Newtown High School's Class of 2025 Valedictorian David Baghdady and Salutatorian Sophia Wade reflect on growing up in Newtown and where their educational experiences have taken them, all while sharing words of support to their graduating classmates.

Newtown High School officially announced them as this year's valedictorian and salutatorian alongside the other students in the top five percent of this year's graduating class on May 1. Baghdady, Wade, and their fellow demi-decile students were honored once again at the June 3 Board of Education meeting for their academic achievement.

Baghdady called becoming the valedictorian of his graduating class a "fantastic feeling." While he didn't necessarily go into high school aiming to be a valedictorian, to him, it was a signal that what he's been doing in terms of honesty, dedication, and commitment to his classes has paid off and is the right step for the future.

"So to me, that's the value," Baghdady said. "It feels great."

Baghdady originally lived with his family in Monroe before moving to Newtown as a baby. From then on, he has lived in Newtown and fell in love with it. He described himself as blessed to have had such dedicated and passionate teachers, saying that they contributed a lot to his success.

Around sixth or seventh grade, Baghdady said he had an opportunity to take Algebra 1 under the condition he tested into it. While he "didn't do too well the first time," Baghdady did not let his initial failure deter him.

He received a second chance from Newtown Middle School math teacher Bonnie Hart, who he said was incredibly kind to him and ended up being his Algebra 1 teacher the following year.

"I credit her for, at a young age, really pushing me and helping me succeed," Baghdady said.

Beyond her, Baghdady felt he had an excellent group of teachers who kept up their persistence and commitment to teaching even through the COVID-19 pandemic. Now all these years later, getting into Algebra 1, as well as receiving help from Hart and support from other teachers, has stayed with Baghdady.

He also said NHS science teacher Christopher Carley has had a big impact on him over the years. Baghdady had him as a teacher for Honors Chemistry, AP Chemistry, and AP Physics 1, as well as the Science Bowl.

"Going into his class, being able to ask any question about the topic you're interested in and receive a thoughtful and considerate answer, is really what boosted my interest in STEM and shaped what I wanted to do," Baghdady said.

He explained that he always thought he wanted to do computer science. However, having his interest sparked with the many questions and topics that Carley put before Baghdady took his initial curiosity and pushed him to pursue it.

Baghdady said he now feels like he may want to do something interdisciplinary or related to applied computer sciences.

He also thanked NHS Math Department Chair Eugene Hall, who, after seeing Baghdady's prior experience in math exceeded the level of others in his multivariable calculus class, offered him the chance to self-study multivariable calculus at his own pace and do differential equations.

"I just wanted to give him a huge thank you because honestly, I had not asked for it, but he's a teacher who saw a student in need and delivered," Baghdady said.

The experience taught him two things: take opportunities when they're given to you, and that there are teachers who really care about their students.

Other classes, like NHS English teacher Michelle Toby's AP Lit and NHS English Department Chair Abigail Marks' AP English Language and Composition, Baghdady said pushed him to explore his interests beyond STEM and helped him become a better learner.

"Having that exposure to complex topics has really helped foster my interests and blossom into not just a computer science student, but a well-rounded individual," Baghdady said.

His passion goes far beyond STEM, having played saxophone from a young age. Baghdady said jazz band has been of one his main extracurriculars for a long time, and that he has done a lot of leadership and volunteer work in several honor societies, notably the Computer Science Honor Society and the National Honor Society.

Baghdady cites his mom, dad, sister Victoria, and family as a whole for helping him get to where he is today. Baghdady said his parents specifically have instilled in him the value of hard work, dedication and honesty from a very young age.

"Those kinds of things are almost cliché, but as an impressionable young kid, I took them to heart and internalized those lessons that they taught me," Baghdady said.

He is planning on attending the University of Wisconsin-Madison and majoring in Computer Sciences. Baghdady said he is also exploring other options or deeply considering a dual major or minor in something else.

Baghdady encourages his peers to remember the value of hard work, even with tools like Chat GPT or AI that are able to do their work for them.

"The value in our work, the value in what we've learned in high school, even if it's in subjects we won't pursue, is how we learn how to learn, how to struggle, how to fail, and to go," Baghdady said.

He added that it's vital to not replace or supplant that effort and that they do the struggling, failing, and reflection in all that they pursue.

Learning Through Experience

For Wade, being her class's salutatorian is the result of her continuous hard work throughout high school to get good grades and do the best she can.

"So to get recognized that feels very nice and like a big honor," Wade said. "I'm just very happy about it and fortunate to have the chance to come to school in the first place, work so hard, and learn a lot."

She has lived in Newtown her entire life with her family, who imparted many important life lessons and morals onto her over the years. Wade said she comes from a very large family and that they are all near and dear to her heart, keeping close through family holidays and traditions over the years.

Wade said she never had the expectation for herself that she had to become salutatorian. She knew she always wanted to get really good grades, get into the best colleges that she could, and have great opportunities for herself. In Wade's eyes, wherever she ended up would have been fine because she knows she's working the hardest that she can.

Wade realized she was probably near the top of her class last year, but said she'd feel happy regardless of whether she got top of her class or not.

She has always loved learning and said that Newtown Public Schools in general lets kids take the initiative to challenge themselves with different level classes and projects, and to explore their interests more at the high school.

Getting the freedom to pick electives and classes that challenged and engaged her, Wade said, fostered her love of learning. Two of her major extracurriculars are the two sports that she plays: cross country and golf.

While Wade started having never played them before freshman year, she has grown to love both sports and said she has made some of her longest friendships from them. She also got involved with several clubs, becoming the Co-President of the Hawks Honors Association and volunteering with her fellow club members at school events like tours and the Veterans' Day Assembly and Luncheon.

Volunteering at school also helped push her to volunteer around town at places like the Newtown Community Center and enroll in Newtown Volunteer Ambulance's EMT class. Wade said she enrolled in the EMT class when she was at a crossroads between medicine and economics at the suggestion of her dad. While Wade said loved the class, she realized through the experience that she loved the people more than the medicine.

"I decided to go down a different path in the future, but it was such a good experience," Wade said. "I'm really proud of myself for trying it and getting my certifications."

Some of the classes that have stuck with Wade over the years are English with Theresa Talluto, who helped make English finally "click" for her and love the subject, and Astronomy with now retired NHS science teacher Karolyn Baumgartner, whose passion and kindness helped make the class one of her favorites of all time.

Above all else, Wade said the biggest driving influence on her life has been her grandmother. Wade said that she always loved visiting her grandmother, gushing about how she loved painting, playing badminton, and made time for all of her grandchildren until she recently passed away.

"She really lived life to the fullest until the very end, and it was so inspirational and awesome," Wade said.

Moving forward, Wade said she is going to go to Brown University and will major in Economics. She said she loves how the subject connects to so many different parts in life, from healthcare to government to policy.

As she and her fellow students step into the future, Wade encourages her fellow students to remember the power of choice.

"You can choose how you want to live your life, who you want to be, and what you want to do and how you do it," Wade said. "Everyone has the power of choice."

Reporter Jenna Visca can be reached at jenna@thebee.com.