The top Shoemaker High School Class of 2026 graduates took advantage of Killeen ISD’s STEM Academy partnership with Central Texas College to earn associates degrees and have wide-open options in front of them.
The valedictorian is Maggie Ha and the salutatorian is Lily Nguyen.
Valedictorian Maggie Ha
Ha attended Iduma Elementary School and Smith Middle School before splitting her time between Shoemaker and CTC the past four years.
Naturally gifted academically, she said she never aspired to graduate at the top of her class, just to do her best and excel in all areas.
“I tried hard in my classes. At first, I got all 100s,” she said. “Later, I slipped. I always put pressure on myself. I never really cared about the rankings. I just wanted to do well.”
She is still exploring her college options and wants to pursue nursing.
Ha praised her parents and close friends for supporting her through high school. She singled out Shoemaker algebra teacher Semi Harrison, who she described as a close supporter, welcoming her into her classroom to do schoolwork and to talk about life.
Salutatorian Lily Nguyen
Similarly, Nguyen didn’t strategize her class ranking, at least not until her senior year when she was surprised to learn she was in position to finish as the salutatorian.
“I didn’t have the goal of being salutatorian until later this year. I’ve always held a high standard for myself academically,” she said. “I pushed myself harder and made sure I was on top of my grades. When I found out I was No. 2 I was happy all the hard work paid off.”
She moved a lot with her family as a child, settling in KISD in her middle school years and spending all four high school years at Shoemaker, also attending a portion of her days at CTC in the STEM Academy. She also participated in Junior ROTC.
“I’ve had a great time here…I’ve made connections here that are meaningful. I’ve always connected well with my teachers…I really enjoyed being here and I will be sad to leave,” said Nguyen. “I’ve made a lot of memories.”
Looking back on high school, the busy student, who works at a grocery store, said she put pressure on herself to excel at the highest academic level.
Gifted with a diverse intellect, the No. 2 Shoemaker graduate took courses in multiple disciplines and discovered an interest in biology, in advanced math and eventually the world of finance and accounting, which she plans to pursue at the University of Houston.
“I took so many classes and did well,” she said. “There are so many things to be interested in that could be a career…It left me more confused because there are so many great options.”
Shoemaker High School graduation is set for 7 p.m. Friday, May 29 at the Cadence Bank Center.
Photos of all KISD valedictorians and salutatorians: : https://www.killeenisd.org/photos