Melissa Papuc has been declared the valedictorian for the class of 2015.

After seven semesters at Redwood, Papuc earned an overall cumulative GPA of 4.48 and was enrolled in 12 different AP or Honors courses over four years.

“I know that I’ve done well in school and I know that my friends and a lot of other people have done really well in school, so I didn’t necessarily think that [the valedictorian] would be me,” Papuc said.

Papuc is the director of chapter fundraising for Northern California for the Junior Statesmen of America club and participated in cheerleading for three years. Papuc is also the president of the Pre-Medical club and vice-president of Future Focus Marin. Currently, she works in a lab at the University of California, San Francisco hospital as an intern.

Papuc was also the valedictorian of her class at Hall Middle School, where she maintained a 4.0 GPA.

“[Being valedictorian twice is] really meaningful to my parents,” Papuc said. “They’re really proud of me. My mom started crying [after the announcement].”

As a student at Redwood, Papuc said she signed up for classes based on what she felt would fit her interests, as well as challenge her academically, mainly in the math and science fields.

Papuc said that her favorite course over her time at Redwood was Honors Biomedical Science, and that it heavily influenced her choice in a college major.

After high school, Papuc plans to continue her education studying molecular, cellular, and developmental biology at the University of California, Los Angeles.