CHS Names Valedictorian and Salutatorian for the Class of 2024

Carmel High School named Luke Walters as valedictorian and Jennie Belle Aliaga as salutatorian for the Class of 2024.  

“Congratulations to both of you,” Principal Brian Piazza said. “You make Carmel extremely proud.”  

The students were informed of their achievement on Wednesday October 11 in the Guidance Office. With Mr. Piazza, Guidance Department Chair Heather Jaffe and several assistant principals and counselors in attendance, Luke and Jennie Belle each called their fathers to tell them the good news. Their dads were extremely excited.  

Luke, 17, who plans to study neuroscience in college, said it was AP Physics that ignited the interest in him.  

“It’s always been my dream to unlock a matrix of the brain,” he said. “It’s not the engineering I’m interested in as much as the biology of the brain.”    

Luke is senior captain of the Boys Varsity Volleyball Team. He joked that he warned his parents that if he were named valedictorian, he expected to get a cake.  

“I work at Carvel,” he said. “I love ice cream cake.”  

Jennie Belle, 17, hopes to study medicine in college and is considering applying to colleges that have accelerated pre-med programs.  

While she credits her AP Biology and AP Chemistry classes with sparking an interest in medicine, Jennie Belle said she always knew she wanted to help people.  

“My friends call me a people pleaser,” she said. “I can’t be rude. I like helping people. Even in class, if someone does not understand the homework, they will come to me and ask for help. I don’t mind.”   

Jennie Belle is on the Girls Varsity Soccer team and in the French and Science clubs.  

“I want to join the Bowling Team this year,” she said. “That’s so much fun.”