Matthew Farley is 15 years old and is a nineth grader at Mountainville Academy in Alpine. He was chosen as the Daily Herald’s Utah Valley Student of the Week.

Farley was nominated by three of his teachers. He has a positive attitude and a commitment to excellence. He participates regularly in class discussions, is insightful, and is passionate in defending his positions in class debates. He is fun to have in class and is eager to learn new material. His greatest strengths are that he is extremely responsible, is respectful to students and teachers, and always comes to class prepared to contribute.

Farley is a favorite among teachers as well as his peers. His teachers are impressed with his desire to make the most out of his class time. He’s not satisfied with the minimal requirements. He is in class to make the most of his time while there and learn all he can. He is very curious about how things work and is able to make difficult connections in higher level topics. He is a great example and others in the class notice it.

Some of Farley’s hobbies include video games, reading, and hanging out with friends. He has participated in chess club and cross country, and plans to participate in track and field in February. He also plays the piano, enjoys theatre, participated in the school play last year, and is working on his Eagle Scout project. He plans to attend AISU in the coming years for high school, and dreams of becoming a biochemist.