Morristown Valedictorian combining love of science and space into Astrophysics degree at Indiana University

Quentin Livezey’s love for science and astronomy pushed him to find a unique educational track – although not unique to the graduating Class of 2024 at Morristown High School.

Livezey, Morristown’s Valedictorian, will study Astrophysics at Indiana University in the fall. His good friend Mason Deak, Morristown’s Salutatorian, is headed to the University of Cincinnati to also study Astrophysics.

“We’ve had quite a few conversations,” admitted Livezey. “We had a study hall together in the library and would be talking about space.”

Livezey has no idea where an astrophysics degree might take him but working for NASA is not out of the question.

“Wouldn’t that be awesome,” he said. “I don’t remember who said it but it’s crazy that two people of the same class, the top two people of the same class from Morristown are going to study astrophysics.”

While Deak will head east to matriculate at the University of Cincinnati, Livezey will travel south to Bloomington, which feels much more familiar to him after his older brother, Andrew, graduated from Indiana University.

“One of the reasons I picked IU is because it actually has astrophysics, some of the other colleges didn’t really,” he said. “And I wasn’t wanting to go too far away.”

Livezey learned he edged out Deak for the valedictorian honor just days before graduation.

“I think it really was like the last minute,” he recalled. “Around the end of school, we had most of the grades in but it wasn’t until after school ended and we started doing graduation stuff that they said I was for sure valedictorian.”

Livezey was involved in Yearbook Club and National Art Honor Society at Morristown and could not name a favorite teacher, instead mentioning several when asked who made an impact on him.

Moving on to Bloomington will present new challenges for someone raised in a small community.

“I know the first and last name of everyone in my class,” he said. “It was definitely easy to keep track of people. There is a simplicity.”

Livezey is excited for a family trip this month to California. He will continue to work at the family business, Z shirts, until it is time to move to IU in August.

This is the eighth in a series of 10 feature stories by the Shelby County Post on Shelby County’s Class of 2024 valedictorians and salutatorians.