Gillian Bundles and Michaela McCulley are the valedictorian and salutatorian, respectively, of Broad Ripple Magnet High School's Class of 2015.

Growing up on the city's east side, Gillian's family moved a few times. When they lived in Anderson, she was out of school for a while before enrolling in Southview Elementary. She attended 5th grade at IPS 92 and sixth grade at IPS 83 where she first began playing music.

"Back in fifth grade, I played the alto saxophone and wanted to pursue it further at BRMHS. When I started there in seventh grade, I began playing in the marching band and pep bands. I later became a member of Humanities Advisory Council that enables younger students to meet upperclassmen after school where they have mentoring sessions that provide academic help. At Christmas time, we took in a family and bought them presents," she explained.

In addition to her interest in the Humanities and English Literature, Ms. Bundles' curiosity in science inspired her career path. She is a 21st Century Scholar and will study mechanical engineering at IUPUI this fall.

"One day in my physics class, we had to make an audio oscillator, which is a small device that makes noise. Four students, including myself, built a van der graaf generator (an electrostatic generator which uses a moving belt to accumulate electric charge on a hollow metal globe on the top of an insulated column) for an Advanced Placement (AP) physics course that we were taking at Broad Ripple. It's something that you can order from a catalog and build. I took biology in eighth grade, chemistry in ninth grade and physics in 10th grade. I took on-line geometry during my sophomore year the first time it was offered. Some assignments would take 30 to 40 minute to complete, but I prefer being in a classroom," Ms. Bundles noted. As she took AP physics in her junior and senior year, it helped build on her focus in mechanical engineering.

IUPUI provided her summer housing while she conducts vehicle safety research in their School of Engineering and Technology with faculty member Andres Tovar. Her work is part of the Diversity Scholars Research Program. "I get to be on campus. The library is connected, so you can go from one building to another." When school commences in August, she will move to freshman housing, but has quickly found her home in her chosen academic field.

"I've been in outreach since I was in 10th grade. My mom and I lived with my grandmother, but her house got taken away. We moved to a home on Boulevard Place next to the cemetery, but we had to move later on. My mom went to Wisconsin and left me with my aunt (her sister)," she recalled. The support network of Gillian's family and friends helped her overcome homelessness and pursue her academic interests in physics, math and science.

Mike Akers, outgoing Principal of Broad Ripple Magnet High School, said "Gillian is an amazing young woman. On her own pretty much since 15 years of age, she overcame what seemed to be insurmountable odds. However, that is just who she is. I have known Gillian for three years. During that time, I have never seen her in any other disposition than happy. She will be wildly successful." Akers will become principal of Key Learning Academy this fall.

Ms. McCulley described her background and career interests. "When I went to school, I was very interested in art and one of my teachers recommended that I go into art to further my career. I love and drawing and painting people and portraits. Those are my absolute favorites. I am definitely very interested in interior design and want to major in it at Ball State University and minor in business. I was born in Anderson, but we moved to Indianapolis when I was three months old. I actually went to two different schools in Warren Township, which were Creston Middle School and then I transferred to John Marshall Middle School. I went to Broad Ripple Magnet High School for eighth grade. When I went there, they started in seven grade, but now they start in sixth grade," she explained.

Her academic endeavors at BRMHS were diverse. "I enjoyed math a lot and I was part of a mock United Nations team that traveled to Tufts University in Boston. We represented a country and debated against students who represented other countries. My junior year, we represented the United States and in my sophomore year, we represented Belarus. The AP courses that I took were Calculus, English Composition, U.S. History, Chemistry and Art. I was also part of the cheerleading team for both football and basketball during my freshman, junior and senior years. Some of my memorable experiences were meeting the teachers and being named prom princess my junior year and prom queen my senior year," Ms. McCulley noted.

Principal Akers said, "Michaela is also very driven. She will be attending Ball State University to study interior design, not surprising given her incredible visual arts skills. I have never seen Michaela without a smile on her face. Like Gillian, she will be extremely successful."

As Gillian Bundles and Michaela McCulley prepare for college in a few weeks, their scholarly achievements exemplify Broad Ripple Magnet High School's theme of broader richer human service.