Waldron salutatorian ready for life after athletics

Victoria Shaw might be best known for her involvement in athletics as a student at Waldron High School.

The 2019 salutatorian was a member of the girls’ basketball team that fell short in the longest girls’ tournament game in Indiana High School Athletic Association history, a five-overtime thriller against Jac-Cen-Del. She was also a member of the track and field and cross country teams.

But that’s all in the past for Shaw, who graduated with a grade point average of around 4.3.

She’s looking forward to a future away from the hardwood and instead around animals.

“I love all my sports and being a part of my community that way, but I think it would be fun to not be relied on for sports and all that, but to do my own thing,” the incoming freshman at Purdue University said.

Shaw managed to keep her grades up despite a busy schedule.

Her academics were important to her family, she said. They encouraged her to strive to be the best that she could be academically.

Along with her involvement in athletics, she was a member of the Sunshine Society and National Honor Society, which included 10-15 hours of community service per semester.

Keeping up with her academics was, at times, a challenge, because of her involvement in other activities. There were times she wanted to go out to eat but forced herself to continue doing homework, she said.

It helped having study halls once she started attending Advanced Placement classes. Managing her time was key, she said.

“As long as you wanted to do well, you were going to do well,” she said.

Starting in junior high, Shaw and valedictorian Stewart Douglas jockeyed for the top spot. But by high school, she said she knew she would finish in second, which she was fine with.

By sophomore year, the ranking for the top-five students in her class was pretty well set.

Two years later, she might be ready to move on, but she is thankful for her time at Waldron.

“I loved how close it was because even when that new person comes, instantly someone’s like, do you want to eat with me at lunch? Do you want me to walk to your classes?” she said. “It’s just such a tight group, and you know everyone. Sometimes it’s bad when you know everyone’s business, but other than that, it’s really nice because you know there’s always going to be someone there for you.”

She will be attending Purdue University to study biology with the intention of becoming a veterinarian, something she’s wanted to do since childhood.

She started job shadowing two years ago at the Greensburg Veterinary Clinic, and while she was a little nervous the first time she saw a surgery performed, she loved the experience.