Roberson, Russell named top students
Albany High School recently announced honor students for the 2024 senior class, with Kiana Roberson named valedictorian and Sidney Russell salutatorian.
Ten other seniors were named as honor students as part of the top 25 percent of the class, which has 48 members.
Roberson, the daughter Brittany Davis and Travis Komma and Sedrick and Missy Roberson, all of Albany, has a four-year overall grade average of 98.253.
Russell has an overall GPA of 97.375. She is the daughter of Lisa Masterson and Roy and Sumer Russell, all of Breckenridge.
Other honor students in rank order are Brooklyn Abbate, Jaden Bean, Luke Marshall, Cambree Clegg, Braylyn Abbate, Tyler Chapman, Maci Hatchett, Robyn Trail, Jaci Chapman, and John Peterson, IV.
Local students earn the traditional grade point average based on the numeric grade for each class over their four-year high school career. However, it is actually a weighted grade point system based on core classes that is used to determine class rank.
Honors and dual credit courses receive more weighted points than regular core classes.
See Top Students , pg. 6A The seniors will graduate on Friday, May 24 starting at 7:00 p.m. in the main gym at the high school.
Both Roberson and Russell will present graduation speeches.
Valedictorian
Roberson has attended Albany schools since preschool.
She was very active in athletics during high school, participating in volleyball, basketball, and track all four years. Her honors include volleyball district MVP, basketball first team all-district, and bronze medalist at the state track meet her sophomore year in the shot put. She won a pair of silver medals in shot put and discus her junior year. She has again qualified for the state meet in both the shot put and discus.
Roberson served as class vice president during her freshman and sophomore years, and she has been a member of the student council the last three years. She was inducted into the National Honor Society as a junior, and she was elected as NHS president for the current school year.
She also participated in UIL events during her junior and senior years.
Roberson plans to attend Angelo State University in the fall as un undeclared major.
Salutatorian
Sidney Russell has attended Albany schools since fourth grade, attending kindergarten through third grade in Breckenridge.
She participated in UIL journalism events all four years, advancing to the state academic meet both her junior and senior years.Shealsowasamember of the Lions Roar staff for three years, including as an editor the last two years. She was named to the All-State Journalism Staff last year and won numerous awards in the ILPC newspaper contests, including a Tops in Texas this year.
She participated in volleyball during her freshmen through junior years, was on the tennis team all four years, and was in basketball, track, and crosscountry. Shequalified for the state tennis meet her sophomore and junior years and will play at the regional tournament next week.
Russell Is member of the National Honor Society the last two years, and participated in junior forum.
She was an A Honor Student for all four years of high school and selected as the outstanding girls singles player her sophomore and junior years.
Russell plans to major in biology with a minor in nutrition at the University ofArkansas in Fayetteville in fall. Her ultimate goal is to attend medical school to become a dermatologist.
