Top trio of grads fast friends

The top three students at Maricopa High School headed to May 23 graduation have been friends since their freshman year and always seem to manage to have one or two classes a semester with each other.

They hold the highest grade point averages in their advanced placement and honors classes. Highest to second to third highest, meet Karell Garcia, 17, Itati Garcia, 18, (no relation to Karell) and Tia Yap, 18.

These three are the face of the class of 2013. Karell will be this year’s valedictorian; Itati the salutatorian, and Tia is senior class president.
Tia’s job will be to introduce the speakers during graduation and she’s working on just how she’ll inform her fellow graduates of the momentous switching of the tassels.

“I’ll think of something,” she said.

Itati is this year’s salutatorian and Karell is the valedictorian.

Karell said she’s a little nervous with “everyone looking at me.” Still, she wants “to inspire our class to reach their full potential. You just have to work hard.”

Hard work is a thread running through their conversation, as they speak of their achievements. It’s taken much late-night studying.

“We’re also the kind of people who take it above and beyond,” Karell said, by taking on more homework, reading ahead, figuring out how to make a project better. All three are in National Honor Society.

Tia works two jobs. She’s a pizza artist at Papa Murphy’s and a recreation aid for the city of Maricopa. She’s chairwoman of the city’s Youth Council, the only student on MHS’s site council and has been involved in the yearbook and DECA.

Itati is involved in Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlán (MEChA) and played flute in the MHS marching band. As the oldest of six brothers and sisters — the youngest is just 1 — she’s a busy big sister.

“It’s my job to show them, guide them, inspire them to succeed,” she said. “I love them very much.” 

Karell is NHS vice president and does a lot of community service. She also tutors.

She’s leaning toward ASU and studying elementary education, early-childhood education and/or English as a second language.

“I’m really excited to branch out, meet new people, new professors … at the same time the uncertainty is daunting,” Karell said.

Itati is headed to Grand Canyon University in biology and pre-med studies, perhaps specializing in pathology.

***ADVERTISEMENT***She said graduation presents an opportunity.

“I’m most excited about it because it’s a new start for me to show off my abilities,” she said. “I have ideas, but sometimes I’m too timid to show them. I feel going off to university gives me a chance to show what I’ve got.”

Tia has full tuition paid to NAU and is considering “public administration for now, but may be be a city manager one day. That would be awesome.”

She wonders, though: “I’ve worked so hard so far, and if I don’t turn out the way I think I should, I’ll be disappointed.” 

While the three are gearing up for graduation night, they all have big plans for their last summer before college.

Tia is going zip lining in Costa Rica during a nine-day trip with Maricopa Student Travel. Karell is headed to Guadalajara for a month and Itati is hoping to sing and dance in a community musical. As she said, “I’m willing to try something new this summer.”