Pekin Daily Times When Ethan Slidell enrolled as a freshman at Pekin Community High School, his primary goal was academic achievement. “It was my goal to maintain straight A’s and, in order to do so, I needed to make sure I focused both in and out of the classroom,” Slidell said. Four years later, Slidell is a graduating senior. His success in focusing on his schoolwork and his grades is clearly manifest as he graduated as the valedictorian of the PCHS Class of 2021. PCHS counselor Theresa Black noted that he took seven advanced placement classes and was a member of the school's Associate in Arts English program, which gives high school students an opportunity to earn college credits toward associate degrees.