Navajo grad is school’s first-ever Native valedictorian, Instead of routine speech, she proudly delivers a dance performance

Posted by Jalen Woody | Jul 6, 2023 | Education |

WINDOW ROCK
A Navajo student from Highland High School created new history recently by graduating as the school’s first Native American valedictorian. In addition, she is also the first Dine woman to earn that achievement in the entire Salt Lake City School District.

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Standing alongside a school official, Kayden Denny holds up the Navajo Nation flag during her graduation June 9. Denny earned a diploma from Highland High School in Salt Lake City.

Kayden Denny, 18, maintained a 4.0 GPA throughout her career at Highland, a goal she set for herself upon finishing middle school. She said that after her promotion from 8th grade, she told her parents to promise they would never let her get lower than a 4.0 GPA.

“It was pretty shocking at first,” said Denny. “The initial reaction was I was just shocked, and it just didn’t turn into excitement right away.”
She is Tsé Nahabiłnii and born for Tábąąhá. Her cheii is Tódích’íi’nii and her nálí is Kinyaa’áanii.

“As parents, we are always supportive and proud of everything our kids do. Personally, I believe support and love is also part of the keys to success,” said Denny’s mother, Tanya Denny of Fort Defiance. “Kayden has a drive like we’ve never seen before, and she has achieved so much in such little time already.”

Her Native American advisor, Lornie D. Pinnecoose, was a great help in confirming that Denny was the first Native American valedictorian in the SLCSD. The process took Pinnecoose three weeks to complete because he checked school records from each school in the area.

“It was a lot of hard work. There’s plenty of times when I would get frustrated (with schoolwork), and I would cry and especially at those end-of-term moments when I have an A- and I’m like freaking out over it,” said Denny. “I do think with the pandemic going on. It was a little harder because I’m a very much hands-on learner.”

Read the full story in the July 6 edition of the Navajo Times.