Valedictorian: "Soy ilegal."
"Hector Vega is co-valedictorian of James Lick High School in East San Jose, winner of a $20,000 National Merit Scholarship and an entering freshman on a full scholarship at Santa Clara University.
He didn't speak a word of English five years ago when he arrived from Mexico, but he mastered the language in a year, advanced to honors classes and graduated from high school with a 4.0 grade-point average.
Vega is also an illegal immigrant." JESSIE MANGALIMAN in the San Jose Mercury News.