Valedictorian Nora Sweeney

C ongratulations to Nora Sweeney, who just graduated from Elizabeth Seton High School as the Valedictorian and Scholar Athlete of the Year! Did you know that even straight-A students work on their study skills?!

Nora is from Washington DC, where she grew up a short walk from the US Capitol building and attended a Spanish-immersion elementary school and predominantly black middle school. For high school, she chose an all-girls Catholic school in a nearby suburb, where her friends’ parents were often appalled that she would take the Metro home in the dark of night.

And yes, she has met President Obama.

What are your plans for the next few years?

I’m heading to Swarthmore College in the fall (hopefully on campus) and I’m looking to study something in the social sciences. I think I may want to go to law school eventually, but I figure I still have some time to work that out.

How have study skills helped you achieve your goals?

Having time management skills and learning how to block out my time really helped me keep everything organized. In high school, I was in a bunch of clubs as well as on a varsity sports team and didn’t get home until 7pm most nights. Having a schedule with timing for assignments and free time really helped me out, and I never ended up having to pull an all-nighter.

What advice do you have for students?

Communicate! My classes and team had high expectations, but if I was worried about being too overloaded one night or week, my teachers were willing to work out an alternate date for me to complete assignments or take tests. Ask in advance if you need something- the worst they can do is say no!