claim to fame
This Prattville High School senior has some mixed feelings about
her newest title: valedictorian. “I had never really thought about
the whole class rank thing,” she said. In the past I just sought to
do my best, and that is what I am continuing to try to do.”
It’s obvious that for Kristina, academic achievement is not
the goal, but a means to a greater end. When asked what has
driven her to excel in school. “I want to maximize my learning
experiences because I want to be able to use my honed skills and
improve my abilities to serve and give back to my community,”
she said.
She plans to double major in Accounting and Economics and
double minor in Finance and French with hopes of landing a job
at one of the big four accounting firms after graduation.
on the move
Born on Travis Air Force Base in Vacaville, Calif., Kristina has
moved around a lot, thanks to her dad’s career in the Air Force.
A positive attitude has helped her adapt to everywhere she’s
been. “Moving around so much has immeasurably benefitted me
and taught me a lot. Each move is different, as each new location
offers different opportunities,” she said.
point of pride
Kristina’s even helping other students who find themselves in
the same position. “I am most proud of founding the Student
Ambassador Program at my high school with a friend of mine.
As a new student to PHS arriving from Ft. Collins, Colorado,
at the beginning of my tenth-grade year, I saw the potential
benefits of a program that would ease the transition of new
students by providing a friendly face to give new students a tour
of the school, basic info about the academics, clubs, athletics and
answers to questions.
PG (parental guidance) rating
kristina armstrong
“My parents laid a solid foundation of a good work ethic when
I was little. I also believe emphasizing how they were proud
of my hard work even more so than my accomplishments has
emphasized the importance of integrity, not only in an academic
setting, but in all aspects of life.”
parents’ perspective
Kristina’s parents Dennis and Rose believe in leading by
example, and Dennis and Kristina’s older sister Angela
(a National Merit Scholar) have influenced Kristina with
their dedication. “Kristina’s father as a 27-year officer in
the Air Force was a role model in work ethics, leadership
and excellence. He’s shared his experiences of travel to
62 countries,” Rose said. “And her older sister Angela
was and still is probably more influential on Kristina’s
motivation than anyone else. Kristina saw Angela’s dedication to
studying and the sacrifice of being so focused.”
“Kristina has seen me study and focus on both work and my
masters and PhD classes. That probably served as an example for
her,” Dennis said.
The couple offered this wisdom to other parents: “Spend time
with them, let them know they are important and help them see the
bigger picture in life,” Dennis said. “We try to emphasize a well
rounded approach to life rather
than just academics.”
“Encouraging her to implement her ideas despite adversity has
resulted in ‘out-of-the-box’ thinking,” Rose added. “Put limits on
how many hours a hard charger can ‘work’ when she/he gets too
fatigued to prevent burnout. Most importantly: Don’t be a peer, be
a parent! Guide and mentor ideas. We stress that character is more
important than achievement.”
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