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A former Kentucky State University valedictorian was recently honored by Kentucky legislators.

Alma Lopez Arellano, also a current employee and graduate student of Kentucky State, recently received recognition from the Kentucky Senate and House.

“I was recognized for having a 4.0 GPA and for accomplishing that with all the obstacles within my college career,” Arellano said. “I was attending school while pregnant and then with a newborn and finishing my last year as a single mom of two.”

Arellano said she was in attendance for the recognition in the Senate.

“I got to stand on the floor and was applauded by the senators in the chamber,” Arellano said. “I was in shock, to be honest. It kind of felt like a dream.”

Arellano is an accountant at Kentucky State and currently working on her MBA.

“I am still a student, but being an employee gives me a sense of pride,” Arellano said. “I also like the feeling of giving back and knowing I am making a difference in moving Kentucky State forward.”