Industry: Law Practice

Additional Information

In 1998, Blair Hornstine, an otherwise normal teenager, was diagnosed with an autoimmune condition that took away her energy and prevented her from attending high school. Ms. Hornstine was granted the privilege of receiving home school according to the strict rules and regulations of her high school, Moorestown High. A Special Education Team was assigned to provide her with the necessary tools she needed to succeed at home academically. Ms. Hornstine was able to attain extraordinarily high marks in all of her classes and was to receive the high honor of being valedictorian at her graduation in 2003.

Ms. Hornstine’s GPA was 4.6894-the highest GPA of her class of over 350 students-and as a result should have been the sole recipient of the valedictorian award. However, the school superintendent felt her fellow student should have been in the running for the award as well, due to his near-perfect GPA. Although his was lower than Ms. Hornstine’s, he felt he did not receive fair consideration due to the fact that he was required to take gym (a class that did not allow for extra grade points) and she was not.

Hornstine and her family filed a lawsuit against the Moorestown Board of Education and the superintendent. Eventually, the court ruled in favor of Blair, stating that her exceptional academic performance was not aided in any way by the opportunities she was allowed due to her condition. Ms. Hornstine was named valedictorian of Moorestown High in 2003.

After high school, Ms. Hornstine attended the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, where she attained a Master’s Degree in Classical Studies with distinction. She was accepted to Juilliard School where she pursued her dream of practicing singing and music from 2006 to 2007. Hornstine has also participated in many charitable causes, such as having founded MAGIC, an organization dedicated to helping elderly, underprivileged, and poor women.

Further Reading: Blair Hornstine

The valedictorian of a school is defined as that individual who has attained the highest academic rank in his/her class. Blair Hornstine was named the valedictorian of her high school, having earned an exceptional grade point average (4.689) despite the difficulties of dealing with a rare chronic fatigue syndrome. In Blair Hornstine’s case, the recognition was the result of a hard-fought battle.

As a result of her unique situation (Blair Hornstine’s condition often made attending traditional classes impossible), Ms. Hornstine’s academic career was slightly altered from the educational structure of her peers. Rather than viewing the alteration as a necessary derivation, due to Ms. Hornstine’s particular needs, the leadership at Blair Hornstine’s viewed her situation as an unfair advantage that would boost her academic record unnecessarily.

Blair Hornstine and her family believed her condition did not give her an unfair advantage over other students vying for the position of valedictorian, and they urged the School Board to remain consistent with the basic definition of “valedictorian.” Blair Hornstine had, indisputably, the highest grade point average in her class. She should, argued her supporters, be the sole valedictorian.

Blair Hornstine won the right to be the sole Valedictorian of Moorestown High, and in 2003, she received this distinguished honor. Today, she studies law (with a particular passion for public interest law) in pursuit of a career that will enable her to assist others in their fight for their individual rights.