La Porte High School proudly announced its valedictorian and salutatorian for the Class of 2023 — Tyler Troy and Pooja Verma.
Troy, son of William and Carly Troy and a former Kingsbury King, has been a standout Slicer from his first moments at LPHS. He is a member of the Academic Super Bowl and Science Olympiad teams as well as NHS. He is the founder of the STEM Club and is a member of the cross country and track teams. Troy was also a finalist for the Lilly Endowment Scholarship.
Troy completed 17 different AP/Dual Credit/Honors courses during his time as a Slicer, pushing him to the top of his class. He plans on double majoring in physics and math with a minor in philosophy at Michigan State.
As his time comes to an end at LPHS, he will remember having discussions with Mrs. Niksch during SRT and getting homework help from Matthew Trumble, Murphy Burke, and Grady Boardman.
Being a Slicer has been a title he’s held proudly and will continue to wear throughout his future. “Whenever I’m rowing the boat, I’ll be thinking of the word, ‘Slicer,’” Troy said.
Verma, daughter of Mahendra and Shivani Verma and a former Crichfield Cougar, is an exemplary Slicer. She is a member of Key Club, Interact Club, Student Council, National Honor Society, and plays varsity tennis.
Verma has challenged herself with a rigorous schedule packed with 16 different AP/Honors/Dual Credit courses. In the fall, she will attend Purdue University majoring in biomedical health sciences as a recipient of the Posse Scholarship.
Verma will fondly remember her time as a part of the tennis team, especially the team dinners together. Being a Slicer has taught her valuable life lessons.
“To me, being a Slicer has meant to never give up no matter how many hurdles and to always keep your head up, whether that’s in school or out playing sports and representing La Porte,” Verma said.
Verma is incredibly grateful for the support and love from her family.
“I wouldn’t be able to be where I am without my parents and sister, as they always pushed me to keep working hard. My sister helped me get through my years in school with her constant encouragement and advice,” Verma said.
The Class of 2023 will graduate on Thursday, June 8th.