Friends and fellow graduates Emma Berchtold and Kali Castellanos will not only share the stage Friday night as part of the graduating class from Escalon High School; they will also share the microphone as they give their address as co-Valedictorians for the Class of 2025.

“It’s really exciting, we’ve obviously both worked really hard and academics were really important to us so it was nice to have that shown and reflected through the award,” Berchtold said of the pair earning the co-Valedictorian status.

She has been involved in cross country all four years at EHS along with doing track and field as a freshman and sophomore, as well as serving with PIT, the Peer Interaction Team, her junior and senior years. Also, Berchtold is a member of the California Scholarship Federation, CSF, serving terms as both vice president and secretary; and was active in both the Future Health Careers Club and the Peer Tutoring Club.

Berchtold will continue her education at UCLA, where she will study Biology.

Castellanos also termed the upcoming graduation speech opportunity as exciting, and feels it is fitting that she and longtime friend Berchtold stand together at the Friday night, May 30 ceremony.

“To share a title with someone I’m really close with is a great honor and I’m proud of both of us, that it reflects our hard work throughout the years,” Castellanos said, adding that earning the top academic standing wasn’t always foremost in her mind. “It wasn’t something I had thought about much, coming up, but this last year it became a goal and I’m proud that both of us were able to accomplish it.”

For Castellanos, she was also very involved in athletics and extracurricular activities throughout the years at EHS.

She was a cross country runner all four years and played tennis all four years as well, in addition to spending four years in jazz band and she did PIT her junior and senior years. Castellanos has been a member of CSF throughout high school, serving as both vice president and president at different times, along with being a member of the Peer Tutoring Club.

She will be attending University of Massachusetts Amherst with a plan to study English.

“I’m excited to see all my friends and see all of our class feel proud to move on … to see everyone throw their hats and just be really happy and excited,” Berchtold shared of what she’s looking forward to as part of graduation.

“It went both fast and slow, I guess,” Castellanos summarized of the four years spent at Escalon High. “Freshman year, it just felt like it would take forever but senior year was done in the blink of an eye.”

Castellanos lists winning the Trans-Valley League title with the tennis team her junior year as her best memory of high school, while Berchtold said working with PIT buddies was special for her, along with attending school events, such as dances and games, with her friends.

The Class of 2025 for Escalon High School will celebrate its graduation on Friday night, May 30 at 7 p.m. on Engel Field in Memorial Stadium on the EHS campus.