Park Vista High School valedictorian has the write stuff
Shannon Chamberlain is a published poet and plans to immerse herself in the humanities at the University of Florida.
“I love poetry with a passion,” said Chamberlain, valedictorian at Park Vista High School. “Emotions, stories and visions are only some of the many topics available to poets, and I believe this broad spectrum makes poetry less of a task and more of an adventure.”
When a teacher assigns a paragraph essay, she often turns in two to three pages worth of material.
“I’m never satisfied with the bare minimum,” said Chamberlain, 18. “My ability to write endlessly is an instrumental part of my being.”
Her tenacity vaulted her to a 3.94 grade point average (5.22 weighted) to rank first out of 778 students at Park Vista. She scored a 1490 on her SAT and a 33 on
her ACT, earned an AICE diploma (Distinction Level) and was an AP scholar.
She plans to major in history at UF and hopes to one day become a professor or land a spot in some form of governmental position.
“Conducting research to discover something new is a dream of mine,” Chamberlain said. “I want to add to the pool of knowledge that has accumulated over time.”
She accumulated plenty of awards at Park Vista, including Outstanding Science Student, Outstanding History Student, PROMISE Award, Harvard Book Award, Perfect Score on English FSA, a Pathfinder nominee for Academic Excellence, and was a district champion bowler.
“Taking AP classes earlier on than my classmates were a key component of my success,” Chamberlain said. “Keep a planner as well, assignments tend to increase over time and due dates approach much more rapidly than one would think.”
She also held several leadership positions in high school, including president of National Honor Society, president of Chemistry Club, historian of Human Trafficking Awareness Club and captain of School Duel.
She also worked for Party Entertainment for two years, playing the part of a female celebrity or Disney princess for children’s parties or volunteer events.
Chamberlain is thankful for the support of her mother, Barbara, her father, Richard, and her sister, Nicole. She also credits her teachers for pushing her throughout her high school career.
Chamberlain transferred from Suncoast High. Adapting to a new program and working with new people was a struggle at first.
“My teachers gave me all the resources necessary to catch up, and they were honestly the reason for my ability to overcome this obstacle,” Chamberlain said.