PROVO — It isn't uncommon for close high school friends to continue their friendship and education at the same college. What's uncommon is the story of three friends from Colorado Springs who were all valedictorians of the same high school and all chose to come to BYU.
"I think it drew a lot of attention," Claire Woodward, one of the tri-valedictorians from Doherty High School, said. "Everyone is always like, 'the Mormons are so smart.' And the fact that we all chose to go to BYU, they were like, 'oh, that's so crazy!' "
Now, about a month and half into their first semester at Brigham Young University, Woodward and her other two valedictorians, Orrin Chambers and Marisha Lange, are finding their way into freshman life.
"I'm surprised that I like some of my classes, like physical science, because I hate science," Lange said. Although homesick, she adds, "I've been having a good time. The overall atmosphere (at BYU) is just great."
Adds Woodward, "I love it so much. Everyday, I wake up smiling."
As for Chambers, BYU is his launching pad for his future goal of serving an LDS mission. "I'm in Heritage Halls (BYU on-campus housing) and it's great because I'm learning how to cook for my mission."
Dubbed the "tri-valedictorians," the three grew up in neighboring communities in northeastern Colorado Springs. This is the first time in Doherty High School's 35-year history where there has been a three-way tie for valedictorian. These LDS students also continued a trend where within the past five years, eight LDS seniors had been valedictorians at Doherty High, according to Woodward's father, Joel Woodward.
The best friends wouldn't have it any other way. Woodward and Chambers knew each other since they were young, growing up in the same LDS ward, and Lange and Chambers met while going to the same preschool. As for Woodward and Lange, their friendship developed during their freshman year in high school. During the commencement, Woodward and Chambers spoke while Lange sang.
"It was kind of cool just because it was not only a three-way tie, but the fact that we are all LDS," Lange said. "I mean there are about 60 seminary students at our school of 2,300, so it was really exciting to be the three of us to represent our senior class."
The principal, Dennis Vigil, was also surprised of what came out of the 2011 graduating class but saw the hard work and determination of these students.
"In all my years (at Doherty High School) we have never had tri-valedictorians," principal Vigil said. "We value the rigor that we have here at Doherty. Our mission is to graduate kiddos that are prepared for a post-secondary education and world. These three graduates epitomize that mission."
Among all of these similarities, the freshmen do differ in what they want to major in. Lange is still figuring it out, as most first semester freshmen do, while Chambers and Woodward have a general idea of what they want to study.
"Right now I picked neuroscience as my major because I like psychology and brain chemistry and I think it's a good cross over of the two," Chambers said. Woodward, meanwhile, wants to teach history and is currently taking humanities and political science classes.
The freshmen hope to maintain a close friendship with each other while also growing academically and spiritually.
"BYU is just really a wholesome environment and I love to learn and I love to learn about the gospel, so it was just the perfect mix for me," Lange said. "I love the gospel so much, and to have a place where everyone has the same standards and to be able to study things in context of the gospel is great."