By VINCE REMBULAT

The Bulletin

 Ruth Waters held several distinguished titles during her time at Ripon High.

Last year, she was student member for the Ripon Unified school board. For her senior year, she was student body president.

Waters can add valedictorian to that long list of accomplishments.

With her 4.5 grade point average, she and Sam Evans, who earned salutatorian, will lead the Class of 2013 at the annual commencement exercises at Stouffer Field on May 24.

This past week, Waters, who is the oldest of six children belonging to Shelly and Kirk Waters – he’s the same Waters who is the fire chief for the Manteca Fire Department – secured her college plans by signing to play basketball for the Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, NJ.

She plans to major in Civil Engineering.

Besides sports – Waters was an outstanding hurdler for the Indians track team – she was also active in school activities and around the community.

Waters was the California Scholarship Federation president for the past two years, and was active in Link Crew.

Around Ripon and the outlying communities, she was involved in various Breast Cancer Awareness fundraisers and canned food drives.

Waters helped collect soft drink can tabs via the Ripon Lions Club to raise money for the Ronald McDonald House.

She volunteered her time to the Second Harvest Food Bank in Manteca while also serving math and chemistry tutor.

No surprise that Waters took part in the recent Love Ripon. That’s the day where area churches, service organizations and individuals volunteer three hours to do various jobs around town.

With graduating nearing, Waters has been kicking around ideas for valedictorian speech.

“I was joking (about doing my speech) on how I was the biggest the nerd in school,” she said.

To reach reporter Vince Rembulat, e-mail vrembulat@mantecabulletin.com.