High School Valedictorian. An impressive and esteemed academic achievement that few earn and many hope to receive. As a result of four years of hard work and dedication, Senior Nikita Golovnya is one of two UC High Class of 2020 valedictorians. As a front runner of the Senior Class, Golovnya ends high school with a 4.76 cumulative GPA, thanks to a rigorous course load and his dedication to his education. 

   Both his personal motivation and the support of those close to him have played a large role in Golovnya’s success. Golovnya explained, “I wanted to learn and acquire knowledge that could help me in college and later in life. It’s an honor to be a valedictorian at UC High, and I’m proud of achieving this, but it could not have been done without the support of my teachers, friends, counselor, and family.” He added, “My parents played a big role in pushing me to be the best that I could.” 

   Golovnya has big plans for next fall and his future career. He will be attending the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) to study Aerospace Engineering, one of his passions. “I have always been engaged with the elegant design of airplanes, their ability to defy gravity and travel at high speeds. I am fascinated by how humans are able to construct and design such sophisticated pieces of machinery, and I want to comprehend the engineering behind the best innovation of our time,” Golovnya expressed. His dream job is to own his own lab, where he can design and build airplanes. 

    Not only is Golovnya a dedicated student, but he takes his athletics seriously as well. He has been playing ice hockey for ten years now, and has also played lacrosse and ran track and field for UC High. In his free time, he likes to collect memorabilia, play the guitar, enjoy outdoor activities, and spend time with his friends. Golovnya plans to continue these activities and extracurriculars in college and beyond. 

    Just like any other senior, Golovnya has faced his fair share of challenges throughout the past four years. “My biggest challenge in high school was balancing my high school assignments and responsibilities with outside activities and my commitment to my hockey team,” he stated. 

    During his time at UC High, he has learned more lessons than just those that his teachers taught. Golovnya explained, “The most important thing I learned in high school was to expect the unexpected.” Additionally, Golovnya had some words of wisdom for younger generations: “Advice I would give to underclassmen is to maximize your time and put in your best effort because, regardless of the outcome, you’ll know you gave it your all.” 

   No one can argue that Golovnya has not given high school his all. If he continues to pursue his future career with the same dedication, who knows… maybe, ten years from now, when you get on a plane, it’ll be one of Golovnya’s designs.