Annie “Snezzies” Qiu known for her life-saving quizlets, friendly smile, and humble nature, didn’t plan to be valedictorian.

“I didn’t really realize class rank existed until people talked about it freshman year,” said Annie. “I just wanted to do well in my classes and challenge myself at the same time.”

And she certainly has. Being a part of Varsity Tennis, Math Team, WYSE, NHS, SNHS, Scholastic Bowl, and maintaining her impressive academic standing is nothing short of amazing.

It’s no surprise that with the long list of activities, Annie has a long list of accomplishments. During her four years on math team, Annie went to state four times!

Similarly in her sophomore to senior years, Annie went to state for WYSE. She earned 1st place in Chemistry not once, but twice! “It’s always an exciting experience to make it so far, but it’s even better when the whole team goes!”

Her secret of success? “I don’t know if I figured out a secret to success, but sleeping early is pretty important.” On top of the importance of getting lots of sleep, Annie advises students to “enjoy your time in high school, and don’t stress yourself out too much.”

She recommends to “use the school’s resources as long as they’re there, know that you have others to count on, but also learn to solve problems independently.”

Next year, Annie plans to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign to join its highly-ranked computer science program.

“Although college is going to be a lot more difficult than high school, I’m excited to explore more and to take unique classes related to my major.”