San Antonio Express-News (Sunday)
Medina Valley’s LaQue finds the right balance
Jared LaQue scanned the field at Medina Valley’s Panther Stadium and saw dozens of familiar faces.
He hadn’t seen most of them in person in more than a year. That scene alone was enough for him to break out of his lowkey shell to deliver a heartfelt speech as the school’s 2021 valedictorian.
“I wanted to motivate them as much as I could,” said LaQue, who excelled in football and baseball for the Panthers. “I’m not a man of very many words, but I kept it serious. It was all about work ethic and determination and having the mindset to do great things and not be stagnant. Don’t be stagnant toward your dreams and be actively trying to accomplish your dreams.”
Classroom conditions, altered by the COVID-19 pandemic, threw challenges at the 2021 class in unspeakable ways. Many of LaQue’s classmates chose to stay home with online learning. Medina Valley’s entire senior class didn’t get a chance to see each other until June 4 — graduation day.
“Our class faced a lot more challenges than the last class with having to go through a whole year of it,” LaQue said. “But there was a reason why we were all there that day — to graduate. And we overcame all those obstacles, and that’s a great thing.”
On-campus learning was shut down in March 2020 as the initial wave of the pandemic made its way through the country. Students finished last school year with virtual learning. As the 2020-21 school year progressed, students returned to class in limited numbers. Some students chose to continue virtual learning and not be on campus.
Graduation day at Medina Valley was a de-facto reunion and goodbye at the same time.
“That might be the last time I see a lot of those people,”
LaQue said. “And to spend that one last time together, I will never forget that.”
LaQue’s journey to that stage as his class valedictorian began at an early age with dinosaur and animal books furnished by his parents — Haydee and Rudy LaQue.
Those books sparked LaQue’s curiosity. As a result, it set the foundation for study skills that he implemented in the classroom as he grew older.
“They piqued my interest toward everything,” LaQue said. “I’d go through them and I was always amazed by all these things I’d read. … I was given all these opportunities in elementary school and middle school and I just tried to soak everything up as best as I could all the way around through every subject.”
LaQue realized he was on a valedictorian track after the first semester of his freshman year. He said he never set a specific goal to finish at the top of the class.
Instead, he trusted his strong study habits would carry him as high as possible in class rankings.
“It was the sort of thing where things fell in the right places, and I’m thankful for that,” LaQue said.
LaQue was an offensive lineman on Medina Valley’s varsity team for two years. He earned second-team all-district honors his senior year.
LaQue competed in one full season for the Panthers’ baseball team. His first varsity season last year was cut short because of the pandemic.
This year in baseball, he played first base and third base in addition to pitcher and was a unanimous all-district pick. He was 10-1 with a 1.60 ERA and 56 strikeouts on the mound. He hit .400 with two home runs and 17 RBIs.
LaQue hasn’t made a college decision, but he is narrowing his choice to schools where he can play baseball.
He said the demands of the classroom and the field were not easy. He prioritized his studies and competed in sports as an outlet for the pressures of being a high-ranking student.
“I had to sacrifice a lot of social time and whatnot to be able to continue my studies and make sure that I was getting things done in time,” LaQue said. “I tried not to procrastinate and tried to find a balance with everything.”
And all of that led to Medina Valley’s graduation stage.
“Being able to give the speech among all the people was able to share the halls with was pretty amazing,’ LaQue said. “It was a very cool experience, and I felt very honored to have that opportunity.”