Valedictorian Rosá just wanted to do his best

By Julie Z. Giese
News-Sentinel staff writer

Edwin Rosá has led the pack at Lodi High School since his freshman year.

Edwin Rosá

With a 4.61 grade point average, he managed to stay ahead of the Class of 2002, to be named the school’s valedictorian.

But getting high marks wasn’t his focus, 18-year-old Rosá said. He just sought to do his best.

Rosá isn’t the only top student in his family. His stepsister, senior Megan Hawley, is also one of the class’ top students.

Despite two scholarly teens in the house, there isn’t much rivalry, he said. They’re supportive and encouraging of each other.

Rosá has participated in a handful of school activities, including Science Olympiad, Breakthrough Club, Nerds Club, Young Democrats, science and math clubs, track and cross country.

In the fall, he plans to attend University of California, San Diego to study bioengineering. He hopes to work in the biotechnology field as a researcher. “I’ve always wanted to be a scientist since I was little,” he said.

His interest in science peaked in middle school. He was inspired by his math and science teacher Ted King, who worked at Henderson School, the former gifted-student school. “He really made me like science,” he said. The science buff even studied yeast for his senior project.

Outside of school, Rosá will be remembered for some parking-lot antics. He occasionally parks a card table in front of local retail stores to enjoy pizza with friends. “We usually bribe the security guards with pizza so we don’t get asked to leave,” he said. “We just started doing it because it sounded fun.”

The teen also enjoys reading science fiction books as a past time.

Rosá lives in Lodi with his father and step-mother, Randy and Christie Rosá, and five siblings. His mother, Ramona Swofford, also lives in Lodi.