GERMANTOWN – Germantown Central School District is proud to announce the Valedictorian and Salutatorian for the Class of 2025, Deandrea Edwards and Marrin Ludwig, respectively. Both students have achieved at admirable levels throughout their school careers and have earned the respect of peers and teachers alike.

Valedictorian Deandrea Edwards, earning an impressive 97.22 overall GPA, expressed her excitement about the achievement, saying, “It feels really satisfying. I worked really hard all through high school, and to just see it on paper…it’s satisfying.”

Marrin Ludwig, the 2025 salutatorian who has earned an equally notable 95.22 overall GPA, shared a similar sentiment.

“It feels great. My schedule this year may be more relaxed, but after the work I put in during [grades] 9, 10, and 11, it feels good to be able to earn this title,” Ludwig added.

Both students had some valuable advice for their younger peers who want to get the most out of their school experience. Ludwig advised students to start with a clear goal early on and pursue all the academic avenues to reach it. 

“Be in [guidance counselor] Mr. Jackowski’s office anytime you can,” Ludwig suggested, “asking, ‘What can I do? What classes and extracurriculars can I take?’” to achieve personal goals.

“I went [to the guidance office] in seventh grade and said, ‘My goal is to be valedictorian or salutatorian. What can I do to get there?’” Ludwig explained.

“Lock in,” Edwards offered to her peers. “There’s always a balance, so get your schoolwork done and use your resources wisely, but don’t make working constantly the center of your high school experience.”

Edwards also shared one of her favorite quotes from a Toni Morrison novel to encourage younger students to shape their own destinies: “What’s the world for if you can’t make it up the way you want it?”             

Ludwig, who will enter Bard College as a sophomore due to college credits earned in high school, attributes her success to her parents’ support and her own laser-focused work ethic. She shared that while her parents always emphasized trying her best, having her dad joke that the 98 she earned on her physics test could have been a 100 helped her see that there’s always room for improvement. 

“My parents helped develop my work ethic,” Ludwig explained. “I get a plan and I stick with it. I’m not a procrastinator or anything, so I have like ten planners reminding me what to do and when to do it,” she laughed. 

Edwards, who will attend Vassar College in the fall to major in English, explained that her own ambition and drive have led to her success, but only in part. 

“All of my teachers were there to help me,” Edwards said. “They want everyone to succeed. Even if it is staying after school for help or during lunch or flex [period], they’re always there.”

Edwards also credited her parents, especially her mother. She explained how her mother would always require her to make an argument in writing if she wanted something and her mom disagreed. 

“She’s always instilled the importance of being able to properly articulate my thoughts through words,” Edwards added. 

Both students are involved in various activities in Germantown. Edwards is the president of the National Honor Society, as well the class of 2025 treasurer. She has been a cast member in several shows produced by the GCS drama club (including the current show, “Newsies”), and she is actively involved in the music department, participating in All-County and NYSSMA adjudicated festivals. She is also involved in the GSA club and has played varsity volleyball and basketball. 

With the help of a teacher-advisor, Ludwig formed a new organization, Student Voices, designed to engage students on issues that affect them and their school. Ludwig is also the vice-president of the National Honor Society and has held leadership roles in the NJHS, modified and varsity soccer, and in the class of 2025. She has also expressed her involvement in the school community as a representative to the Board of Education and GSEF (the Germantown Student Education Foundation), and as a student athlete representative to the NYSPHSAA. 

Ludwig plans to complete a Bard 4 and 2 program with Columbia University for structural engineering. She also wants to explore through travel, with a special goal to see all of the National Parks. 

For Edwards, majoring in English at one of her dream schools could be a pathway to a career in law and eventually, politics. 

“Catch me running for president,” Edwards said, half-joking. “Vote for Edwards in 2048!”