With summer officially getting under way next week, a new group of local high school seniors is preparing to step into the real world. Point Loma High School (PLHS) will celebrate graduation Friday, June 18, while the High Tech High (HTH) village of schools will send its seniors forth on Saturday, June 26. At PLHS, 412 students will walk across the stage at Bennie Edens Stadium from 3 to 5 p.m. Among the standouts of the Pointers’ class of 2010 are co-valedictorians Ashley Barclift and Miles Murphy. Barclift and Murphy share more than the same final grade-point average in common. Both will be attending Princeton University next fall. Barclift plans to study political science and pursue a law and business degree after her undergraduate career. She plans to be a corporate lawyer and eventually pursue a career in politics or business. “Since I was little, I had this ridiculous dream that I was going to be the President and I went around telling people that when I was five,” Barclift said. “But I have realized that I do have an interest in politics.” At PLHS, Barclift cultivated that interest with involvement in the California YMCA Model Legislature and Court program and by starting the PLHS Students for Gavin Newsom Club in support of the politician’s run for governor. Outside of school, she volunteered at YMCA summer camps, where she will be a counselor this summer. “The biggest challenge to my generation is definitely the amount of exposure we have now on the Internet and with all the new kinds of technology that have come out that none of the previous generations really had to deal with,” Barclift said. Barclift lives in Mission Hills, and attended Grant Elementary School and Correia Middle School before PLHS. In her free time, she said she likes to read and do pilates and yoga. Murphy plans to study either economics or political science at Princeton. He said his favorite subject at PLHS was history. “I’ll miss the weather and the beaches and the Mexican food,” Murphy said. “There is a less serious, fun, laid-backness that’s here that you probably won’t find on the East Coast.” Murphy is a third-generation Point Loman and attended Longfellow Elementary and Dana and Correia middle schools before PLHS. In his spare time, Murphy said he likes to body surf, go on long walks and listen to music. “Remembering to wake up every morning,” Murphy noted as the biggest challenge to his fellow graduates. “It’s hard to do the rest of the stuff if you don’t remember to wake up.” HTH will hold its commencement on June 26 in the grassy area in front of the school, located at 2861 Womble Road. A total of 314 students from three different schools within the HTH village will celebrate graduation. HTH will get the festivities started with its graduating class of 129 at 9 a.m., with HTH International’s class of 95 graduates following at noon. The ceremonies will conclude with 90 HTH Media Arts students walking at 3 p.m.