Valedictorian
Valedictorian is an academic title of success used in the United States, Canada, Costa Rica, and the Philippines for the student who delivers the closing or farewell statement at a graduation ceremony (called a valedictory). The chosen valedictorian is often the student with the highest ranking among his/her graduating class. The term is an Anglicized derivation of the Latin vale dicere ("to say farewell"), historically rooted in the valedictorian's traditional role as the final speaker at the graduation ceremony. So the valedictory address generally is considered a final farewell to classmates, before they disperse to pursue their individual paths after graduating.