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NEW BERLIN, Ill. (AP) — All four members of the Klein family in central Illinois have been valedictorian of their classes at New Berlin High School.
Nicholas Klein started the family tradition in 2011 and his youngest sister, Olivia, will continue it when she graduates from the Sangamon County school with the top honor. The other Klein siblings, Natalie and Brianna, graduated from the high school in 2013 and 2014, respectively.
But the siblings' parents never forced them to strive for perfection; they simply encouraged their children to try their best when it came to academics, their mother, Nancy Klein, told The State Journal-Register (http://bit.ly/1KtxyMJ ).
"They enjoy learning," Cheryl Klein said of her children. "You tell them something, and they want to figure out what the answer is. They never stop asking questions and learning."
The support each of the Klein children received from their parents also was fundamental to their success, according to New Berlin High School Principal Hattie Doyle, who has held the position for four years. After witnessing all three Klein sisters flourish in the classroom, Doyle wasn't surprised when she learned that Olivia came out at the top of her class of 58 classmates and continued her family's valedictorian tradition.
"They maintained high academic honors every semester," Doyle said. "They accepted the challenge of honors courses. They didn't back down, in terms of taking a non-honors course. They embraced the challenge academically."
Olivia was able to pick up her siblings' study habits after years of watching them do homework, take classes and participate in activities, she said.
As she looks toward her first year of college, Olivia also plans to continue following in her siblings' footsteps by eventually becoming the resident assistant of a dorm at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where she plans to study medical engineering.
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Information from: The State Journal-Register, http://www.sj-r.com
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