Ashley Ingram is the kind of student that teachers adore. Yes, she's bright -- her 4.4 grade-point average at San Joaquin Memorial will attest to that. But what separates her from many students who excel is a fearless tenacity and eagerness to engage in the day's lesson.
Kathleen DeSantis, who teaches religion at Memorial, said Ashley never displays the glazed-over look found on some of her classmates' faces: "To have a student who's always smiling, right there, connected to you, is rewarding."
Carol Piercy, who taught Ashley algebra at Alta Sierra Middle School, said the teenager has a thirst for knowledge that transcends the often competitive world of academics.
"The motivation of so many of my top students is to be No. 1," Piercy said. With Ashley, "It's not the grade. It's not to be the top student. It's, 'What can I do to best prepare myself for my future?' "
Ashley said she'd like that future to include work in medicine. Right now, she's leaning toward orthodontia: "I would have my own business, my own practice, and help people."
She's already getting experience by serving on the board of her school's service club and volunteering in the labor and delivery department of St. Agnes Medical Center. She is also a cheerleader.
Keeping busy suits her, but she said it also provides valuable lessons: "It helps me organize schoolwork and studies, being responsible and getting stuff done."
-- Don Mayhew
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Academic All-Stars 2007
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