Head of the Class: Matthew Arnold Earns Title of ‘Valedictorian’ at Maloney

For Meriden resident Matthew Arnold, being named valedictorian of the Class of 2013 at Maloney High School was never really a goal. He hoped to be in the Top 10, but figured with a schedule full of activities and extracurricular activities, the top spot would be tough to obtain.

Latin teacher James Mangino, however, wasn’t so surprised and said he’s not only one of the best students in his class, but among one of the brightest young men he’s ever had the pleasure of meeting.

“I’ve been a teacher for more than 40 years and I’ve had the pleasure of working with some brilliant young men and women,” Mangino said. “I can say with certainty that he is one of the top five students I’ve ever worked with and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him graduate at the top of his class at UConn as well. He’s that good.”

Arnold, 18, is a lifelong Meriden resident and is the oldest son of Laurie and Roger Arnold. He said the two of them – along with Mangino, who Arnold named as his most inspirational teacher – helped push him to be just a bit better and helped lead him to the honor of being valedictorian. He will also enjoy the honor with his brother and Maloney freshman Griffin Arnold looking on at graduation.

“There was no intention necessarily, it’s something that just sort of happened,” Arnold said. “When you look at the top students this year, any one of us could have been valedictorian. There was no strategy.”

But if you look at Arnold’s resume, it speaks for itself.

A member of the high school’s tennis team for the past three years, he was a co-captain each of the last two. Arnold was also an active participant in the Key Club and a member of the Ping-Pong Club created by his brother.

Outside school, he participated in a winter travel tennis league and has worked at Travelers Insurance in Hartford last summer – a job that Arnold said made him realize he wanted something that didn’t involve being in a cubicle.

Arnold will head to UConn in the fall to major in computer science and engineering. He said he is keeping his options open for a career, but is looking for something that will be both fulfilling and allow him to travel and see the world.

“I just don’t want to be in one place my whole life,” he said. “There is a whole world out there and opportunities to do so many things. I want to experience all of that.”

If he continues down the path he’s gone, Maloney Principal Jennifer Straub said she believes Arnold can do anything he sets his mind to. He said she is confident he will not only succeed, but help others to better themselves and take what he’s learned to improve the world around him.

“He challenges the intellect of those around him in a very positive way,” Straub said. “He is constantly helping to stimulate their quest for knowledge and this happens even with his teachers.”

As Arnold ends his academic career at Maloney, he said his advice to those coming in would be simply: work hard but don’t take things too seriously. Have some fun while in high school because one bad grade won’t be the end of the world.

“At the end of the day, it’s just a class. It will help in college and life, but there are so many other things in life that will be more challenging and more important,” he said. “Have fun. It’s high school.”

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