Carter High Announces Valedictorian, Salutatorian at Distinguished Scholars Celebration

Academic success is soaring at Carter High School as the Lions roared into honoring its top academic scholars.

Wilmer Amina Carter High School recently celebrated its highest-achieving students at the Distinguished Scholars Celebration, where Arick Collander was named Valedictorian and Tito Duran Villegas was recognized as Salutatorian for the Class of 2025.

The two exceptional students were among 52 seniors honored at the event, held on March 19 in the Carter High School multipurpose room. The celebration highlighted students who have maintained a 4.0 GPA or higher throughout high school. Principal Dr. Adam Bailey and Carter High School staff along with Dr. Manuel Burciaga, Rialto Unified School District’s Lead Academic Agent of Secondary Innovation, and Dr. Robin McMillon, RUSD Lead Student Services Agent who previously served as the Carter High School Principal, recognized the scholars’ dedication and hard work with graduation just months away.

Collander, who holds an outstanding 4.88 GPA, transferred to Carter High School as a sophomore and has excelled in academics. He has passed 10 Advanced Placement (AP) exams, earning eight perfect scores of 5. He also participated in the California State Summer School for Mathematics & Science (COSMOS) program at UC Davis, where he studied nuclear physics and quantum mechanics. He recently earned a gold medal on the National German Exam and is a semifinalist for a study trip to Germany. Collander has been accepted to Harvey Mudd College, UC San Diego, UC Riverside, Cal Poly Pomona, San Diego State University, and California State University San Bernardino. He plans to pursue mathematics and physics research or become a math teacher.

Duran Villegas earned a 4.81 GPA while balancing academics and music. He has passed eight AP exams, achieving top scores in AP Spanish, AP Calculus, AP English Language, AP Physics, and AP Psychology. A skilled trumpet player, he will conduct his own musical arrangement at the senior recital on May 1. He has been accepted to UC Merced, CSU Los Angeles, and SDSU and plans to pursue a career in aerospace engineering.

“We are incredibly proud of Arick and Tito,” Carter High School Principal Dr. Adam Bailey said. “They worked exceptionally hard for four years, and it was a great honor to celebrate them and their families at the Distinguished Scholars Celebration. We look forward to celebrating them even more at graduation.”

During the Distinguished Scholars Celebration, families and faculty gathered to recognize academic excellence. The MPR was decorated with personalized banners for each of the 52 Distinguished Scholars, which families were able to take home after the celebration. Another set of banners will remain on display on campus. Students also received special yellow graduation gowns, which they will wear at the commencement ceremony.

“The achievements of our Distinguished Scholars are a testament to the Carter High School staff, who play a crucial role in these students’ success,” Dr. Bailey added. “We owe a debt of gratitude to Carter High School certificated and classified staff who supported these outstanding scholars during their four years of high school.”

Graduation for all Rialto USD high schools will take place on Sunday, June 1, 2025, at Toyota Arena in Ontario. As the top scholars of the Class of 2025, Collander and Duran Villegas will have the distinct honor of leading their classmates onto the stage behind the RUSD Board of Education during the commencement ceremony.