A student in her last year of high school is in danger of losing her valedictorian status and university scholarship following what has been reported as a “miscalculation,” drawing controversy and highlighting administrative oversight.
Senior Maya Veliz, who attends the Blue Ridge High School in Texas, USA, and also practices cheerleading, will graduate high school next month.
Appearing in an interview with Dallas-based TV station WFAA, Maya tearfully said: “It’s almost the end of the year, and I kind of saw this going a different way.”
The ambitious student reportedly set a goal four years ago to graduate first in her class from high school as valedictorian.
Senior Maya Veliz risks losing her valedictorian status and university scholarship due to a reported “miscalculation”
In the US, a valedictorian is a student who has achieved the highest academic standing in their graduating class. They often give a speech at the graduation ceremony.
Maya told the news outlet: “It had been, like, the one goal I set myself for the beginning of my freshman year was I can do this.”
In American high schools, the terms freshman, sophomore, junior, and senior are used to denote the four years of high school, with freshman referring to students in their first year, sophomore being the students in their second year, junior denoting students in their third year, and finally, seniors.
In addition to her academic efforts, Maya was on her school’s cheerleading squad and was recognized by the College Board National Hispanic Recognition Program for her academic achievements, The New York Post reported.
The cheerleader was reportedly officially announced as Blue Ridge’s valedictorian in March and was told by administrators over the last year that her Grade Point Average (GPA) locked her in as valedictorian as long as she didn’t fail a class.
Students’ GPAs are numerical representations of their academic performances calculated by averaging the grades they received in their classes.
In the American education system, GPA is typically measured on a scale of 0 to 4.0, with 4.0 being the highest possible GPA.
Up until last week, Maya thought her GPA was in the clear until she was reportedly called in by her principal, who informed her that there had been a “miscalculation.”
Initially set on graduating as valedictorian, Maya’s dreams were shattered after discovering a GPA discrepancy
The principal went on to inform Maya that she was actually third in her class and would, therefore, no longer be valedictorian.
“To hear those words not even 30 days before graduation was gut-wrenching,” she cried on WFAA.
The heartbroken student had already reportedly written her graduation speech, as well as anticipated the visit from her family from out of the country, who had paid for flights to come to hear her read it.
The news created more unexpected problems for the hard-working teen, who was recently enrolled at the University of Texas with the belief her first year would be free due to a scholarship awarded at state universities to valedictorians, WFAA reported.
She told the TV station: “I now don’t have that stability.”
Maya was on her school’s cheerleading squad
Her father, Jorge Veliz, admitted: “This is something I wouldn’t want any kid to deal with or any parent.”
Jorge claimed his daughter’s school administrators had informed him that the issue was around Maya’s transfer credits.
Moreover, the administrators indicated that the classes Maya had taken at what is assumed to be her previous school were not being considered in accordance with the district’s transfer policy.
The school athlete, who was taking dual credits and AP honors (Advanced Placement college-level courses) throughout high school, had transferred from a school in Frisco, Texas, in 2022 as a junior, and some of the classes offered at her former institute weren’t offered at Blue Ridge High, People reported.
Her father, Jorge Veliz, admitted: “This is something I wouldn’t want any kid to deal with or any parent.”
“I would understand if this was a policy that’s been in effect for a year or two that they weren’t familiar with,” the disappointed dad said.
However, according to Jorge, the policy has been in place for seven years, and he had reportedly checked with administrators over the last year to see if his daughter needed to take any summer school classes to maintain her GPA and class rank.
The district’s spokesperson said: “Blue Ridge Independent School District (ISD) has investigated this private student matter and communicated with the parents.
“The district reviews academic achievement, grade calculations, and class rank during this time period each year in accordance with applicable state law and board policies Educational Improvement Council (EIC) and EIC Local.”
Image credits: WFAA
“Miscalculations were originally made when finalizing GPA and Class Rank; then corrected to ensure compliance with both of those board policies.
“All students affected have been notified.
“And in addition, plans have been initiated to ensure that a mistake like this does not take place in the future.
“Any further specific student information cannot be discussed pursuant to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act.”
Maya reportedly admitted that she didn’t plan to attend graduation anymore, telling WFAA: “This affects my future, and I do not wish that upon anyone else.”
Maya’s testimony ignited heated debates on the school system
