Singley’s top-ranked student is Yasmeen Shaw. Shaw specialized in courtroom law, and not only is graduating with a high school diploma but also an associate’s degree. This fall, Shaw will attend the University of Texas at Dallas, where she will major in mathematics. Read on to learn more about this leading senior!

How does it feel to be graduating high school with an associate’s degree?

I am really excited about getting my Associate of Science. I feel as though it was a great opportunity that my law teacher, Mr. Jones, told me about and encouraged me to explore. My brothers are both older than me and graduated from Singley in 2017 and 2018, so it is kinda cool that I can say that I graduated from college before them.

What is your favorite subject?

I enjoyed all my senior classes, but my favorite classes would have to be AP Government, AP Macroeconomics and my law classes. My AP Government and AP Macroeconomic classes may have been small, but we learned a lot, and Mr. Sattizahn made the learning fun and engaging. 

What teacher(s) made the biggest impact on you?

Many teachers, specifically Mr. Jones, Ms. Triay, Mr. Bolin, Mr. Sattizahn, Mr. Galanis, Mr. Ho, Ms. Clyde, Ms. Kern and Ms. Darr inspire me with their dedication to education and to helping their students.

Who inspires you?

My grandparents taught me determination and hard work by moving their family to this country with nothing and raising their three daughters. My brothers inspire me by challenging themselves and encouraging me to do the same. My father taught me to always pursue my dreams. Finally, my greatest inspiration would be the strongest, smartest, most independent person I know – my mother. She is incredibly strong and independent and taught me not to let anyone walk all over me or tell me I don’t deserve something because I am a woman. She taught me the value of an education. She always encourages me to get my education because as she says, “your education is yours and nobody can take that away from you.”

 

Meet Singley’s salutatorian, Elaine Ta. During her time at Singley, Ta participated in more than 10 student organizations and took part in several internships. This fall, Ta will attend Texas A&M University, where she will pursue a degree in business management as part of the pre-med track. Read on to learn more about this top student!

 

Q: What advice would you give your freshman self?

A: I would tell myself to get involved with school and to not be afraid of getting out of my comfort zone to meet new people and try new things. Don’t let who you are now stop you from who you could become. 

What’s your favorite subject?

Emergency Medical Technician, or EMT, is my favorite subject because this course is the one I’ve learned the most in, and it solidified my goals of wanting to go into medicine. All the experience and knowledge I’ve taken from EMT is relevant to my future career as I would like to be a family doctor. More specifically, EMT has taught me life-long skills on patient care and more, which have given me a preview of what the medical field is like as well as a stepping stone to guide my future.  

 What is your favorite high school memory?

My favorite high school memory would have to be working with the senior class officers because we got along so well right from the start, and all of our skills just complemented one another’s’. From touring prom venues together with the officers to having our weekly meetings, I treasure each one of those memories. 

Who is your hero?

My grandma is my hero because without her, I wouldn’t be the person I am today or have any of the opportunities I have now from living in the US. It is due to all her sacrifices made travelling from Vietnam to the US that I can live a blessed life. Her hard work was embedded into my mom and now me, and I hope to continue following in her footsteps for as long as I live.