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Straughn High School’s valedictorian and salutatorian for the Class of 2025 are Arina Thai and Mallory Hall, respectively.

Both graduates were grateful to represent their senior class with these academic honors.

“It is a tremendous honor to represent my class as the valedictorian. I am proud to celebrate our shared accomplishments and reflect on the hard work that defines our graduating class. I hope to express the pride we all feel as we reach this important milestone,” Thai said.

“This is such a high honor and one that I have been striving for a very long time. I am overjoyed to be able to represent my school as the salutatorian,” Hall said.

Thai plans to attend the University of Alabama at Birmingham in the fall and major in Biomedical Sciences.

“I have always been interested in how the human body works and healthcare. This field allows me to pursue medicine and my passion for making a difference in people’s health and well-being,” she said.

Hall plans to attend the University of Alabama in the fall and major in Business with a full-ride scholarship.

“I chose this field because I think it is a solid major. It will help me in my future endeavors,” she said.

Both Thai and Hall agreed that the atmosphere and community were the two most enjoyable parts of their time at SHS.

“The most enjoyable part was the sense of community. I have built lifelong friendships, learned from amazing teachers, and been a part of activities that made each year memorable,” Thai said.

“I truly believe Straughn is one of the best places to go to school. The most enjoyable thing about going to Straughn these past 12 years has been the familial atmosphere. We truly are Straughn Strong, and I have enjoyed every moment of my education here,” Hall said.

While Thai and Hall have mixed feelings about graduation, they will carry many memories from their time in high school into the next chapter of their lives.

“I will miss the people the most, especially the teachers and faculty who go above and beyond for us. Not only do they care about us as students, but also more importantly, as people. They are the reason for making Straughn the special school that it is,” Thai said.

“I will miss the daily routine of being in the same place as the kids I’ve grown up with. For so long, we’ve been a small family and have seen each other more often than we haven’t. I’m going to miss the familiarity of my classmates,” Hall said.

Both are ready to take on the real world and see what lies ahead in the future.

“I am looking forward to the new experiences that come with stepping into the real world. I am excited to keep learning, meet new people, and work toward my goals in college. In the next five to 10 years, I see myself in medical school, continuing my journey toward becoming a doctor and serving my community,” Thai said.

“I am looking forward to taking this next step and working towards the rest of my life. It is really important to me to lead a godly life, and I plan to move into this next chapter with my faith as the most important thing in my life. In the next five to 10 years, I hope to see myself in a career where I enjoy my job and am able to devote plenty of time to my family and future children,” Hall said.

Arina is the daughter of Phong Thai and Ngoc Truong. She has two sisters, Anna Thai and Amy Thai.

Mallory is the daughter of Jessica Jones and Michael Hall and stepdaughter of Greg Jones. She has three brothers, Owen Hall, Parker Hall, and Curtis Mitchell, along with two sisters, Mary-Ella Jones and Katelyn Jones.