Trinity School of Midland names valedictorian, salutatorian
May 8-Trinity School of Midland has announced its valedictorian and salutatorian for the Class of 2026.
Audrey Li has been named valedictorian, and Leila LaFarelle has been named salutatorian.
Graduates in the Class of 2026 will attend 17 colleges in nine states, school officials said.
Valedictorian
Audrey Li has earned the Dr. Premila Singh Johnson Valedictorian Prize. She has been a student at Trinity since 2017.
Li is the daughter of Dr. James Li and Dr. Eileen Li.
At Trinity, she has been an active participant in music, from playing percussion in the band to running the Music Performance Club. Li was recognized each year as a Trustee Scholar and will graduate with the Challenge Scholar designation.
She received the Rhonda Durham Award for exemplifying Trinity's mission and values and was also honored as a National Merit Commended Letter winner.
Li also received the Trinity Charger Alliance Fine Arts Scholarship for her talent in the performing arts. She has been recognized multiple times in all-area and all-region percussion.
Outside Trinity, she has played ice hockey since fourth grade. Li was most recently on the Dallas Stars Elite Girls 19 and under Tier 1 team. She has competed on the rink with travel teams since fifth grade.
Li is also a founding member of Davy K, a rock-country band with her classmates. They have performed on Basin PBS and before a live audience at the sixth annual Basin PBS Main Street Live, opening for Wynonna Judd.
Li has volunteered at Odessa Regional Medical Center, the West Texas Food Bank and Meals on Wheels, accumulating more than 100 service hours since her freshman year.
She was accepted to Baylor University, Boston University, the University of Pittsburgh, Rice University, Southwestern University, the University of Texas at Austin, Texas A&M University, Trinity University and Wesleyan University.
"I'm going to study biological sciences on a pre-med track at Rice," Li said.
"I'm thrilled to attend Rice because of the great opportunities to research and shadow in the Texas Medical Center, stay involved with hockey through volunteering, and eat great food. But I'm most excited about joining the great community at Rice!"
Salutatorian
Leila LaFarelle was named salutatorian for the Class of 2026.
She began her Trinity education when she was 3 years old. She is the daughter of Thomas and Beth LaFarelle, the twin sister of Alice and the older sister of Charlie, a sophomore.
LaFarelle is also a four-year Trustee Scholar and will graduate with the Challenge Scholar designation, awarded to students committed to rigor and scholarship.
She has also been recognized with a Farrell Scholarship for students who best exemplify integrity, leadership, courage and a strong work ethic. LaFarelle was part of the College Board's Hispanic Recognition Program based on her sophomore-year PSAT.
LaFarelle is known at Trinity for her work in STEM and as a three-sport athlete who played volleyball, basketball and baseball for four years.
She co-founded the Things That Fly Club, served four years on Honor Council and Student Council, and volunteered as a student ambassador. LaFarelle also took the stage in two school musicals.
Outside school, she played club indoor volleyball and sand volleyball. She is a four-year Midland Belles volunteer for the Symphony League and has started a pickle business with her twin sister. LaFarelle has also logged more than 100 volunteer hours across the Permian Basin.
LaFarelle has been accepted to the University of Alabama in Huntsville, University of Colorado Boulder, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, University of Maryland, Mississippi State University, Oklahoma State University, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Rochester Institute of Technology, Syracuse University, the University of Texas at Austin and Virginia Tech.
LaFarelle will attend the University of Texas at Austin.
"I'll be majoring in aerospace engineering at The University of Texas," LaFarelle said. "I can't wait to dive into the science and math that it involves and to just meet new people and start my life!"
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