LARGO, Md. — A Prince George's County high school senior is graduating Wednesday. Not only is Jisleni Saavedra the International High School at Largo's valedictorian, she is also breaking barriers in her own family.
"She's not the loudest in class, but she's the most — I would say — efficient," said her teacher, Dr. Troy Grant.
Saavedra may have a quiet voice, but the high school senior's success is a powerful example of determination.
Saavedra is a three-sport athlete who is graduating with a 4.1 grade point average. She has also been taking AP classes and earning college credits during her senior year.
She said she was surprised when she was named valedictorian.
"I never thought that was going to happen," she said.
She did all of this while completing over 200 service learning hours. The state of Maryland only requires 24 for a student to graduate. Dr. Grant said her commitment is part of the reason she is such a good student.
"A student can be passive. A student can come and sit down. But a scholar seeks knowledge. That's exactly what Jisleni is, she's a scholar," Grant said.
Students attending Largo's International School learn English as their second language, and typically have found it challenging to learn the language. Saavedra didn't let that obstacle stop her. She didn't let anything stand in the way of achieving her goals and setting an example for her younger siblings.
"I'm really proud of my accomplishments since I'm the first in my family to attend college. I'm going to explore and see how it goes and be an example for my siblings," she said.