Auburn High School announces valedictorian, salutatorian for Class of 2024

The calendar may say autumn but before you know it summer will be here which means commencement and the Auburn Enlarged City School District now knows who the valedictorian and salutatorian are for the Class of 2024.

Noelle Pipher is Auburn High School’s valedictorian and Keegan Brady is salutatorian. Their academic accomplishments are just the tip of the iceberg to AHS Principal Brian Morgan.

“Honestly, the thing that's most impressive to me about both of these students is that they are very involved in outside activities as well, so they don't just focus all their time and energy on academics,” Morgan said. “Noelle has been dancing outside, like three, four, five nights a week for her entire life. She plays a fall sport, Keegan runs on all three, cross country, indoor track and (outdoor) track teams. They're both very good at those activities. You have to make time to maintain an extremely high average. To me, that's what’s most impressive, they’re just so well-rounded.” 

The news that she is valedictorian was a little bit of a surprise for Pipher.

“I got the final announcement last week and it's surreal because I've always been up there with my class but I haven't always been No. 1 since I got to high school,” she said. “The first time I got (ranked) No. 1 I was shocked but I said this is something that I could possibly achieve.” 

Pipher plans on becoming an orthodontist and is looking at either attending Colgate or Binghamton University where she will major in biochemistry.

Pipher says she will take her time writing her valedictory address.

“I thought of some ideas but it's going to take me quite a while,” she said. “It's something important. I want to make it special”

Brady knew he was in the running for one of the top honors.

“I've been towards the top for most of high school,” he said. “But there were a few people pretty close to me. So I was really happy to hear it. It takes a lot of work to get there and I really put it in to get here. It really all paid off.”

Brady is committed to attending Johns Hopkins University where he plans to study electrical engineering.