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Schools

MCHS Valedictorian: Ryan Kay

Students with cumulative GPAs of 4.0 are named valedictorians at Mira Costa High School—here we salute Ryan Kay for his achievement.

Graduating at the top of his class was just one of Ryan Kay's accomplishments at Mira Costa High School.

The high school musician said that he plans to jump into the Bruin spirit full-force this fall when he attends his mother's alma mater: UCLA.

Kay talked to Manhattan Beach Patch about the college selection process and his dreams for the future.

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Manhattan Beach Patch: How did you spend most of your time while you were attending Costa? Any particular club or activity you were very involved in?

Ryan Kay: The majority of my time at Costa was spent in the instrumental music department. I played a part in five different ensembles while I was at Costa: the Marching Band, the Wind Ensemble, the Symphony Orchestra, Percussion Studio, and Pit Orchestra.

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These ensembles most definitely constituted my best experiences at Costa, and I had a blast making music and working with my fellow peer musicians to create something unique and beautiful. I was also part of ASB student government for three years, and I also ran on the track team for two years.

Patch: Where have you decided to attend college and how did you make that decision?

Kay: I will be attending UCLA in the fall, and it was an incredibly easy decision because it has been my dream school ever since I was about five years old.

My mom was also a Bruin, so I've grown up cheering on UCLA basketball teams during March Madness and going to Bruin Woods, the UCLA alumni family camp, every summer.

I have felt a deep connection with UCLA for so long, and it's just the perfect school for me with it's "rah-rah" energy and immense school spirit, not to mention the fact that it's also a fantastic cultural center with all the fabulous concerts and events that it always hosts. 

Patch: What do you think will be the biggest difference between your Mira Costa experience and that yet to come at your future college?

Kay: The biggest difference between Costa and UCLA, in my opinion, will be the massive contrast in terms of school spirit. One of the things I love most about UCLA is the fact that Bruins have so much pride in their school, from the student "Den" section at sports games to the intense rivalry with USC.

I feel like I'll fit right in with this attitude, considering the fact that I was voted Most Spirited by my class at Costa. Costa students, on the other hand, seem to have no pride in their school whatsoever and even if they do they would never dare to express it.

It kills me that no one at Costa ever dresses up on dress up days and that a student section is microscopic during Bay League football games. I can't wait to be part of an atmosphere where everybody loves their school.

Patch: What was the college selection process like for you? How many schools did you apply to, and how did you decide which one to attend?

Kay: The college selection process for me was pretty darn easy. I only applied to schools in the UC system: UCLA, Berkeley, Davis, Santa Barbara, San Diego, and Irvine.

I was lucky enough to get accepted to all of them, but UCLA was clearly the best school for me for the reasons I stated, and making a decision wasn't difficult at all. The only other school I considered was Berkeley, and when I compared the two, in every aspect, UCLA was just clearly the better choice for me. 

Patch: What advice do you have for someone starting the college search experience?

Kay: The one piece of advice I have for students starting their college search experience is to not give up when you are denied from a school, and don't be afraid to go for it and appeal for your admission.

My girlfriend got into UCLA this year by appealing through the marching band, and she will be going there next year to take part in the colorguard, amongst other things. She was heartbroken when she received her rejection from UCLA in March, but she never gave up and worked harder than ever to make a terrific case for her appeal. And her determination resulted in an admission to a school she is ecstatic to attend.

Just go for it and appeal to your dream school if it doesn't work out the first time. The worst they can do is say, 'No.'

Patch: Where will we read your name in 10 years?

Kay: In 10 years, ideally you would find my name in the sports section of the LA Times after I've made a big trade as the general manager of a professional baseball team. But I know that that is a dream, and it's a long shot.

I'm hoping to find a career in either the sports, music, or film industry. In terms of a specific career, I really don't know what I want to do yet. We'll see where college takes me.

Editor's Note: Check back in the coming days to read about more valedictorians in Mira Costa's Class of 2011, their accomplishments, passions and college plans.

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