The two valedictorians for South Whidbey High School have stood alone, and together, as the top students in the class of 2015 since their sophomore year.

Isla Dübendorf, 17, and Meaghan de Wolf, 18, are this year’s top students having maintained 4.0 grade point averages over four years at South Whidbey High School. Their grades, both girls said, meant that some nights they stayed in to study instead of watching a movie or going out with friends. At other times, it meant a 5 a.m. cram session to have all the information fresh before a test.

By hook or by crook, they kept straight “A”s throughout their courses, which were by no means a cumulative cakewalk. They took advanced placement classes designed to be college preparation and tested into receiving college credit for several of them, from biology to U.S. history to statistics. Hopeful world travelers, both Dübendorf and de Wolf took at least three years of Spanish, plus one year of Russian and French, respectively.

Both students were praised by educators as upstanding young women and excellent students.

“It’s pretty easy to come to work when you have kids like that,” said Andy Davis, a math teacher who had both students over the years and now has them as peer tutors.

“They do a nice job of being the smart kid who can bring themselves to the level of the struggling student,” he added.

With their school work largely finished and final tests all taken, they took some time away from their math peer tutor period to chat with The Record about what was required of them for perfect grades and where they’re headed.

Isla Dübendorf has a crystal-clear vision of what career she wants. Having grown up on a small South Whidbey farm with goats, chickens and horses, Dübendorf said she plans to pursue a doctorate in veterinary medicine.

“It’s something I’ve always had a passion for since I was young,” she said.

The lifelong vegetarian said two of her family’s goats were saved from becoming dinner. Performing some of the less savory acts, such as euthanizing pets and livestock, won’t be an issue for her. She’s already witnessed a few surgeries and accompanied her parents when their goat and horse were euthanized. Both ended up being buried, one in Coupeville at a large animal cemetery and the other in her family’s property.

“We don’t eat any of the animals,” she laughed.

The straight-A student said she came close to losing perfect grades as a freshman. In her second semester of algebra, her grade was slipping but she spoke with the teacher for help and got back on track. It wasn’t like she was ever close to failing, however.

“I don’t like to have anything below a 94, so I have wiggle room,” she said.

Her studious nature is well known among her peers. Citing her extensive and meticulous notes from class, de Wolf said most people associate Dübendorf was being a model learner.

“I’ve never cried after an AP bio test,” de Wolf said through a wry smile while nodding toward Dübendorf in the high school’s staff conference room.

Dübendorf, in her quest to be the best, said the stress of a high-stakes test has gotten the better of her emotions from time to time. But each result came back with high marks, so she’s learning to stress less.

The competitive ski racer knows a thing or two about stress. She’s been a downhill skier for years, though she admitted that this final season was a disappointment because of the conditions at Stevens Pass and a leg injury her younger brother sustained, keeping the family split during weekend ventures to the mountain slopes.

“I love the adrenaline,” she said.

When she wasn’t studying or skiing, Dübendorf spent time playing for the varsity girls soccer and girls tennis teams the past four years. She spent summers as a tennis instructor and swim instructor.

Dübendorf was an Associated Student Body representative for three years as a ninth-grade senator, 10th-grade public relations director and 12th-grade treasurer. Seeking ways to volunteer, she joined the school’s Spanish Club, Key Club (a youth division of Kiwanis), and National Honor Society, in addition to helping out at the Northwest Language Academy in Langley.

Maintaining perfect marks through all of the classes and extracurriculars was possible, she said, by paying attention, asking for help, and a regular sleep cycle.

“Start the semester off strong,” she said. “Try to get as much sleep as you can.”

In pursuit of her veterinary ambitions, Dübendorf will enroll in the honors program as a Regents Scholar at Washington State University. Her parents are both graduates of the Pullman-based university, and its veterinary program lured her to the eastern limit of Washington state.

“I wanted to get away but not too far,” she said.

Meaghan de Wolf readily admits to being a bit sassy and a lot sarcastic. That’s how she tells people she cares without telling them she cares, she said.

“The more I make fun of people, the more I like them,” she said.

Biting humor aside, de Wolf is known for her cheerful attitude, according to her fellow valedictorian.

“You’re always happy,” Dübendorf told her. “But you can be sassy at the same time.”

A relentless volunteer, de Wolf logged some 620 hours as a volunteer barista at the South Whidbey Commons in Langley. She joked that she saw three different people hired as the director during her stint with the Commons before being hired at Payless Foods in Freeland.

She was in the Key Club and Interact Club (a Rotary International affiliate) at the high school, in addition to serving on the ASB as the sophomore class treasurer, junior class vice president and public relations executive as a senior.

“I like being busy. Right now, I get home and lay on my bed, pull out the phone and get the movie going,” she said, imitating fluttering, drowsy eyes and motioning her head toward an imaginary pillow.

Business or finance are ahead for de Wolf. She is slated to enroll at Regent’s University London, sight unseen, this fall. She’ll take her first visit this summer during a class trip to Europe. Only recently did she start looking at her own budget as a means of exercising her mathematics prowess, citing her decision to forego the purchase of a new prom dress in favor of reusing one she already owns.

“I recycled a dress for prom,” she said, citing the hassle of finding a new one and the added cost that would come out of her wallet.

She described herself as an “intense Netflix watcher” who favors series such as “The Office,” “Parks and Recreation” and “Vampire Diaries.” Most movies or television shows can elicit one crocodile tear from her, she said.

“I’m the one-tear person,” de Wolf said, putting her index finger below her eye and dragging it down like a tear. “It’s really dramatic.”

de Wolf practically grew up on South Whidbey. Her family moved to the island when she was in second grade, and she’s been an island kid ever since. That never took away her desire for city life, however, and that was what eventually pulled her across the Atlantic Ocean to apply at Regent’s University London.

She’s come a long way from the girl who once wanted to be the first secret agent in space — her childhood dream job.

“There’s not much crime in space, so I would’ve been pretty useless,” she laughed.

Just like Dübendorf, de Wolf said one of the open secrets of good grades is having the gumption to ask for help. She didn’t understand plenty of lessons during her math and science courses, but asking for help or meeting with the teacher or peers after school or during lunch went a long way to shoring up her scores.

“You have to be ready to not hang out with your friends,” she said.