Newtown High School’s valedictorian and salutatorian for 2020 both recently expressed hope in the midst of a pandemic, while sharing gratitude for support and inspiration from others over the course of the educational careers.

Local students may not be physically attending classes while the school year winds to a close, but both Sophia Guizzo, the class’s valedictorian, and Jackson Hebner, the salutatorian, are preparing the traditional graduation speeches that will be shared nontraditionally in a planned virtual graduation event.

While she and her fellow seniors did not get what they expected for the end of their high school experience, Sophia said she hopes her valedictorian graduation speech will highlight other things the students can be thankful for.

Jackson said this year’s end of the school year probably does not have the usual cheeriness associated with a class graduation, but he still feels connected to his friends.

In recent phone interviews, Sophia and Jackson shared that they knew they would be near the top of their class before school buildings closed due to the pandemic. Later, according to Jackson, NHS Principal Dr Kimberly Longobucco shared the official placement news when also announcing the names of the top demi-decile, or top five percent of the graduating class of 2020, via an online communication.

“I was really excited,” Sophia recalled. “I knew it was always in the realm of possibility... But it was really exciting to see that it all paid off and I actually did it.”

Jackson remembers a “good feeling” from hearing the news.

“It was kind of like relief,” he explained. Adding later, “It’s a good way to end the four years.”

Both Sophia and Jackson attended school in Newtown from elementary school to high school.

Sophia attended Head O’ Meadow Elementary School. She remembers her fourth grade teacher Patricia Kurz separating students who performed well on pre-tests to another room to allow time for them to work on challenging math problems.

“I guess [that] was when I started to realize I like math,” Sophia said. “... It really opened up a lot of possibilities for me.”

Now Sophia plans to attend Columbia University in New York City, N.Y., to study engineering in the fall. She hopes COVID-19 will not hinder that experience.

Sophia said she was drawn to attending the university due to her appreciation for its curriculum and of the city.

“You get to explore a lot of different things,” Sophia shared about the school’s curriculum.

Sophia said her family — mom Carolina, dad Marcelo, and younger sister Olivia — has been a source of inspiration. Her parents, she said, both have strong work ethics that she and her sister have learned from. She learned from watching them, Sophia shared, and from a sense of expectation without being pushed.

In school, Sophia said she has had many inspiring teachers, like NHS science teachers Kim Lowell and Christopher Carley, NHS math teacher Eugene Hall, and NHS English teacher Dr Michelle Toby.

“I just have really fun memories of their classes,” Sophia said of the four NHS teachers. “They really managed to challenge me, especially in some of the more advanced classes.”

Being challenged in school helped her realize what she wanted to pursue in college, she explained.

Both Sophia and Jackson participated in on NHS’s Science Bowl group, which is coached by Mr Carley. The Science Bowl’s Newtown-A team, which both Sophia and Jackson were part of, earned the title of “2020 Regional Champion” at a March 7 competition held at the University of Connecticut, Storrs.

Jackson said he attended Hawley Elementary School and his favorite subject to study is math. He plans to major in math at the University of Connecticut, Storrs, in the fall.

“I just enjoy the idea of proving things with certainty,” said Jackson about studying math.

He has particularly enjoyed learning calculus and linear algebra, the second of which he learned from a college text book borrowed from his older brother, Jared. Jackson also has another older brother, Jason.

“[I’ve had] pretty much the perfect environment,” Jackson said of being able to study and being inspired by his family. “They’ve supported me through everything; not just my parents [Laura and Scott], my whole family.”

Having people who “you love next you” plays a role in having less stress and concerns to contend with, Jackson observed. Along with his family, Jackson described his family’s pets, particularly a Sun Conure parakeet named Louis, as providing a different kind of support.

Jackson has a long list of teachers he feels inspired him or helped him along his educational journey in Newtown. While attending Newtown Middle School, Jackson said teacher Will Ryan was his social studies teacher in seventh and eighth grade.

“He was an amazing teacher,” Jackson said.

He is also grateful for Mr Hall’s support. As the math department chair, Mr Hall approved Jackson’s choice to study a particular math topic on his own before advancing to another course. Through that experience, Jackson said he developed his ability to study topics on his own, which he expects will help him in college.

“Mr Hall was nice enough to give me that chance,” Jackson said. “... That was very nice of him.”

When asked to share advice for future NHS students, Jackson drew from the lessons he learned from that math practice. He highly recommends for students to try learning content — not necessarily something they will learn in class — on their own. Pick one thing, he advised, and learn it independently from a classroom environment.

As previously reported by The Newtown Bee, NHS graduation plans include student and staff speeches being recorded in advance, and an in-person event, scheduled to take place over three days, June 10, 11, and 12; families will receive a given time slot, in alphabetical order, to take part in the walk across the 16x24-foot stage in the parking lot. Senior graduation celebrations will culminate with a car parade of seniors and families through Newtown, scheduled for June 15, and a possible senior picnic on July 29.