Now it has paid off for Jamie Byrd, who is the valedictorian in East Wake's School of Integrated Technology.

"In third grade, we started getting A's and B's on our report cards and I thought that was really cool. I never wanted to get an F or a D or a C," Byrd said.

She did better than that, earning a 4.62 grade-point-average during high school.

Bound for the University of North Carolina where she will study biochemistry, Byrd is a student who knows what she wants. She plans to continue her study in medical school after she finishes her undergraduate work. She hopes to become a cardiologist.

Her ambition is a personal one.

"Our family has a history of heart disease, so it is something I would like to be able to help stop," Byrd said.

Like her fellow valedictorians, Byrd has learned the art of discipline, but her lessons have combined classroom and real-world experiences. She holds down a part-time job at a local childcare center.

That leaves her with homework to do after she gets off work. There have been some early morning bedtimes, Byrd admits, as she has tried to complete her studies.

Byrd, the daughter of Todd and Kelly Byrd of Rolesville, is far from one-dimensional, though. She has thrown herself into extracurricular activities and proven herself to be a leader in more than just academics.

She has served as president of the National Honor Society, the Spanish Honor Society and the Interact Club at East Wake.

The long list of extracurricular work had a purpose too, Byrd said.

"It is a selfish reason, but I wanted to look back and say I got A's and I had friends," Byrd said.

Those wide-ranging interests will almost certainly get a workout in Chapel Hill.