Sunny Stansbury shines bright as Galt valedictorian

By Julie Z. Giese
News-Sentinel staff writer

Sunny Stansbury planned from the moment she stepped onto Galt High School’s campus that she would strive to be the top student.

Sunny Stansbury

The Galt High senior recently realized her goal, becoming the school’s valedictorian with a 4.39 grade point average.

Stansbury, 17, thought she might miss out on being valedictorian at one point last year, but she continued to work hard.

The teen is now just anxious to graduate, tired from completing a handful of class projects. “The last few weeks I’m just like, ‘I don’t care. Get me out of here,’ ” she said.

She has carried a 5.0 grade point average this year, with her honors and Advanced Placement classes.

For her efforts, Stansbury received a full-ride scholarship to any university or college in the country from the Frank H. Buck Foundation in April.

She had applied for several scholarships, hoping to get one that would help pay for her higher education. She received several other scholarships in addition to the Buck scholarship.

Stansbury credits her success to her supportive family and an understanding that education can open up future opportunities, she said.

“You’ve got to know what you want to do and just do it,” she said. And don’t get overwhelmed by the big picture, work toward the goal step-by-step, she added.

She’ll miss her friends the most after high school. The modest teen has been involved in a variety of campus activities, including choir, drama, Key Club and art. She also composes orchestral music on her piano as a pastime.

She plans to attend University of California’s Santa Barbara or Davis campus to study philosophy and psychology in the fall.

Stansbury hopes to pursue a career in writing film scores or become an author.

She lives in Acampo with her mother, Cherie, and two younger sisters, Noelle and Skye.