Deer Valley valedictorian Berkeley-bound

0 Comments | Oakland Tribune, Jun 3, 2009 | by Tammy Hansen

By Tammy Hansen

Muniba Ahmad likes to bake, that is when she isn't studying for advanced placement classes like environmental science, statistics. The kitchen is a haven from the rigors of academia for the 4.38 GPA valedictorian of Deer Valley High School, said her father, Irshad.

"When she studies and gets tired, she gets up and starts baking. She likes to bake and we like to eat," he joked.

Irshad Ahmad and his wife, Mahtab, aren't surprised by their daughter's success, he added. Muniba has had here eye on the title of valedictorian since her freshman year.

Co-Principal Scott Bergerhouse is similarly not surprised given the work ethic he has seen in Muniba. (She is one of 14 Deer Valley students to attain a GPA higher than 4.0 by taking advanced courses.) There's more to this Berkeley-bound senior than studying, however.

"She also has a love for people. She not so focused that she forgets everything else," he says. "She's such a well-rounded lady. I truly feel that she will excel."

Muniba, 17, recently received the Rotary Club of Antioch Scholarship.

The middle of three children she said she sees herself as a hard worker rather than one blessed with brains. The heavy load of advanced courses in her junior year, for example, was a challenge. It wasn't enough to put her off her goal.

"It was a lot of work," she said. "It's just about staying focused. I was just sure this was what I wanted to do."

The goal of valedictorian came from a drive to be the best at something. Had she not focused on schooling, another challenge might have inspired her, she said. Her determination in academics has paid off in several scholarships and grants for the University of California at Berkeley, where she has already been accepted.

Although her course load occasionally made free time a rare commodity, she has found time to do typical teenage things -- reading and hanging out with friends. She spent last weekend at Disneyland on a school trip. She also isn't immune to that last year disease that strikes so many in high school.

"Senior-itis -- it's going right now," she said.