BRIDGE CITY — Bridge City High School class of 2006 valedictorian Angela Nicole Evan’s mother Wanda Evans said she knew her daughter was special when, while reading a book to her at the age of 4, the youngster began reading aloud with her.

Wanda asked Angela if she memorized the book or if she was reading and, to her surprise, Angela said she had taught herself to read.

Angela’s superior reading ability wasn’t her only scholastic aptitude to reveal itself early. At the same age, her parents taught her to count to 100, and she pushed the envelope further by learning to count by 2s, 5s and 10s.

Angela’s drive and intelligence blossomed over the years enabling her to cross the stage at the head of her class Saturday with a 4.9 on a 5.3 GPA scale.

“It feels wonderful,” Wanda said of her daughter’s accomplishment. “I’m very, very proud.”

The daughter of Curtis and Wanda Evans, Nicole received an academic scholarship which pays half her tuition and room and board to the prestigious George Washington University in Washington, D.C. Grants and a work study job should cover the remainder of the costs.

The university accepts many international students, is four blocks away from The White House and offers students internships with U.S. senators.

Nicole was awarded scholarships to attend Texas schools but she wanted the experience of attending a university outside the Golden Triangle region.

“I’ll miss my friends,” Nicole said. “I’m going to be excited to meet some new people. I’ve been around the same people my whole life.”

When asked what field she planned to major in, Nicole laughed and said, “For the past month or so Biology. I’m going to do a double minor: psychology and creative writing.”  Nicole said she may attend medical school and if she does she would like to pursue a career as a medical researcher.

In her free time she enjoys horseback riding, a leisure activity she has been dedicated to since taking lessons at the age of 11. Lately, she has been caring for her first horse, a Rocky Mountain gated yearling named Phos.

Plans are for Phos to eventually be shipped to a stable near her university, and in the future she would like to train him to compete in trail riding competitions-which are like cross country competitions for horses.

Among the many scholastic honors bestowed on Nicole are: the National Merit Scholar distinction, a distinction conferred to the top 8,200 high school graduates nationwide, the President’s and the U.S. Marine Corps awards of academic excellence. Additionally, she was nominated each year while in high school to the Who’s Who Among American High School Students program and was a National Honor Society member.

In 2005, she was the 3A state champion in ready writing, a competition in which competitors are given two literature excerpts to read and then are given two hours to write an essay about them.

She also volunteered during her high school days at St. Elizabeth’s Hospital, the Arboretum Nursing Home, and at the Hope Center for Crisis Pregnancy.