Honorable Graduate Leader: Matthew Minsk, Valedictorian

Message to graduates: Matthew will focus on the importance of inspiring and life changing moments and then how you can integrate those into your daily life moving forward. And about taking advantage of opportunities.

Highest Achievements: This year, Matthew was awarded “best all-around senior” by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, was a STAR Student, National Merit Scholarship Program finalist and U.S. Presidential Scholars Program nominee.

He moved his way up the ranks of the Pallette school newspaper since 10th grade to become editor in chief this year and received multiple Jewish Scholastic Journalism awards.

Through much of high school, he was involved in varsity basketball, baseball and flag football and served as captain for each team this year. He was elected captain, too, of the Model United Nations, having been a delegate all four years.

Matthew participated in monthly competitions of the Georgia Math League.

Last year he was an AP Scholar with honors, won a Georgia Certificate of Merit (top 5 percent of students in junior class), and a Yale University Book Award (top general studies high school student).

These are in addition to school and Judaic awards.

Future plans: Gap year in Israel at Yishivat Kerem B’Yavneh and then Yeshiva University, honors program.