Valedictorian is an academic title typically conferred upon the highest ranked student among those being graduated from an educational institution. The term is an anglicized derivation of the Latin vale dicere ("to say farewell"), historically rooted in the valedictorian's traditional role as the final speaker at the graduation ceremony. The valedictory address generally is considered a final farewell to classmates, before they disperse as a collective group in order to pursue their individual paths after being graduated. The title of class valedictorian is common in educational institutions in Canada and the United States, while its equivalent in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Scotland is dux.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valedictorian