With graduation approaching next month, Wylie East High School’s valedictorian and salutatorian are excited for their next steps in college and the different possibilities of experiences.

Robert Price, the Class of 2023 valedictorian, and Troy Teggatz, the salutatorian, both said they are looking forward to making new friends as they head to the University of Texas at Austin this fall. They also added that there is an opportunity to explore new surroundings and step outside of their comfort zones.

Robert said he has lived in Wylie his whole life and Austin will be a way to experience a new city and group of friends.

“I feel a bit confined and restricted sometimes, even though I’ve had the freedom to explore Wylie and surrounding areas,” Robert said. “I can’t wait to go to Austin, explore a new place and meet a diverse group of people and keep more friends around me than I do now.”

Troy said he noticed the options and new groups of people when he recently toured the school’s campus.

“I saw a lot of diversity, and there were a lot more options,” Troy said. “It’s definitely a lot more free and something I’m looking forward to.”

While the two students are both planning to attend the University of Texas at Austin, they will be pursuing different areas of study. Robert said he plans to major in computer science with a focus on how different concepts impact video games while Troy will study chemistry with an eye on drug research.

“I like the idea of studying the world around us,” Troy said. “I would like to know that I can observe something and figure out a cure for something on a molecular level, something to help people. It’s always been a big interest of mine.”

Robert said he is looking forward to examining higher level concepts that are not necessarily taught in high school, such as parallel programming, artificial intelligence and machine learning.

“I’m hoping that with a computer science education I can learn a lot more high-level skills to integrate and make video games a bigger and better space than ever before,” Robert said.

In high school, their respective paths to the top of the class have been different. Robert said he has known since the end of his freshman year that he was at the top of the Class of 2023.

“I was academically gifted from a young age and my parents and teachers always pushed me,” Robert said. “A lot of my teachers early on saw something in me and they pushed me to pursue higher academic goals than most people would.”

For the full story, see the May 11 issue of The Sachse News.