Fountain Valley High graduate Madison Grogan is looking to lead

If those at Fountain Valley High School did not keep up with every activity on campus, they still probably knew of Madison Grogan.

The recent graduate found herself in all sorts of social circles in her time at the school.

Being in the middle of everything suits Grogan quite well.

“I really like taking on leadership roles,� Grogan said. “I really like public speaking and ways that I can involve myself with other people and other organizations, and so that’s why I was always doing things.�

Grogan, 18, was the president of several school organizations, including the debate club, the Future Business Leaders of America, and she was a co-founder of the Scholastic Society.

She took a long list of advanced placement classes at Fountain Valley, and she was a straight-A student throughout.

Grogan also has a competitive edge. She played field hockey for the Barons, serving as a team captain the last two years. She also earned the team’s Most Valuable Offensive Player award as a senior.

Additionally, Grogan said that she has played competitive piano for 11 years.

All of that has led Grogan to her next great adventure, one that will take her away from her family for the first time in her life.

She is going to Babson College, a private business school in Wellesley, Mass. Grogan said she earned a full tuition merit scholarship to the institution, which has fewer students on campus than Fountain Valley High School.

“I know that I definitely want to work in upper management, whether it’s in my own company or in an already established company,� Grogan said. “I’m kind of interested in tech right now.�

The fact that the future is unwritten is what excites Grogan the most about college.

“It’s the first time in your life where you’re really in control of your own life,� Grogan said when asked what advice she would give to her fellow seniors. “You need to get in control of it the most that you can because the skills that you learn in college are the skills that you’re going to take with you into adulthood.

“If you don’t go into college with an open mind, then you’re not going to grow as a person. That’s the most important time that you can grow as a person because when else are you surrounded by so many diverse and intelligent people that all share a similar passion as you?�

Fountain Valley High School’s Madison Grogan served on the board of several school organizations.

(Scott Smeltzer / Staff Photographer)

Grogan was taught life lessons early on. When her brother, Nick, got a new unicycle, she wanted his old one. Her parents had her purchase it for $40 at the age of 9, which she said amounted to all of her savings at the time.

While she has learned things from several family members, Grogan’s most inspirational person is someone she has no personal memory of. She lost her great grandpa when she was an infant, but she aspires to be what he was remembered for.

“He’s been my biggest inspiration just because he was a great unifier in our family,� Grogan said. “He loved everybody for who they were, and he’s somebody that I aspire to be.�

When the coronavirus pandemic took students out of the classroom, Fountain Valley Principal Morgan Smith said he made challenge videos to help the students stay connected.

Smith said that Grogan participated in the challenges, which was emblematic of the way she inspired other students to participate in her classes.

“This is someone that I can count on to lead when things are at their most challenging,� Smith said. “As much as principals feel like they might have to make all the decisions or lead in every avenue, we really do count on those around us to lead.�

Fountain Valley High School’s Madison Grogan, 18, was a captain for the Barons’ field hockey team the last two years.

(Scott Smeltzer / Staff Photographer)

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