Alamance-Burlington high schools recognized their valedictorians and salutatorians for the Class of 2026 during their commencement exercises this past weekend.
This marks the third year that high-achieving ABSS graduates have received Latin honors, rather than class rankings based strictly on final Grade Point Averages that had been used to determine each high school’s Top 10 graduates.
Ten of the 14 valedictorians and salutatorians in the Class of 2026 were dually-enrolled in the Career and College Program (CCP) at Alamance Community College, enabling them to earn college credits while also completing the requirements to graduate from high school.
All 14 valedictorians and salutatorians are planning to attend college starting in the fall.
Five plan to start classes at the state’s flagship public university in Chapel Hill in August; and two are heading to Raleigh to attend North Carolina State University.
The destinations for the seven other ABSS valedictorians and salutatorians for the class of 2026 vary widely. Western High School valedictorian Jaden Danieley will be heading to Durham to attend Duke University; Cummings High School salutatorian Irvin Franco Galicia will be attending Davidson College; Williams High School salutatorian Avery LaPlante will be attending the University of Vermont; Graham High School valedictorian Jasmine Leija will be attending UNC-Greensboro; Eastern High School salutatorian Elijah Mayle will be attending the United States Military Academy at West Point in New York; Southeast valedictorian Linda Mostafa will be attending Elon University; and Eastern valedictorian Cassidy June Watkins will be attending Wake Forest University.
In addition to earning high honors for their academic performance, the majority of the valedictorians and salutatorians for the Class of 2026 amassed thousands of dollars’ worth of scholarships to offset the costs for college and also worked part-time during high school.
The name of the valedictorian and salutatorian for each of the seven traditional ABSS high schools is listed below, in alphabetical order by school, along with reflections on his/her accomplishments during high school and plans after graduation.
CUMMINGS HIGH SCHOOL
Valedictorian Jasmine Leija, 18, is the daughter of Jose Angel Leija and Agustina Leija of Burlington.
The Cummings High School valedictorian plans to attend the University of North Carolina at Greensboro to study nursing, for which she has received $95,776 in scholarships, grants, and financial aid.
During her time at Cummings, Leija was dually-enrolled at ACC, where she eventually fell in love with nursing while taking a class in the Nurse Aide program. “I will forever be grateful for the clinical experience I gained in high school,” Leija tells The Alamance News. “This played a significant role in shaping my decision to pursue a career in nursing.
Leija credits her parents with motivating her to push herself. “They never had the opportunity to graduate themselves,” she elaborates. “I am deeply grateful for the privilege of receiving an education. They have made it entirely possible for my main concern/focus to be school.”
At Cummings, Leija was a member of Lady PEARLS, an all-female group “involved in community service, mentoring, and leadership,” according to the high school and the National Honor Society, in addition to working at Dunkin’ Donuts and CAVA, a Mediterranean restaurant in Burlington.
While she says she’ll miss her friends from high school, Leija is eager to see where the next chapter in life takes her. “I am most excited about the prospect of further personal growth and self-discovery in college [and] exploring my capabilities and embracing new experiences,” Cum-mings’ 2026 valedictorian says.
Salutatorian Irvin Franco Galicia, 18, is the son of Josue Franco Melendez and Estela Galicia De Franco, Burlington. He is planning to enroll at Davidson College this fall, for which he has received $371,080 in scholarships, grants, and aid, including a Questbridge National College Match Scholarship.
Galicia plans to major in Biology and Public Health (on a Pre-Med track). “I was nine years old when I lost my one-year-old brother to cancer,” he explains, adding that he was offered a full ride to attend several universities before opting to attend Davidson. “Since that time, I’ve wanted to pursue a career in medicine.”
The salutatorian was dually-enrolled at ACC and was a member of Cummings’ Student Government Association (SGA), National Honor Society (NHS), and Campbell Scholars, a program that provides continuous academic support for high-achieving high school students who are on track to be the first generation in their families to attend college. Galicia also received the ABSS Superintendent’s Award of Excellence, while working part-time at McDonald’s during part of his senior year.
His favorite classes at Cummings were Advanced Placement Biology, Honors Pre-Calculus, Honors Civics/Economics, and Spanish, Galicia tells the newspaper. “While enrolled in these classes, I was always engaged, connected with my community and explored by scientific interests,” he says.
“As a first-generation student, graduation never seemed like a task,” Galicia recalls of his accomplishments in high school. “I always saw it as a privilege to be able to cross the stage one day. I did it in honor of my parents, who have given me all the opportunities they never had in life. It is truly because of them that I kept moving forward and facing all of the obstacles that came my way.”
EASTERN HIGH SCHOOL
Valedictorian Cassidy June Watkins, 18, whose parents Jeff and Terry Watkins of Mebane, is planning to major in Biology at Wake Forest University, for which she has received a United States Allstar Federation Gold Scholarship.
In addition to working as a cheer coach for Carolina Magic Allstars, Watkins’ extracurricular activities at Eastern included: NHS competitive cheerleading; marching band; debate team; National Art Honor Society; and National Science Honor Society.
Watkins says her favorite classes at Eastern were Biology, Statistics, Anatomy, and Physiology.
Salutatorian Elijah Grant Mayle, 18, is the son of Corey and Sarah Mayle of Mebane.
Mayle plans to attend the United States Military Academy at West Point, where he hopes to major in Mechanical Engineering and earn a commission as an officer in the U.S. Army.
The salutatorian for Eastern’s Class of 2026 was dually-enrolled at ACC and was a member of NHS; Key Club; Student Council, for which he served as secretary. Mayle was also a member of the Eagles’ swim team for all four years of high school, team captain during his senior year, a state qualifier during his senior year, and a regional qualifier during all four years of high school. He was selected as the Most Valuable Player for the boys’ swim team in 2023-24.
Mayle’s other accolades include a North Carolina Association for the Gifted & Talented (NCAGT) award for leadership through service; an N.C. High School Association of Athletics (NCHSAA) Scholar-Athlete award, which is reserved for athletes who attain at least a 3.5 weighted grade point average; and was selected as a 2025 Tar Heel Boys State Representative, a leadership and civics education program through the American Legion.
While he concedes that he’ll miss things such as participating in the Key Club’s annual Easter egg hunt and spending time every day with his friends, Mayle says his primary focus has been meeting academic, athletic, and other personal goals in order to realize his dream of attending West Point.
GRAHAM HIGH SCHOOL
Valedictorian Hayden King, 18, whose parents are Randall King and Sonja King (along with stepmom Melanie King) plans to attend the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to major in Psychology and minor in Social and Economic Justice, for which she has received $13,000 in grants from Carolina and a $3,000 scholarship from the Graham Rotary Club.
In addition to being dually-enrolled at ACC, the valedictorian has also been enrolled in the Pre-Collegiate Academy, a specialty skilled trades academy at Graham High School that enables students to earn college credits while simultaneously completing the requirements for their high school diploma and an Associate of Arts (A.A.) degree from the community college.
Some of King’s extracurricular activities have included: NHS; Crochet Club; Debate Club; serving on the Mock Trial team at ACC; and participating in the Honors Program at ACC. Her academic accolades include an award for Outstanding Academic Achievement from the College Board; certificate of achievement for academic excellence in Communication Studies from ACC; and awards for her efforts on the Mock Trial team at ACC from the American Mock Trial Association, which hosts tournaments each spring that are intended to help students develop leadership, leadership, public speaking, rhetoric, and persuasion skills in a legal setting.
“My favorite class was Sociology which I took in my junior year,” King tells the newspaper. “The study of people’s actions has always been an interest of mine. I also had a notable interest in Debate and Mock Trial, which I hope to continue doing at UNC-Chapel Hill in the fall.”
Graham’s valedictorian says her most memorable experience during high school was her NHS induction ceremony. “My friends had stayed after school to watch and my parents were there to support me,” King recalls. “There were many memorable moments that followed, including awkward meetings and conversations, but that entire night will be one I will never forget.”
While King says she’ll miss the friends she grew up and attended school with, she’s also eager to forge new friendships and new memories at Carolina. “It will be a lot harder to make time outside of school where everyone can hang out,” she says. “I am, however, excited for the new experiences college will bring. Meeting new people and being in a completely new environment will be exciting to explore.”
Salutatorian Rihanna Yates, 18, whose parents are Doris Lyde and Robert Yates of Mebane, is also heading this fall to Carolina, where she plans on majoring in Economics. She has received a Blue Sky Scholarship, which is reserved for “exceptionally-qualified students from middle-income North Carolina families who qualify for financial aid and demonstrate extraordinary hard work and character,” according to the university.
Like Graham’s valedictorian, Yates was also dually-enrolled at ACC, where she earned an A.A. degree, while simultaneously completing the requirements for her high school diploma, and regularly made the ACC President’s List, earning a GPA of 3.8 or higher for a minimum of 12 credit hours.
At Graham, Yates played on the girls’ golf team; served as vice president and secretary of the NHS; served on the Student Government Association; and participated in the Elon Academy. Outside of school, she worked at Press Coffee + Crepes in Graham and served as a member of the diversity board for Studio One, a live theater group based in Burlington.
“I will miss all the teachers and friends that were there for me throughout all four years, and I am most excited to study abroad in the future,” Yates tells the newspaper.
SOUTHEAST ALAMANCE HIGH SCHOOL
Valedictorian Linda Mostafa, 18, is the daughter of Sarah Mostafa of Mebane. She is planning to attend Elon University and major in Elementary Education.
Mostafa has been selected for the North Carolina Teaching Fellows and Alamance Scholars programs, the latter of which was established several years ago by Elon University, ACC, and ABSS in hopes of creating a pipeline of future teachers for ABSS.
Mostafa got an early taste of teaching during her time at Southeast High School.
“My most memorable experience was during the Village Project [through Elon University], where I got to help kids during an after school tutoring program,” she recalls. “I had been working with one girl on her math and she kept getting defeated and saying she couldn’t do it and wasn’t good enough and I kept telling her she was. Eventually, she understood the question, got it right, and started to say, ‘I am good enough,’ ‘I can do this.’ That was so rewarding and memorable for me and really locked in my dream of being a teacher.”
Mostafa was dually-enrolled at ACC, where she earned an A.A. degree, as well as an A.A. degree in Teacher Preparation in Teacher Preparation degree, which requires students to earn a minimum of 60 hours of college credit that can be transferred to a four-year university or college.
At Southeast, Mostafa’s extracurricular activities included NHS, Athletic Honors Society, Future Teachers of America, Cross Country, and both the indoor and outdoor track teams.
“I’ll miss the community aspect of sports,” says Mostafa, “but I’m so excited to learn more about how to be a teacher and to have a classroom of my own.”
Salutatorian Jack Wells, 18, whose parents are Brian and Jennifer Wells of Graham, will be heading to Raleigh this fall to attend N.C. State University (NCSU) to study Civil Engineering. He has received a full ride for college through a Goodnight Scholarship, which is offered to students planning to major in STEM-related fields (i.e., Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics).
At Southeast, Wells played varsity tennis; varsity baseball; varsity golf; and was a member of the boys’ varsity swim team, while also participating in the marching band all four years (and in middle school) and in Boy Scouts throughout high school. He was also a member of: the Tri-M Music Honor Society through the N.C. Music Educators Association; student council; Aspire Student Leaders; All County Band; and the DREAM Team at Southeast, as well as participating in his church’s youth group.
An AP Scholar with Distinction, Wells also completed the requirements and a service project to become an Eagle Scout and attended the North Carolina Governor’s School during the summer before his senior year.
Wells says his most memorable experience in high school was “helping lead the first-ever Freshmen Orientation at Southeast, all while I barely knew the school myself. [It] Was definitely a test of character, but something I look back on often.”
“I will miss how engaged the teachers, administrators and coaches were, not only helping you through schoolwork and sports, but being a mentor in everyday life,” the salutatorian adds. “They always looked for the [best] in people and [were] excited to see you succeed. I am most excited about meeting new people in my future and doing the best I can to make a difference in my community.”
Wells is currently employed as a tennis assistant with Mebane’s Parks and Recreation Department.
SOUTHERN HIGH SCHOOL
Valedictorian Elijah Sharpe, 18, is the son of Julie Willis and Alan Sharpe of Burlington. He is planning to head to Chapel Hill this fall to study Exercise and Sport Science.
As a member of the NHS and a top-ranking student in the junior class at Southern High School, Sharpe served as a junior marshal, in addition to amassing numerous other academic accolades that include academic All Conference awards; a national and rural small town recognition award; and a U.S. Marine Corps Scholastic Excellence award. He was also a member of the Patriots’ cross country team; winter and spring track teams; and Link Crew.
“I’ll miss my friends and community I had in high school,” Wells says, adding, “I’m excited about my opportunity to learn more about exercise science at UNC.”
Salutatorian Ava Lynch, 18, is the daughter of Justin Lynch and Kristy Lynch of Graham.
Like Southern’s valedictorian for the Class of 2026, Lynch is also planning to enroll at the state’s flagship university, where she intends to major in Biology. She has received several local scholarships, including: a Pete and Martha Coble scholarship; a Graham Rotary Club scholarship; a Mountain View Ruritan scholarship, along with several other financial awards to help offset the costs for her college education.
Lynch was dually-enrolled in classes at ACC throughout high school and, at Southern, she served as: vice president of NHS; secretary of the Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) club, winning a gold medal at an FCCLA state competition; and as a member of the student council and Young Life. She was also captain of the girls’ varsity tennis team, an All Conference tennis player, and a member of Southern’s Link Crew – while also working at Mellow Mushroom in Burlington.
During her time at Southern, Lynch received a U.S. Marine Corps Scholastic Excellence award and an Army Senior Scholar Athlete award.
Lynch says her most memorable experiences at Southern were being selected as Prom Queen and playing pickleball with her friends. “I will miss the close knit community I had in all of my classes, being surrounded by students who have so much pride in their school, and the school lunch chicken pie,” the salutatorian tells the newspaper.
WESTERN HIGH SCHOOL
Valedictorian Jaden Danieley, 18, whose parents are Jacob and Elizabeth Danieley of Elon, will be heading to Durham to study Electrical and Computer Engineering at Duke University, for which he says he has received numerous local scholarships.
In addition to being dually-enrolled at ACC, the valedictorian played football, basketball, and served as president of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) chapter at Western.
Off the gridiron and the basketball court, Danieley was the lead alto saxaphone for the jazz band orchestra at Western and a member of the ensemble that was named the Best Big Band at the Essentially Ellington Jazz Festival at Carolina in 2024. He was Western’s chief junior marshal in 2025.
Danieley was named an AP Scholar with Distinction for each of the past five years, after completing rigorous coursework and earning scores of three or higher (out of a maximum score of five) on at least three AP exams. He also earned a prestigious “AP Capstone” credential, after completing two yearlong AP courses (AP Seminar and AP Research) and demonstrating mastery of research, analysis, evidence-based arguments, collaboration, and writing.
His other accolades include earning commendations from the National Merit Scholarship program and being selected for national awards from the College Board and Rural and Small Town Recognition program; an outstanding academic achievement award from Western; and the part-time student honors list at ACC.
His favorite classes at Western were AP Calculus and AP Physics, says Danieley. “Those two classes were incredibly interesting, yet challenging at the same time. Taking them both in the same year was great, as the classes are extremely connected in terms of their content. I loved getting to understand how the world works in a far deeper manner through physics, and calculus helped to solidify that understanding.”
“My most memorable experience in high school would be when I had the chance to lead music at Fields of Faith with FCA this past fall,” Western’s valedictorian recalls. “The FCA huddles from all across Alamance, Chatham, and Caswell counties gathered together, and I had the amazing opportunity to get a band together and lead all of the worship that night.”
Danieley says he will miss the feeling of connectedness at Western. “There was something about high school where it felt like I knew just about everyone, and we were all growing up together and learning at the same time,” he tells the newspaper.
“However, what I’m most excited about for the future has to be getting to expand my knowledge and have opportunities far beyond what was possible in high school, through a major university like Duke,” Danieley says. “I’m pumped to get to dive deep into the things I’m interested in and start building the path of my life.”
He credits his parents with motivating him to get the most out of his high school education. “They have always raised me to give everything my best, no matter what it is,” Danieley explains. “They pushed me to do everything they knew I was capable of, instead of letting me sit back and cruise through school. I’m super thankful that they pushed me to work hard.”
Danieley has been employed at Century Farm Orchards, an apple orchard and a plant nursery, since 2022.
Salutatorian Noah Rouse, 18, is the son of Katy and Dawson Rouse of Elon. He plans to head to Chapel Hill this fall to attend Carolina, where he hopes to eventually declare a double-major in math and business, or math and biology.
Like Western’s valedictorian, Rouse was dually-enrolled at ACC during high school.
He was also a member of the Warriors’ boys’ varsity track team and a Regional Qualifier in track for each of the past three years and played for the boys’ soccer team, making All Region for each of the last three years before going on to win the state soccer championships twice. Rouse has also been employed as a soccer referee during all four years of high school.
The salutatorian says his most memorable experiences at Western were winning the two soccer state championships. “I will miss my friends and our after school pickleball the most,” Rouse says, adding, “I’m excited to get a job in a city in the future.”
WILLIAMS HIGH SCHOOL
Valedictorian Ariana Wadhwani, 18, whose parents are Mala and Rajesh Wadhwani of Elon, plans to head to Raleigh this fall to study Engineering at N.C. State, where she says she has received a Provost’s Academic award and a Dean’s Circle Award.
The valedictorian graduated last weekend with an International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma from Williams High School, currently the only Alamance-Burlington high school that’s certified to offer the advanced academic program, in addition to being dually-enrolled at ACC during high school.
During her four years at Williams, Wadhwani was a biology teaching assistant; deputy prime minister for the Mu Alpha Theta (math honors society) chapter; a member of NHS, National English Honor Society, National Technical Honor Society, National Athletic Honors Society, and National Honor Society and Sociedad Honoraria Hispánica (Spanish Honor Society).
She was also a member of Williams’ Dance team and, in 2024, won a Juneteenth art contest sponsored by the city of Burlington.
Wadhwani has received a U.S. Marine Corps Scholastic Excellence award and a President’s Volunteer Service Award twice, in 2023 and 2024, she tells the newspaper.
She was employed as an afterschool assistant and cheer coach at Burbrella Microschool Learning Academy during her sophomore and junior years of high school, when the private school was based at Holly Hill Mall in Burlington before relocating to Whitsett in the summer of 2025.
“My most memorable experience in high school was the 10-day language immersion trip to Spain and France,” Wadhwani recalls. “Experiencing new cultures and traveling with some of my closest friends was truly unforgettable.”
“Looking ahead, I’m most excited to take classes that align with my engineering interests,” the valedictorian adds. “My parents and older sister motivated me to excel in high school. They have always been my biggest supporters and role models [and] inspire me to…make the most of the opportunities around me.”
Salutatorian Avery LaPlante, 18, whose parents are Katie and Reed LaPlante of Burlington, plans on attending the University of Vermont this fall to eventually major in mathematics and environmental science on several scholarships, including a president’s scholarship through the university and several local financial awards.
LaPlante took some courses at ACC and was also enrolled in the rigorous IB program at Williams, while serving as president of NHS and as president of the math honor society. “I loved math and theory of knowledge,” the salutatorian says.
LaPlante was a member of the Bulldogs’ cross country, indoor track, and outdoor track teams, making Academic All Conference for both cross country and track.
Other academic and athletic accolades that LaPlante received at Williams include a: Superintendent’s Award of Excellence; science department award; U.S. Marine Corps Distinguished Athlete Award.
LaPlante’s most memorable experience at Williams was going to the state championships – “not once but twice” – with the cross country team.
“Wanting a good future was my biggest motivation” the salutatorian adds, “and when times got tough, my parents helped remind me of all of the good that will come out of what I am doing.”
