Eric Guo is the valedictorian for Danbury High School’s class of 2025. He is an accomplished member of our robotics team, an officer for Tri-M, and most importantly, a good friend. When described in a few words by Izzah Nishad, a close friend of Guo’s as well as a fellow member of Team 5150Z for Robotics, he is “kind, humble, awkward at times, funny and an incredible person.”
I was in the same team as Guo during our freshman year and was present when our entire Algebra 2 class learned that he was 1st in class. He was incredibly humble about this fact, as it also surprised himself when he learned of his unmatched class rank. When speaking with Guo about this day four years later, he recalled, “I didn’t know what Mr. Demunda meant when he said I was first. I thought he might have meant I was [first] in our Algebra class, not the entire [freshman] class.” Guo also explained that he had “never heard of the concept of a valedictorian before.” When it was announced to our freshman class that Guo was first in the entire class of 2025, many of us gathered in awe of his perfect Powerschool spread. I remember thinking Eric was nothing like what I thought a valedictorian would be. Guo never gloated; he was a diligent and kind student – not pretentious or so engrossed in grades that he couldn’t laugh with the rest of our class.
In fact, during our interview, Guo was hesitant to claim the title of valedictorian. When I asked him if the title scared him, he responded, saying, “I don’t want that to be my identity.” He continued to explain that he didn’t want to be defined by his class rank, explaining that, “many times people have come up to talk to me and started off by saying, ‘Aren’t you the valedictorian?’” He compared this to the way social hierarchies glamorize celebrities saying, “At the end of the day, they are just people.”
He added that he didn’t have older siblings who would have introduced the concept, and it wasn’t something his parents were aware of either. He explained that his parents never put pressure on him to maintain his class rank. His father, rather, pushed for him to “chill out” and “live your life.” I asked Guo if he saw his peers being pressured by their parents and he said “yes.” When prompted, Guo said pressure from parents “can go both ways.” He continued to explain his belief that one’s motivation to learn should come from their own interests, not external pressure. Upon asking him about his intentions for college, he commented that he was hoping to start learning “not for the grade, but for the knowledge.” This intrinsic motivation to learn is what drives Guo to continue to study. Guo will be studying mechanical engineering at Purdue University, continuing his interest in engineering after four successful years as a part of DHS Robotics Team 5150Z. This team qualified for the Worlds Championship of Vex Robotics for 4 years, finishing 2nd in the 2025 season. Robotics was a cornerstone of three of Guos years here at DHS from late nights on Fridays to several weekend long competitions Guo and his teammates were synonymous with Robotics. 
Eric has been a beloved member of the Class of 2025 and DHS as a whole. I, along with every member of the Hatters’ Herald, wish him nothing but the best as he heads off to Purdue this fall.
