Martin valedictorian Kaylie Nguyen
It’s graduation season and we’re celebrating the Class of 2026 valedictorian and salutatorian for all eight Arlington ISD high schools. Meet Martin High School valedictorian Kaylie Nguyen.
NAME: Kaylie Nguyen
SCHOOL: Martin High School
COLLEGE: University of Texas at Austin
INTENDED MAJOR: Biology on pre-med track
〉What is one piece of advice you would give an incoming freshman?
Always stay on top of your work while building good habits from the very beginning no matter if certain assignments or tasks may seem unimportant at the time since everything adds up over the years. Also, do not be afraid to try new things and step outside of your comfort zone because high school goes by much faster than you expect, so you don’t want any regrets later.
〉What will you miss most about high school?
I will miss seeing all my friends every single day, like eating lunch together, sharing classes, going on random side quests, and going through difficult and stressful times together since they have continued to remain my number one supporters and cheerleaders throughout my time in high school.
〉What are you most excited about after graduation?
I am very excited to meet new people and overall just gain more independence to fully live out the college experience that everyone talks about. I also look forward to deepening my passions further, especially wanting to pursue a career in the medical field, so I can one day give back to the people who have supported me all my life.
〉Who inspires you the most and why?
My grandpa inspires me the most as he is one of the hardest-working people I know. He was an immigrant from Vietnam and after fighting in the Vietnam War and surviving being captured, he came to America with nothing but still managed to work his way up completely from scratch. From his sheer amount of perseverance, he was able to bring my family to America and eventually become one of the first Vietnamese business owners of a printing shop in Arlington. Even today, he is still working without retirement just to support our family, which motivates me to stay resilient in anything I do as well.
〉What’s your favorite high school memory?
I would say the STEM trips are the most notable memories to me since I was able to attend them throughout all four years of high school, where we went to Camp Olympia freshman year, NASA sophomore year, Lakeview junior year, and Alley Cats senior year. These trips helped me form extremely close bonds with both my classmates and teachers since we all made such special memories together. I also feel very grateful that we are granted this privilege being part of the STEM Program at MHS.