Fallbrook High's 2016 valedictorians and salutatorian seize the moment

Being a leader means knowing when to seize the moment, and truly taking advantage of the opportunities given. Fallbrook Union High School's 2016 valedictorians Derek Lam and Jesseca Topete and salutatorian Ellen Allison have truly taken their senior year and transformed it into an opportunity to rise to the top of their class.

Lam had the highest GPA with a 4.516, Topete a close second with a 4.514, and Allison rounding off the group with a 4.327. Each step taken by these three students has been precise from the beginning of their academic career, so it's no wonder that they have not only become the highest performers at the high school, but also are headed to prestigious universities in the fall.

Topete and Allison will both be headed to Stanford University, with Topete planning to study mechanical engineering and Allison planning to study photojournalism. Lam will start his microbiology, immunology, and molecular genetics degree at UCLA.

For Lam, being the top performer at Fallbrook High brought out his competitive spirit.

"I started as second to Jesseca, and I wanted to be number one," said Lam. "I also had to beat my sister, who was salutatorian of her class and is also at UCLA."

Now that he has successfully eked out the win, Lam plans to enjoy his time at UCLA by joining several clubs and traveling in the midst of his pre-med courses.

"I'm planning on being less competitive, but I think that my competitive spirit will push my past hurdles at UCLA and will push me to try and join clubs," said Lam.

Topete says Lam's competition with her was one sided; her goal was to perform her best to afford her the best collegiate education possible. Topete played several sports throughout her high school career, including softball, volleyball and soccer. However, this year she felt the need to hone her attention to her class work.

"I just wanted to get good grades so I could get into a good college," Topete laughed. "This year I focused on my academics and was president of Interact, our robotics club. High school is a race to do well."

Allison, the salutatorian for this year's graduating class, said she didn't expect to rank so highly; just like Topete, she was working hard to get into her dream school. However, by being honored, she follows in her father's footsteps.

"My dad [Kirk Allison] graduated from Fallbrook and was valedictorian ," she said. "He asks if certain teachers are still at the school."

All three students were given an opportunity to speak to their peers, and each speech reflected their individual personalities.

Lam's speech echoed his sister's 2010 speech, sprinkled with Harry Potter references, but focused on how living in a small town can change an individual's vision of success. Topete's speech emphasized the journey of life, with various paths chosen along the way. Allison's speech focused on how an individual's life is made of stories, and how coming home can be different after new stories are added to a person's life.

With graduation done, the trio of students has big plans for themselves in this new chapter.

"I will be on the equestrian team at Stanford. I'm excited to meet people who are as passionate about their interests as I am," said Allison. "Stanford has a diverse student body with people from all over the world, and different kinds of perspectives. I chose photojournalism as my major because I like to travel; my dream job would be to work for National Geographic, telling other people's stories."

Lam has traveled extensively, and plans to incorporate his love of travel into his career choices.

"In 10 years, I'll be most likely doing my residency at a hospital," said Lam. "My goal is to become a cardiovascular surgeon who on his spare time travels to help impoverished people in third world countries."

Topete believes her focus and drive will help her balance her new college schedule, while also allowing her to enjoy her free time.

"Focus helps with the many due dates, and it'll be nice to set my own schedule," said Topete. "Discipline helps me set goals, and I know how many hours I have to set to study."

Topete picked mechanical engineering because she can truly explore her options.

"I would like to build a water purification system that would help in the third world," she said.

By August, Lam, Topete and Allison will be off to their new schools, starting a new chapter in their lives, but through that experience, they will carry the memories and support that they garnered at home.

"[Senior year] was a chance to spend with my friends, and it was a good year," said Topete. "The staff <at the high school's college and career center> were a big help, and were also our therapists. You know the kids who are in AP classes with you, and you know they are the same friends you can count on."

High school senior year is not the end for these students − it's the beginning of their adult lives, and these three Fallbrook grads will seize the opportunity to transform their lives and improve the world.