Meet RPS top 2024 valedictorian Wilmer Matamoros-Menjivar

The Personality of the Week for the May 30 issue of the Richmond Free Press is Richmond Public Schools top 2024 valedictorian Wilmer Matamoros-Menjivar from Richmond High School for the Arts:

In his valedictory speech, Mr.Matamoros-Menjivar spoke about overcoming rejection and how it can open new doors, drawing from his own experiences. He had applied to a few specialty high school programs but wasn’t accepted by any, which left him feeling “miserable” and “devastated.”

Although not his first choice, Mr. Matamoros-Menjivar benefited from attending Richmond High School for the Arts, formerly George Wythe High School. There, he met Kakim Fung, his 10th-grade calculus teacher. Mr. Fung helped him enroll in dual-credit courses, allowing Mr. Matamoros-Menjivar to take online classes at Reynolds Community College alongside his high school courses.

By junior year, he had earned a 5.28 GPA.