While on their way to go shopping in Destin, Fla., friends Darby Gain and Sarah Davis got some exciting news Wednesday.

Warren Central High School announced Gain as valedictorian and Davis as salutatorian.

Gain, the daughter of Jackie and Robert Gain, is a lifelong resident of Vicksburg.

Gain played softball for five years, and she was in the varsity and Madrigal choirs and participated in Singe Feaste.

At Warren Central, Gain also served as vice president of the National Honor Society, secretary for First Priority, and she was a member of Mu Alpha Theta.

Gain was one of eight females in the state to receive the Lindy Callahan Scholarship, and she also received the Erin Hubert Scholarship and the Top Gun Invitational Scholarship.

Gain is a member of Crossway Church where she is involved in the youth leadership council and helps with the nursery.

In the fall, Gain plans to attend Embry Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona, Fla. where she will major in aerospace engineering.

“In 10th grade I went to space camp and I knew I wanted to do engineering, but I didn’t know what kind,” she said. “With aerospace engineering it splits into two parts, aero and astro, and I’m doing the astro part, which tends do deal more with space and spacecrafts.”

Gain said she also plans to get her pilot’s license while in college.

“My lifelong goal is to be an astronaut,” she said.

Gain, who made a 32 on the ACT, said becoming valedictorian didn’t become a goal for her until the 10th grade, when she realized it could become a reality.

“As years went by and it got closer and closer, I worked harder and harder for it, and everything just kind of fell into place this year,” she said. “It’s hard senior year to stay motivated.”

Sarah Davis, daughter of James and Missy Davis, is also a lifelong resident of Vicksburg.

Davis was a member of Total Sound and the drama club, played flute in the band and served as captain for the FTC Robotics Team, President for First Priority, historian for Mu Alpha Theta and parliamentarian for National Honor Society.

Davis attends Woodlawn Baptist Church where she sings in the church choir and takes mission trips every summer.

She has gone on mission trips to Texas, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee.

Davis plans to attend Mississippi College in the fall where she will major in biology and minor in Christian studies.

“I’ve struggled with my health my entire life, and through that it’s made me want to become a doctor for people who really don’t have a lot of money,” she said.

“I really want to start a hospital in a third world country and provide free medical care.”

Davis, who made a 31 on the ACT, said she knew the race to the top of the class had been a close one, and she was relieved to finally hear she was the salutatorian.

“I knew it was close, so it was stressful, but I knew I tried my best, and I knew whatever happened was meant to happen,” she said. “When I got the text, I was excited.

Both Gain and Davis said AP calculus with Terry Wong was their favorite class.