Salutatorian Briannah Mejias, 'learn because you love learning'

Salutatorian Briannah Mejias from St. John Paul High School plans to major in secondary education with a minor in kinesiology at Sul Ross State University. She will also be playing collegiate softball.

Briannah attended Sinton Elementary, Welder Elementary, Smith Middle School, and Bishop Garriga Middle Preparatory School. She says graduating with distinction feels “amazing. I’ve been working towards this my whole life.”

Briannah has been involved in many extracurricular activities and campus organizations during her high school years. She is a member of Legati, National Honor Society, Campus Ministry, Tipi Loschi, student council, National Society of High School Scholars (NSHSS), cheer captain, softball captain and libero for volleyball. She played Select Softball and Coach Select Softball, and she did volunteer work with the Girl Scouts.

According to Briannah, graduating with distinction was primarily due to her mom, Gloria Silva Mejias, who has always pushed her to strive to get good grades. She feels that staffing and attending St. John Paul II retreats has helped shape her character.

“Briannah is an amazing young lady with a strong faith who is very loving and forgiving, making her unique,” her mom said.  

Briannah’s definition of success is “being good at what you do, loving what you do, setting goals and achieving them no matter how large or small.

The most important thing Briannah learned in high school was to “learn because you enjoy what you’re learning about. Don’t learn to get good grades, and if I had done things differently, I would never procrastinate,” she said.

Her favorite subject was English with Sister Pat [Sister Patricia Burns]. “Sister Pat is more than a teacher. She has always been such an incredible woman of God. She has always been so motherly and has the biggest heart,” Briannah said.

“JPII has taught me how to be smart, keep myself in check, and be kind and a woman of God. It’s taught me more than just school, but virtue and morals,” she said. “I’d like to tell first-year students to be open to wherever God takes you in life; He’s taking you there for a reason. You don’t know better than He does.”