able to achieve becoming the Valedictorian of the class of 2024 and provided some advice to future students intending to become the top of their graduating classes.
“Take pride in your work. Don’t settle if you know you’re capable of more. Come up with effective time management strategies and work schedules to free up time to partake in life outside of school,” he said. “Most importantly, remember that although your grades can be a product of the work you put in, they do not reflect who you are as a whole and all the nuance you hold. You’ll inevitably meet plenty of stress-inducing challenges and mistakes along the way. Rather than sacrificing your well-being, learn from such errors and adapt your approach.”
He emphasizes that high school is not about being the best; it’s about self-improvement.
“Remember that your time at Findlay is a self-improvement journey. No matter where in your class you graduate at, you’ve still done so much to better yourself along the way and that’s something to be proud of,” he stated.
In his free time, Eddie enjoys journaling, which he says helps him with introspection.
“If I’m stressed, taking a break to dissect the situation or just talk it into the ground is beneficial for me. If that doesn’t work, I’ll go on a run, practice my server for tennis, or write some bad poetry,” Barnhart added.
Reflecting on his time at FHS, he says that Mr. Dickman was the teacher who was the most helpful to him during his high school years.
“His broad knowledge of the course [AP American Government and Politics] subjects, combined with his approach to class discussion and his ability to connect his students with a network of experts greatly helped me learn,” Barnhart stated. “Also the fact that there was no busy work and all assigned work was truly helpful made his class one of my favorite experiences from high school.”
High school is supposed to be a preparation for life for many, but for some that does not always happen. Barnhart says that he feels school and social life in school have prepared him adequately for life.
“School has prepared me the most academically, of course,” he said. “while my social life and community activities have molded me into who I am today, although the latter has been supported by school-organized extracurriculars.”
Darren Paige plans to also attend The Ohio State University to major in biochemistry. In the future he plans to obtain his master’s degree and/or doctorate to pursue a career in research for the field.
“It doesn’t feel entirely real yet and I feel like there are many others at the high school who have also put in the work, but at the same time I firmly believe I have worked hard throughout my high school career and there is a certain pride that comes with seeing that effort come to fruition in something substantive,” Paige said. “In short, I do feel accomplished and it’s nice to step back and realize that.”
