In a family of valedictorians, speeches are a rite of passage

By Ian Whitaker

Friday, June 12, 2015 | 2 a.m.

“Don’t dishonor the family.”

The warning Nate Hanuscin received from his older brother Ian was all he needed to power through his four years at Green Valley High School and graduate as a valedictorian.

But when he gave the valedictorian speech at the school’s graduation ceremony last week, he didn’t just accomplish something for himself: He rounded out a proud chapter in family history.

All three Hanuscin kids — Ian, Erika and Nate — went to Green Valley and all three graduated as valedictorians.

“People can’t believe it,” said Maria Hanuscin, their mother.

According to CCSD policy, students who reach the highest weighted GPA for their class are candidates for valedictorian. Some schools select one valedictorian out of a pool of students, but other schools, including Green Valley, call every student who gets straight As and takes as many honors classes as possible a valedictorian.

In 1991, the family moved to a house right around the corner from the school. From the time they were young, their mom weaned them on flashcards and quizzes and taught them the importance of studying. Maria, who works at Costco, didn’t have a strong academic background herself, but knew how doing well in high school could help her kids afterward.

“I just thought it was important to get them into the habit of wanting to study and get good grades,” she said. “I knew that if they did good, it would pay for their schooling.”

All three kids have earned scholarships to pay their way through college. Ian, 24, actually got money back while earning his bachelor’s and master’s in accounting at UNLV. Erika, 21, is studying hospitality at UNLV on a full ride. Nate, 18, who will start a computer engineering degree in fall, is set to do the same.

But they didn’t get there by locking themselves away and studying like robots. All three carried on vibrant social lives and a participated in a host of extracurriculars. Ian played basketball, bowling and volleyball throughout his time at Green Valley. Erika and Nate played soccer.

Ian didn’t even set out to become valedictorian. He found out at the end of freshman year that he was the second in his class.

“Mainly it was (Mom) nagging me,” he laughed. One of his first memories is of sitting on a potty training toilet with a math workbook. By junior year, he was taking math courses reserved for seniors.

Erika had to find time for studying between two hours of soccer practice every day.

“That took a lot of time away,” she said. “I’d be up late sometimes until 3 a.m.”

Greg Hanuscin, their father, made enough money that Maria was able to stay home and keep them focused on school work. She volunteered at almost every school event, and watched their grades online on Parent Link like a hawk.

“If she saw a grade slip, she was on them,” he said.

All three worked hard, but Nate, the youngest, found himself under the most pressure.

“He probably got the worst of it,” said Ian. “Me and Erika joked with him that we would disown him.”

But after Nate got top marks on all of his Advanced Placement tests this year, the family knew he had sealed the deal.

“It was rough,” Nate said. “But I didn’t stress out about it.”

There were some close calls. Erika got a B in a government class, and both Ian and Nate came within a few percentage points of getting Bs on semester grades. Further slip ups would have bumped them down to class salutatorians.

Their advice for becoming valedictorian?

“You need a balance,” said Erika. “If you just focus on school, you miss out on a lot of great opportunities.”

“Keep your priorities straight and don’t stress yourself out,” Nate said.

Now that their kids are off to college, Maria and Greg are settling into a less hectic lifestyle.

“I want to enjoy my pool,” she said. “I can’t check Parent Link anymore.”