Top 10 Spotlight: Valedictorian Brianna Garcia’s Passion is Learning

Some people have passion for a hobby. Others have passion for a sport.

For Los Fresnos High School Valedictorian Brianna Garcia, her passion is learning.

Parents Roy and Dr. Stephanie Garcia have more than most to be proud of. Their oldest daughter Alexis Garcia, was Valedictorian of the LFHS Class of 2013. Now they have two in three years.

“Growing up, the main point for me that helped me was that I read a lot as a child. That fostered a love for learning. The best grades in school are from people who like learning, have a passion for learning, and a passion for gaining more knowledge.”

Alexis Garcia is now a junior at Hillsdale College in Michigan. “She’s really my best friend, too. Even though she is in college, we still talk to each other every day.”

Brianna has two younger sisters in middle school who learn from their older siblings.

“I got to see how much work it takes with Alexis,” she said. “Now I’ve been giving my little sisters tips on classes to take, and encourage them to do the homework on time. I help them with projects when they need it.”

Learning is fun in the Garcia household, and Brianna sees changes in the education system.

“There are big movements nowadays for making school fun, and especially making science fun. Instead of a boring lecture or reading a textbook, I see how schools are making learning more interactive, and apply it more to life so they can see what they are learning.”

Her appetite for learning over the years has earned her one of the most prestigious honors a student can achieve – becoming a National Merit Scholar.

She was one of 2,500 Merit Scholar designees chosen from a pool of more than 15,000 finalists. National Merit Scholarship winners are the Finalists in each state judged to have the strongest combination of accomplishments, skills, and potential for success in rigorous college studies.

The number of winners named in each state is proportional to the state’s percentage of the nation’s graduating high school seniors.

Each recipient receives a $2,500 scholarship. “Getting the National Merit award was more about the honor than the money,” Brianna said.

She has been part of the Ojo a Ojo, Science Bowl and Masterminds teams, but enjoyed the most success as a member of the UIL Literary Criticism team.

As a junior, Brianna was part of the LFHS state champion UIL Literary Criticism team, and she tied for first place for individual honors with an 82 score. Because of tie-breakers, she received the second-place medal.

“Winning the state championship felt really good. It was all of our hard work paying off.”

LFHS was four points better than Katy Seven Lakes High School in 2014, 222-218, and the team improved to 247 points. However, Katy Seven Lakes also improved to 251 points to win state this year.

Individually, Brianna improved her individual score to 86, but it was good for only a tie for fourth place.

A lot of reading was involved in Lit Crit, something Brianna enjoys doing. “I’m into the classics like Sylvia Plath and Charlotte Brontë. I like young adult fiction by John Green.”

Brianna also enjoys the piano, something she has done since she was 4 years old. She likes laying classical and contemporary music, especially the works of composer Frédéric Chopin.

“I’ve kept with playing the piano, although I took a break during my junior year. I’m not major in piano performance, but I might still try to play when things calm down in college. It’s something that I can do for the rest of my life.”

Brianna had her choice of numerous colleges, but decided on Rice University and major in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at Rice University. She applied to 10 schools, and considered Washington University in Missouri, but decided on Rice, the only Texas school she applied to. She has received the Trustee Distinguished Scholarship.

She would like to work as a Chemical Engineer, and work in the energy sector. “My experiences in Chemistry, Physics and Calculus classes led me to that field. I had great teachers who inspired me in those areas.”

Brianna’s academic success is rooted in several areas.

“It takes a lot of time management like everyone says. You do give up social time or social media time, and for me pleasure reading time. It’s a sacrifice.

“You have to prioritize in getting things done when they need to get done. Being involved with people who will help get to where you want to go is also so important. But the main point I always talk about is the love for learning and reading. That was always important for me.”