Palmetto Senior High graduated 70 students this year with a grade point average above 5.0 and Principal Janet Hupp said the achievement was a testimonial not only to the hard work and dedication of the seniors, but to the teachers as well.

"At Palmetto, we are constantly encouraging our students to achieve above and beyond what they believe is possible," said Hupp.

Students with a GPA over 5.0 include in order of rank valedictorian Samuel Roddenberry, salutatorian Michael Glickman, Andrew Ferguson, Sara Poster, Shirin Golkar, Jessica Gould, Emma Dzelzkalns, Jennifer Jude, Amanda Felice, Jennifer Ringel, Lindsey Goldstein, Jesse Kaplan, Raquel Cabo, Jeffrey Goldstein, Jamie Kleinerman, Anthony Kang, Abraham Young, Jennifer Fried, Heather Newman, Wendy Ecker, Nathaly Urraca, Alyssa Razook, Rupert Minnet, Justin Bernstein, Ariana Lopez-Irlanda, Martin Alvarez, Matthew Bohrer, Julia Kim, Melissa Morales, Brian Alvo, Melanie, Schlesinger, Daniel Myers, Brooke Bloom, Erik Hollembeak, Gina Gitlitz, Nicole Graham, Abby Reiter, Marjan Vandevar, Jeffrey Kaplan, Christopher Sanderson, David Kram, Lauren Ennis, Aaron Becker, Jeremy Cohen, Kristin Byrne, Sonia Rohter, Teri Romkey, Joseph Quick, Emory Manten, Ilana Reed, Gina Capparelli, Adriana Hernandez, Jennifer Gross, Rebekah

Mateu, Danielle Pernas, Samantha Becker, Beth Brownstein, Jon Puttinen, Elizabeth Shurik, Michelle Weinshall, Stacey Clarke, Michael Narula, Adam Chefitz, Loren Kimmel, Jessica Wine, Jennifer Rashkind, Kristen Sutton, Sarah Newman, Cecelia Jimenez, Rachel Berney, and Erin Gleason.

Hupp noted that Palmetto captured the county's all-sports award this year and that the students achievements went beyond the classroom.

"This entire senior class has been incredible," she said. "The students have shown a lot of leadership and they've really brought the feeling of pride alive at the school. In addition to what we've achieved athletically and academically, our students have also shown a tremendous amount of community involvement."

Meantime, a high percentage of Palmetto High School graduates usually move on to levels of higher education and this year is no exception.

College advisor Nancy Pankey said on average about 92 percent of Palmetto's graduates go on to college or some advanced vocational program. However, this year she said that 524 of the 548 seniors, almost 96 percent, indicated they planned some form of advanced study.

"Not only that, about $5.3 million in scholarship money has been earned by the graduating class for college and vocational study," said Pankey, "and 258 students have qualified for Bright Futures scholarships."