MONTEREY — Kennedy Poole always aimed to be at the top of her class.

Today she graduates as the valedictorian of Monterey High School, with a perfect 4.0 GPA, never receiving a grade lower than a B.

Though her grades are perfect, Poole said she didn’t enjoy every part of her studies — especially Spanish, an online class.

Poole preferred her extracurricular activities, playing softball, singing and playing piano.

“I’ll definitely miss softball and being with my Lady Wolves,” Poole said. “I have played softball since seventh grade. We have all become best friends.”

After graduation, Poole plans to attend Louisiana Tech University, majoring in biology.

She was also considering Louisiana State University, but the deciding factor was school size.

“I chose Louisiana Tech because it isn’t too big, and it’s not too small,” Poole said. “I feel like I might be overwhelmed at LSU.”

Poole has also thought about her career after college. She plans to go to physical therapy school and become a physical therapist.

“I saw my grandma go through therapy every day and eventually become independent,” she said. “I want to help people like that and help them through a difficult time.”

Though she is excited about her future, Poole is nervous about delivering her valedictorian speech at graduation. She plans to speak about the future and many possibilities that lie in front of the graduates.

“We can be whatever we want to be; there are so many possibilities,” she said. “I’m a little nervous about speaking in front of so many people, but I’m proud of being named valedictorian.”