A mother’s encouragement paved the way for Justin Walker to become a successful student.

Walker was the Valedictorian in Keith High School’s class of 2019. Walker finished with a 4.0 Grade Point Average. He also played in Keith High’s band.

“Being the class valedictorian meant a lot because I proved myself that I could do it,” Walker said. “When I first started making all A’s, my mother kept pushing me to do well. At first, I didn’t understand. I realized my mother wanted to prove myself.”

Janice Walker, Walker’s mother, explained her reasons for making her son reach his potential. She works at Easter Seals in Selma.

“I had to push Justin because he’s getting to leave me,” Janice Walker said. “He needs to know what to do and how to do things.”

Janice Walker had a high rating for her son graduating from Keith High with honors.

“On a scale from 1 to 10, it’s 11 ½,” Walker said. “How proud I am for Justin is off the charts. I’ve been crying for the last several days over him being valedictorian.”

Walker said he’s looking forward to attending Alabama A&M, a historically black college located in Huntsville.

“I’m very excited to go there,” Walker said. “I get to experience the college life and experience an opportunity with new friends.”

Walker said he will major in Communications at Alabama A&M, with the goal to become a news anchor someday.

“I want to be a broadcaster because I like to talk,” Walker said. “I had the opportunities to speak at Keith High: speaking to a crowd during my Valedictorian speech at graduation and taking speech classes.”