The Brownwood High School graduation ceremony for the Class of 2025 will take place at 7 p.m. Friday, May 30 at the Brownwood Coliseum.

Daphne Nance, daughter of Christian Nance and the late Tammy Nance, is the valedictorian while Sidney Windham, daughter of Jeff Windham and Whitney Windham, is the salutatorian.

The two honor graduates didn’t learn until recently which positions they would finish in their class.

“It was definitely stressful because we never really knew which place we would get, but us being so close pushed us both to work harder,” Nance said. “It’s really special. I didn’t know for a while that I would get it because we’ve been really close the last couple of years. It was kind of surprising, but I was really happy.”

Windham added, “If I go back and think to the goals I set for myself walking into high school, I think that my first initial reaction was disappointment. I really wanted that No. 1 spot and wanted to do everything I could to get there. Now that it’s solidified, I’m still really proud I finished where I did. I worked hard for it.”

Upon graduation, Nance is headed to Texas A&M.

“I’m going to major in either Biology or Bio-Medical Sciences,” Nance said. “I want to be a dermatologist. I’ve been interested in dermatology for a while, it’s really interesting how the skin works. It’s also a chance to be able to help people make a difference in their lives and live better and to their fullest. Texas A&M has a good medical program and also just the community is close knit.”

Windham will be staying a little closer to home as she will attend Abilene Christian University.

“I’m going to major in Biology,” Windham said. “I aspire to be a physician. I couldn’t tell you what kind of physician yet, that will play out when I get out there in residency, I’ll figure all that out. I’ve always loved things in the medical field, I think the medical world is so cool and fascinating. My parents are the biggest influence, my dad’s a veterinarian and my mom’s an oncology nurse. I’ve grown up knowing that world and because of that it introduced me to my love and passion for that.”

Nance said in regard to how Brownwood High School helped prepare her for college, “They have a lot of different options for CTE classes, specialized toward what you want to be. I’ve been in the health science pathway and that’s taught me a lot about being in the medical field.”

Windham, meanwhile, reflected on some of her favorite classes and teachers from her journey throughout high school.

“I could probably list 10, but I really enjoyed Mrs. Stephens and Mrs. Norvil,” Windham said. “One of the hardest classes, but one of my favorites, was Algebra 2 OnRamps. I think that class and dual credit Pre-Cal were two of the hardest classes I took but I really enjoyed the challenge and Mrs. Stephens did a good job of being hands-off, but being there when I needed it. I really learned how to study on my own but then I had her guidance so those were really impactful classes.”

As for what they will miss most about Brownwood High School, Nance said, “Hanging out with friends and being involved in different things. I’ve been in NHS, Student Council, Key Club, I played tennis for a little bit, and was in HOSA for four years.”

Windham added, “I did HOSA and was able to attain my license as a CNA, I was vice president of NHS, but the thing that stands out to me the most is running and being a part of cross country and track. We had two historic seasons this past school year. It was really cool to be part of both of those things, and then just having friends in the community.”

Windham will also run track and cross country at ACU as well. She stated her desire to continue competing in track and field gives structure to her life. She feels she has untapped potential as a runner and is hopeful to eventually compete in a marathon one day.

Regarding advice they would give other students who aspire to finish at the top of their class, Nance said, “You definitely have to work hard from your freshman year all the way through, and stay on top of things. It’s really easy to get behind.”

Windham added, “In this day and age I think it comes down to learning how to not be lazy. We have a lot of technology now where you have every opportunity to turn your things in on time and do it well. A GPA isn’t the reflection of how intelligent you actually are and that shouldn’t be your goal. But if you want to finish at the top of your class, you have to do every assignment with your best effort, and the cards will fall into place when you start with that.”