For four years, NC’s Magnet students struggle through AP exams, demanding classes, and college admissions. Those who conquer these obstacles receive acknowledgement for their hard work by standing among the first students to graduate at the end of the year.

Still, murmurs travel through the crowd. What about equality? What about our sacrifices? Why should they get all the special treatment?

Those who pursue the argument make a compelling point, but fail to see the bigger picture.

First of all, Magnet students, required to take on massive loads of honors and AP courses, cannot retreat to the safety of an on-level class. Constantly plagued by stress and competition, they know all too well that failing to keep up could result in their expulsion: not merely from the Magnet program, but in many cases from NC itself. The students who succeed in the challenging environment deserve a just reward, and graduating first fits the description.

Magnet students, who can attend other high schools, chose NC, which suggests their commitment to the Warriors above and beyond the ordinary. NC should reward loyalty by early graduation as well.

Beyond ethical arguments, though, letting Magnet students graduate first also makes more sense logistically. Unlike non-Magnet students, who live in NC’s district and therefore can easily attend the entirety of the ceremony, many Magnet students live in distant parts of the county, which makes getting to graduation difficult for a number of Magnet parents. Certain parents also have commitments with other children who may or may not attend NC, and they may be physically unable to come for all of the ceremony. Early graduation allows Magnet parents to see their children graduate without placing additional stress upon their already bustled lives.

Magnet students should keep graduating first: it makes life easier for parents and students, and it rewards students with exceptional commitment and drive.

As Leonardo da Vinci inscribed on the reverse of his masterpiece Ginevra de’ Benci, “virtutem forma decorat:” beauty adorns virtue.

NC should not, in the name of egalitarianism, deprive the virtuous of that beauty.