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Academic Stories

Stay up to date with the latest stories about academics! From student projects to student successes, see what's going on with our academic department. 
A student holding an award with a woman

Congratulations to Taylor Dean (Class of 2025), Rotary Club Honoree

On November 12, 2025, Taylor was honored by the Highlands Ranch Rotary Club for her outstanding achievements and dedication. Academically, she is an exceptional student with a weighted GPA of 4.05 and an unweighted GPA of 3.83, completing four Advanced Placement/Dual Credit classes and on track to earn her STEM Endorsement.

Taylor’s journey has not been without challenges. She was born with a heart defect that required surgery after it didn’t close naturally. Though the surgery was a success, she experienced severe, chronic migraines following the procedure. Despite these hurdles, Taylor has excelled in her academics and as a dedicated member of the varsity and club swim teams. Her health journey inspired her passion for physical therapy and her commitment to helping others find relief from pain.

In addition to her academic and athletic pursuits, Taylor is a leader and active participant in three STEM clubs: the Pre-Health Science Club, the Suturing Club, and the Chemistry Club. She’s also involved in service work, having been on Discovery trips to Belize and Camp Barnabas in Missouri. Outside of school, she works as a lifeguard and runs her own pool management business, providing swim lessons to younger swimmers and volunteering with her church’s youth program.

Taylor has been accepted to Kansas State University, Colorado State University, and the University of Iowa, and eagerly awaits a decision from her dream school, Texas A&M.

Congratulations to Taylor on this well-deserved recognition from the Highlands Ranch Rotary Club as an outstanding student leader and community member!

 

Taylor giving a speech at the Rotary club

 

More Academic Stories

Ethan Cheung (‘24), Carter Himango (‘24), Cadin Dinneen (‘24)

Valor is pleased to announce that we have three National Merit Semifinalists! Valor students Cadin Dinneen (‘24), Carter Himango (‘24), and Ethan Cheung (‘24) have been recognized as National Merit Semifinalists for their outstanding scores on the PSAT/NMSQTⓇ. These three students scored in the top 1% of all juniors nationwide.

Read More about National Merit Semifinalists
A person holding a pencil and writing in a notebook

Our Academics team takes immense pride in the outstanding performance exhibited by our students in the 2022-23 Advanced Placement (AP) exams. It brings us great pleasure to announce that an impressive 91% of our AP students achieved a score of 3 or higher on the AP exams, surpassing the national average by nearly 23%. Furthermore, Valor has overseen a record-setting administration of AP exams, with a total of 705 exams administered.

Read More about 2022-23 AP Exam Update
Drumroll, Please…

Most days after school the methodic sound of drumbeats emanates from the basement of Valor’s Academic Building. The sound comes from a small but mighty group of students who meet regularly with Mr. Jake Hovis and Mr. Rick Russon as a part of Valor’s “Blue Crew” to explore the world of percussion.

Read More about Drumroll, Please…