When Anna Frey was named the valedictorian of New York University's Class of 2026, it marked the culmination of a journey that began years earlier in Carmel Clay Schools.

After graduating from Carmel High School, Frey studied across four global campuses, spending her freshman year at NYU Florence in Italy, her sophomore year in New York City while completing research fellowships in the United Arab Emirates, Israel, and Germany, her junior year at NYU Shanghai in China, and her senior year back in New York. This fall, she will continue her education at Washington University School of Law in St. Louis after receiving the university's prestigious Scholars in Law award.

Yet, when Frey reflects on what prepared her for success on a global stage, her thoughts return to the classrooms and teachers she encountered in Carmel.

"Halfway through my freshman year at NYU, my Global Works and Societies professor asked me what private boarding school had prepared me to succeed in her class the way I was," Frey recalled. "She was genuinely surprised to learn the answer was a public high school in central Indiana."

Frey attended Carmel Clay Schools from kindergarten through graduation, beginning at Towne Meadow Elementary, continuing to Creekside Middle School, and graduating from Carmel High School. She says the district's academic rigor, combined with opportunities to explore new interests, laid the foundation for everything that followed.

"What I remember most about growing up there, beyond the quality of my teachers, was the chance to build friendships with students from all kinds of backgrounds," Frey said. "From elementary school on, I had friends from a wide range of cultures, religions, and politics, which shaped the interests I would go on to pursue at NYU."

She also credits Carmel High School's size with helping her develop independence and confidence.

"I came to appreciate how the size of Carmel High School gave me room to grow into a confident student who could advocate for my own goals, a trait that has served me well at a very large university and will continue to matter as I enter the legal profession."

Rather than following a predetermined path, Frey explored a variety of opportunities throughout her school years, participating in band, basketball, student government, honors coursework, business education, DECA, and the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program.

One seemingly small decision would ultimately shape her future.

"Out of all the options at Carmel, it still surprises me that I chose Chinese, taught by the incredible Tungfen (Tiffany) Lee, simply because an upperclassman had told me how much he enjoyed her class," Frey said. "I had no idea at the time that this decision would change the course of my life."

Lee's influence sparked a passion for Chinese language and culture that continues today.

"Lee Laoshi, as her students call her, is who first cultivated my passion for Chinese language and culture," Frey said. "She brings real care to making her lessons rigorous and engaging, so that students not only succeed in learning Chinese but genuinely enjoy the process."

By her senior year at Carmel High School, Frey was serving as president of the National Chinese Honor Society. That experience led her to pursue a minor in Chinese at NYU and spend an academic year studying in Shanghai. Today, she hopes to build a career in international corporate law focused on strengthening business relationships between the United States and China.

Her academic preparation extended beyond world languages.

Frey credits her ninth-grade honors block classes, Advanced Placement coursework, and the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program with developing the critical reading, writing, and analytical skills that distinguished her at one of the nation's top universities.

"Through IB, I learned to think, read, and write critically at a college level, a foundation that has been essential to my success at NYU," Frey said. "When my freshman year professor praised my ability to work through dense texts and produce rigorous essays, I recognized the direct influence of Mrs. Rhodes's and Mr. Ellery's instruction."

She describes the IB Diploma Program as one of the defining experiences of her education.

"The IB program at Carmel High School is a distinctive and valuable one," Frey said. "It shaped some of my closest friendships and, more than any other part of my education, prepared me for success at NYU and now in law school."

Outside the classroom, Frey immersed herself in Carmel High School's business program, taking multiple business courses, serving on the DECA executive team, competing twice at DECA's International Career Development Conference, and winning a state championship alongside partner Katerina Folkin during their senior year.

Looking back, Frey believes Carmel Clay Schools offered something even more valuable than strong academics: the opportunity to discover her passions, supported by educators who believed in her.

"When people ask me now how a public school in central Indiana prepared me for NYU and, soon, law school, I don't have to look far for the answer," Frey said.

"Carmel gave me the freedom to find what I loved, the confidence to pursue it seriously, and teachers who cared enough to make sure I could. I carry that with me into every new city, and I will carry it into every space I enter in the future."

Frey's story is a testament to the opportunities available at Carmel Clay Schools. From rigorous academics and world language programs to business education, performing arts, athletics, and student leadership, Carmel students are encouraged to explore their interests, challenge themselves, and discover paths that can take them anywhere in the world.