This week’s SCVTV Outstanding Student of the Week is Christina Hershey of Valencia High School.

Christina has 4.68 GPA and scored a 2180 on the SAT.

The senior is among the top three students in line for the prestigious valedictorian award and is planning to study chemical engineering or pre-medicine after graduation.

“I like how it incorporates math, chemistry and physics, which are my favorite subjects,” she said. “I like the way how that engineers have to think about problems and how they look at things differently than rather just a biology major or a chemistry major.”

A longtime UCLA fan, Christina is undecided for her future education on whether to join the blue and gold, or go with Tommy the Trojan.

“I’ve always been an UCLA fan, but USC has more opportunities for me that I would be able to use more. So it’s like a really hard decision between the two.”

The Viking volleyball-playing senior enjoys spending time helping out at the community hospital.

“I talk to a lot of the patients, and usually they just want someone to talk to and to hear their story. So I get to listen to all these different stories from different people. I also get to help out the nurses, and they’re really appreciative of it. They’re all really kind people so it’s really fun.”

Throughout her life, her mother has shown her that hard work really does pay off.

“She’s always trying to get ahead and always trying to provide the best for my sister and I. It’s because she is a single mother, and she’s been going back to school and is now in the medical field, as well. So it just shows me how hard she works, and that she can basically do anything she wants.”

Passion and dedication is her way of achieving success.

“You have to definitely want it. It doesn’t just take hard work, because if you don’t like what you’re doing, then you won’t be successful. You have to want it, be dedicated to it, and passionate. That’s basically how you get successful in anything you do.”

Congratulations to Christina Hershey of Valencia High School, SCVTV’s Outstanding Student of the Week.