Valedictorian Dhruvi Rana and Salutatorian Diana Tiburcio

By Armando Martinez ‘19 and Aleyshka Barbosa ‘19

Even though many want to accomplish all of their goals and fulfill all of their dreams, there are only a rare few who step up to the plate and take on the world. This year, PHS has two stand-out seniors who deserve recognition for their outstanding accomplishments throughout their high school years. For this year’s graduating class, Ms. Dhruvi Rana earned the title of Valedictorian, and Ms. Diana Tiburcio received the title of Salutatorian.

Valedictorian Dhruvi Rana

● What were your goals for high school? Did you achieve them?
I knew that when I began high school, I wanted to leave some type of positive impact on my school community. Although I had never imagined that I would be the valedictorian of my class, I did know that I wanted to excel academically and do the best that I possibly could. Rather than settling for less, I continuously pushed myself to be a better student and found that this allowed me to accomplish many things in high school.
● What was your favorite class or subject? Why?
I really enjoyed AP Calculus, which is something that I thought I would never say. Although I am more interested in humanities/social sciences and do not intend on majoring in the field of mathematics, this class truly pushed and exemplified the importance of perseverance. Not only did I have a wonderful teacher to help guide me, but I was also determined to do well in that class despite numerous obstacles that stood in my path.
● What do you attribute your success in school to?
I would most certainly have to say my extensive support system. Not only do I have a supportive family, but I also have caring friends and teachers who want the best for me. Throughout high school, there have been multiple occasions during which I relied heavily on the people who cared about me to navigate through the difficulties that I faced. In addition, I found that many of my peers lack a support system and seldom have anyone to turn to. Therefore, without the love and support of my family, friends, and teachers, I would not have been able to succeed in school.
● Who do you admire most?
Mindy Kaling because she is one of my personal role models. This is primarily because she has rejected cultural expectations by defying the norm and pursued a profession in comedy as an Asian woman. She truly leads by example and is the epitome of a strong, independent woman.
● What are your future plans for college?
This upcoming fall, I will be attending Franklin and Marshall College with a major in Pre-Law/History.
● What is your dream job?
I aspire to become a diplomat and work for the United Nations. I have been interested in the field of global affairs ever since I could comprehend the purpose and responsibilities of the United Nations. As a young child, I was captivated by the role of the UN because I perceived it to be the ultimate superhero country. After I matured, I realized the UN is an intergovernmental organization that is heavily involved in global peacemaking. Ultimately, this increased my interest in global affairs because I was intrigued by how the governments of multiple countries depended and influenced each other.
● What advice would you give freshmen students?
I would strongly encourage freshmen students to be open-minded and to get out of their comfort zone. I have found that doing so, opens up more opportunities and allows you to diversify the activities that you are a part of. Also, refrain from comparing yourself to others and learn to focus on yourself because the one person you should be competing with is you. Most importantly, build lasting friendships and relationships with the people that are around you because these people become the ones that you can turn to. Lastly, have fun in high school and cherish your time because time moves so rapidly.
● What clubs/activities/extracurriculars were you involved in?
Mock Trial (President)
National Honor Society (Treasurer)
Student Council (Secretary)
Student Government
Junior Optimist Club
Lead for Diversity
Girls’ State
Intern at the Office of Assemblyman Gary Schaer
Teen PEP
Collegiate Leadership Summit
Volunteer work with Autism Organization
Volunteer work with temple

Salutatorian Diana Tiburcio

● What were your goals for high school? Did you achieve them?
For some reason I entered high school thinking that it would further my interest in the medical field. However, after taking biology, I realized I HATE science. The subject that used to bore me to death soon became my most exciting part of the day… history. While I technically did not achieve my goal, I got something better out of it. In this school I realized my love for bettering the lives of other people through charitable work and policy reform. I plan to continue this work in college and later in life.
● What was your favorite class or subject? Why?
My favorite class was AP U.S. History primarily for the relationship that I built with my teacher, Ms. Cho. Unlike my other teachers, she always challenged me and reminded me that in life I need to work harder than others do. She never awarded me for tasks that I should have done which was a wake up call for me during my sophomore year.
● What do you attribute your success in school to?
I attribute my success to the privileges that I was able to grow up with. As a child, my mother would read to me every night and I live a comfortable enough life to stay home and focus on my studies rather than work. I know this lifestyle is not available to many students in our school. In addition to this, my motivation to continue to push myself harder every year has been a big part of my life. I never like to settle and I am always working on a new task to improve my time at school.
● What are your future plans for college?
As a recently admitted student to Amherst College, I plan to double major in Sociology and LJST (Law, Jurisprudence, and Social Thought).
● What is your dream job?
I realized that my role in society is to give back to inner-city communities such as mine. My dream job would specialize in reforming educational inequalities in our society or educational law. I plan to return to Passaic in the future and give back to my community and the disadvantaged youth all over the nation.
● What advice would you give freshmen students?
I would tell them to try new things and join a bunch of clubs for the fun of it. I made a lot of friends from participating in different activities. I would tell everyone to try their hardest in all their classes but that’s not realistic because not everyone has the drive to do that. Enjoy your time in high school by giving back to your community. Organize a school event. Come to a pep rally. Get involved because the school gives us so many opportunities to do so!
● What clubs/activities/extracurriculars were you involved in?
Student Council Founding Member and President
National Honor Society Vice President
Varsity Softball
Teen Pep
Pipeline
STRIVE
Mock Trial
Tutoring (Today’s Learning Center and AP Courses)
Internship with assemblyman Gary Schaer
LEAD (Leadership, Education, and Development) Program
Girls State
William Paterson Summer Program for college credits
Volunteering at Saint Mary’s Hospital
Initiating JSA (Junior State of America) for students next year