Old Tappan — Lisa Marie Jaris, the salutatorian at Northern Valley Regional High School at Old Tappan, will give a speech at graduation urging her peers to set their own standards irrespective of other people’s expectations.
That is what Jaris has done throughout her high school career and her academic standing – a grade point average of 4.9 – is testament to its efficacy.
"A lot of people…have doubted certain choices I have made but it is much more important to choose what you want to do and not hold yourself to everyone else’s expectations of you," said Jaris.
Jaris will attend Williams College in Massachusetts in the fall and will likely major in political science or economics before attending law school.
Drawn to Williams because of its strong liberal arts and athletic program, Jaris thinks the "intimate" atmosphere at the small college will be a good undergraduate experience.
"When I was first looking at schools I loved Yale and Princeton but when I went to Williams I liked the smaller feeling better," said Jaris.
This year Jaris enrolled in five Advanced Placement courses and an honors French class. Her passion for learning is something she saw in her grandfather, a role model who has inspired her throughout her life.
He attended Stanford University as an undergraduate, went to Harvard Medical School and taught at Yale Medical School before becoming a neurosurgeon at Sloan Kettering, said Jaris proudly. "He reads encyclopedias all the time and is always excited to learn new things," she said, adding he was the topic of her college essay.
Jaris will continue her passion for sports at Williams where she will play varsity basketball.
The salutatorian attributes her success to her consistency and discipline and the fact that she chose two extra-curricular activities to focus on — student council and athletics.
"I was involved in a lot of clubs but wasn’t all over the place. I dedicated myself to those two."
The time commitment involved in both athletic and academic success was not without its sacrifices, however.
"I would usually have a lot of sports commitments and I could not always be going out all the time," she said. A self-proclaimed "compulsive list-maker" Jaris said it helped to take things in small chunks, stay positive and not allow herself to get too stressed.
Jaris’ words of advice are: "don’t be afraid to challenge yourself.
"If you know yourself and believe you can succeed then you know you can reach your goals."
E-mail: wilde@northjersey.com or call 201-894-6706
