Saratogan chosen BYU valedictorian
Matthew Empey, 24, has been chosen valedictorian for Brigham Young University's College of Social Sciences. He also was awarded "Researcher of the Year" by the BYU English Department.
Empey received his Eagle Scout ranking at age 14 and graduated from Saratoga High School in 1989 with a 4.0 GPA. He received an academic scholarship to BYU and interrupted his college education to serve for two years as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Barcelona, Spain.
Empey, who has a double minor in English and Spanish-language studies, pays for his education not covered by scholarship by working as an academic researcher. Last summer, he worked as a volunteer in Puebla, Mexico.
Empey plans to go on to medical school and to become a doctor. He is the son of Charles and Linda Empey of Saratoga.
Dean's List students
Three students from Saratoga have been selected for Dean's List honors at the University of California-Santa Barbara. They are: Jennifer Susan Horner, a biological sciences major; Nicole K. Sugimoto, a communications major; and Amie Nicole Thue, who is majoring in philosophy and business economics.
All-American scholar
Eric Drudis of Saratoga has been named an All-American Scholar by the United States Achievement Academy.
Drudis attends Lynbrook High School and is the son of Antoni and Marta Drudis of Saratoga. He was nominated by his school.
Rotary scholarship
Nathan Williams of Saratoga, a senior at Woodside Priory School in Portola Valley, has received a Rotary Club award for outstanding scholarship. He will attend Wesleyan College next fall.
This article appeared in the Saratoga News, May 22, 1996.
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