Valley Oaks 2026 Salutatorian Jakob Bakker Explores Creativity, Leadership 

Some students discover their passions through a single activity. For Jakob Bakker, the journey has been a little more adventurous: exploring everything from visual art and robotics to leadership and community service. 

Jakob Bakker, salutatorian of the Valley Oaks Charter School Class of 2026, has attended Valley Oaks since kindergarten, spending 13 years in the school’s independent study program. During that time, he has explored a wide range of interests while building strong connections with teachers and classmates. 

Over the years, Jakob says some of his favorite high school moments came from simple everyday experiences, conversations with friends during lunch and time spent collaborating with classmates on creative projects. 

Academically, Jakob has challenged himself with a rigorous course of study while maintaining strong grades. In the summer of 2025, he was accepted into a competitive computational biology program at Carnegie Mellon University, where he worked through coding challenges and laboratory assignments that pushed him to quickly learn new ideas and solve complex problems with a team of students from around the country. 

Leadership and service have also played an important role in Jakob’s time at Valley Oaks. He has been actively involved in the school’s Interact Club for three years, serving as secretary before stepping into the role of co-president. Through Interact, Jakob has dedicated more than 90 hours to community service, helping organize events, work festival booths, and participate in mental health awareness walks. 

Jakob also enjoys mentoring younger students. He spent a semester tutoring a Lego Robotics team, helping students plan strategies, troubleshoot programming challenges, and prepare for competition. In addition, he served as a teacher’s assistant in elementary art classes, sharing his enthusiasm for creativity with younger students. 

Creativity has been one of Jakob’s greatest passions. Visual art is one of his favorite activities, and he has devoted significant time to developing his artistic skills. His Art III capstone project explores the role of artificial intelligence in the future and how emerging technology may influence artistic expression. 

Jakob’s creative interests extend into other areas as well. He has participated in drama and improv classes through the Tehachapi Academy of Dramatic Arts and spent time performing piano with the Tehachapi Rock Academy, experiences that allowed him to explore storytelling, performance, and music alongside his academic pursuits. 

Reflecting on his high school experience, Jakob says he is most grateful for the support of teachers, classmates, and family members who helped guide him along the way. 

“I feel the most grateful for all the support I’ve had from my teachers, parents, and peers,” Jakob said. “I’m glad that I have people I can ask for advice from, look up to, and have meaningful conversations with.” 

Through his time at Valley Oaks, Jakob says he has learned that the most important lesson is choosing to pursue what truly matters. 

“I think the most important thing I’ve learned is that life is what you make of it,” Jakob said. “Being able to pick something I love and stick to it has been the most valuable skill I’ve learned.” 

Jakob recently learned that he has been accepted to the liberal arts program at Colby College with a full-ride scholarship, an extraordinary achievement that reflects his years of hard work, creativity, leadership, and academic excellence. Colby encourages students to spend their first year exploring a variety of subjects before officially declaring a major during the second semester of freshman year or sophomore year. While Jakob is keeping an open mind, as of now he hopes to eventually double major in studio art and computer science. One thing is certain – creativity and service will continue to play a major role in his life. 

With his creativity, leadership, and commitment to helping others, Jakob Bakker represents the curiosity and community spirit that define the Valley Oaks Charter School Class of 2026, and there is little doubt that he will continue making an impact wherever his journey takes him.