Grapevine senior denied valedictorian title, wins prestigious scholarship

by Monica Dutia

GRAPEVINE — After being told her school record breaking 5.898 GPA would not make her valedictorian at Grapevine High School, 16 year-old Anjali Datta found out that she would receive one of the most prestigious scholarships from the University of Texas at Austin (UT).

She is one of six incoming freshmen to receive the Dedman Distinguished Scholarship, which awards $13,000 per academic year for four years plus some funding for study abroad programs. This figure tops the one year full scholarship which the valedictorian title would have given her.

Anjali, who completed Grapevine High School in just three years and earned a perfect score on her ACT, graduated this month with the title “Valedictorian—Three Year.” Although she had the highest GPA at the school, Grapevine-Colleyville school district officials stated that a district rule specified that a valedictorian must complete high school in four years. Tyler Scott Franklin, graduating with a 5.64, was deemed the official valedictorian.

At UT, she plans to work toward a bachelor's degree in biomedical engineering and liberal arts. Despite finishing high school early, she expects to take five years this time around.