Anna-Laine Aldridge will urge her fellow graduates at Bible Baptist Christian Academy to do one thing in particular during her valedictorian address on May 29.

Follow your dreams.

“My biggest point is to dream big and never give up on your dreams,” she said. “You can make it happen as long as you are destined and as long as you want to do it, you can achieve it.”

And for Aldridge, her dream is singing.

“I love singing,” she said. “I love singing so much. As far as I can remember, I've always been musically inclined. I started singing when I was 4 and I just love it and I've carried it with me my entire life.”

Aldridge also plays guitar and she said she helps lead worship at her church and assists with a youth class, as well.

“We have a youth class I do Wednesday nights,” she said. “I sing two songs and we worship together. It's really awesome. I love it so much and I wouldn't trade it for the world.”

To begin the pursuit of her dream, Aldridge said she plans to enroll at East Georgia State College and earn an associate degree in business management. She then hopes to transfer to Georgia Southern University and major in music.

But before she starts that chapter of her life, Aldridge will deliver her valedictorian address, an honor, she said “I've been striving for my entire high school career. It was definitely difficult, but I had a lot of wonderful people who helped me out and I achieved my goal.”

Though her speech wasn’t finished at the time of this interview, Aldridge said she would “share my experiences, share the memories. I’m going to talk about how high school was and all the people that have gotten me to where I am.”

While she’s not sure exactly where her love of singing and music will land her, Aldridge knows one place she feels perfectly at home – singing during worship at her church.

“A life in the music ministry is certainly possible,” she said. “We’ll see.”