Southington Resident Named Valedictorian Of St. Paul Catholic HS

SOUTHINGTON, CT — A Southington resident is this year's valedictorian of St. Paul Catholic High School in Bristol, the school announced this week.

Gillian Smith, daughter of Brenda and David Smith of Southington, is the school's top graduate. Smith will attend Rensselaer Polytechnical Institute in Troy, New York this fall, where she will major in mechanical engineering with a focus in sustainability, the school said.

Smith is vice president of the school's National Honor Society chapter, co-editor of its yearbook and a two-year captain of the softball team. She is also involved with student government, the data analytics and math team, the Spanish Honor Society and the Blue Key Club.

Additionally, she received a Summa Scholar award — a recognition given to the top 5 percent of students within the Archdiocese of Hartford.

Smith's favorite class at St. Paul was CAD (computer-aided design), which she said helped her discover her passion for engineering and design.

Smith's advice to students is to try new things, even if it might seem scary.

"It will help you to find something you are passionate about, or to simply gain new experiences," she said.