Hard works pays off for top OHS students

Kentucky and Texas, teaching and medicine.

The college and career paths this year’s valedictorian and salutatorian of Ozaukee High School are taking may differ, but they’ve got one thing in common that helped them reach the top of their class — the drive to succeed and willingness to do what it takes to get there.

Valedictorian Maggie Hoffmann had to dig deep this spring to secure her top spot.

“I definitely felt it the last couple of months of school. I had no motivation to do this. I just had to keep going,” she said.

Hoffmann first tried to do her best in all her classes. Then being valedictorian became her goal as high school wore on and she kept her No. 1 standing.

“I started to tell myself I do really want to be a valedictorian and that would be a goal I want to accomplish,” she said.

Hoffmann was told she achieved her objective in a meeting with her guidance counselor and principal.

“It was definitely a relief because that’s always been a stresser on me these last four years. There are a lot of moments I felt like, ‘Is it really worth it?’ because it took a lot of effort,” she said.

She’s not the first in her family to reach that pinnacle. Her older sister Rebecca, who is at the Air Force Academy, was the 2024 valedictorian.

This year’s salutatorian Natalia Marini also had a goal to be one of the top students in her class and was told she was No. 2 in a meeting similar to that of Hoffmann.

“It was very rewarding to know that my hard work paid off, something I had been working for the past four years,” she said.

Both had grade-point averages eclipsing 4.4 and found calculus to be their most difficult class.

“I enjoyed the challenge of that class. It’s probably the most rigorous class I’ve taken,” Hoffmann said. “A lot of moments were frustrating. I had to push myself.”

Marini also found anatomy difficult given the volume of terms, but memorization comes easy to her and “it was so interesting it made it more fun and easy to practice and study for.”

She liked her teacher Ted Schanen, and the class solidified her career path.

“It really made me sure I wanted to go into medicine,” Marini said, “and I always looked forward to go to that class.”

She will be attending the University of Houston to study anesthesiology.

Her family has vacationed in Texas, and Marini said the University of Houston is the right fit. She will be the first in her family to study medicine. Her mother works in communications in education and her father works for a financial advisor.

For Hoffmann, it was a few jobs that confirmed her career path. She worked as a babysitter and nanny throughout high school, and this year worked at the Feith Family Ozaukee YMCA in before and after-school care.

Hoffmann will attend Murray State in Kentucky with plans to teach kindergarten.

“If anything, it made me more sure of my decision to go into elementary education,” she said.

Hoffmann remembers babysitting a girl throughout summer, then again after the girl completed kindergarten.

“She was all excited that she could show me how to spell these words,” she said. “Kids that age are very wholesome, and I love watching them learn.”

Hoffmann’s mother Kate, a teacher, went to Murray State. Her father Jerry is a retired teacher.

Hoffmann spent as many as two hours per night doing homework, balancing track and field, forensics, Future Business Leaders of America, yearbook committee, the math team, student council and Leo Club.

“I have a planner, and that has come in handy a lot. Even not just homework, having to clean my room,” she said. “I love to make lists and see what I all have to do and write it down on paper.”

Marini also kept busy, participating in musicals for four years, forensics for three, FBLA, student council and serving as president of National Honor Society.

“I always made sure to put my academics first. Whenever I was at a club meeting or practicing for the musical I was always sure to have my homework with me,” she said.

The two offered a couple of pieces of advice for academic success.

Hoffmann picked up a tip from Schanen on how to stay engaged in any class.

“Just tell yourself it’s your favorite and you’ll like it a lot better than if you tell yourself you hate it,” she said.

Marini suggested finding your own way.

“I’ve found everyone reaches success very differently. If you just focus on yourself and what works for you, you will be successful,” she said.