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00:00 [MUSIC]
00:02 >> I heard about this story, I said, man, I have got to book this family if we can.
00:06 I don't know if you heard about it, it's a family where four children,
00:10 four over the course of the years, four daughters,
00:13 each were their class's valedictorian.
00:15 I don't know the statistical odds of that, but Tracy Rendina probably would.
00:19 She's the mother of these four brilliant daughters.
00:22 The latest one, the latest valedictorian,
00:24 completing what has been a family pattern here, Riley Rendina.
00:28 Welcome to both of you and Riley, congratulations.
00:31 >> Thank you.
00:33 >> I was thinking of you Riley because your three sisters before you had all been
00:38 their class valedictorian, so that must have been enormous pressure on you.
00:42 How did you deal with that?
00:43 >> It was just like, it was very pressureful, but
00:50 I also always still had their support of, okay, if they can do it, I can do it too.
00:55 And their help with, if I ever didn't understand things,
00:59 they were always there to just help me in, yeah.
01:02 >> Well, congratulations, but mom, you're no slouch in this.
01:05 You had something to do with this, you and your husband,
01:08 you're both brainiacs yourselves, I understand that.
01:11 But you weren't slave drivers, I'm told,
01:13 you just told all the girls to work hard, is that right?
01:16 >> Yes, I think my husband and I's biggest thing was we just always wanted
01:22 them to do their best, that was our goal and everything they did is do your best.
01:26 Whether it was in school, whether it was in their sports or athletics,
01:29 their volunteerism, everything they did, just give it everything you've got.
01:34 That and I think just being present for everything that they were involved in and
01:38 making sure we were always there, whether it was a good time or a bad time.
01:42 We always wanted to be there for them.
01:44 >> Were you always looking at their grades though, quarter by quarter,
01:48 you're never gonna become valedictorian at this rate?
01:50 Of course, that wouldn't have been the case with Riley, but what did you do, Tracy?
01:54 >> Well, I definitely did not look at her grades.
01:58 It sounds really bad cuz I am a teacher, but
02:02 I made my girls all be independent in that and
02:06 it was their responsibility to take care of their grades.
02:09 I am a teacher and I am involved in the school and
02:13 I know many times the other teachers would be concerned cuz my daughters would be in
02:17 their class and I just always, I never involved in any of it.
02:22 I always put it back on my children to take care of everything for
02:25 themselves and work on it themselves.
02:28 It was their responsibility, not mine.
02:30 >> How was it for you, Riley?
02:31 When you first got in school, you were a freshman and
02:34 I could imagine other kids saying, my God, it's another Rendina.
02:38 How did you deal with that?
02:43 >> It was kinda nice to be honest because it just mean I knew a lot of people,
02:48 not only my age, but my sister's age too.
02:51 So it just helped me be able to know someone anywhere I was and
02:57 just have somebody to lean on and to know.
03:01 >> Did you have, Riley, any rules on smartphones,
03:07 couldn't use them, couldn't watch TV, anything like that in effect?
03:11 >> So none of us ever got a phone until we were in middle school.
03:18 >> Okay.
03:19 >> And then for the most part, I don't know,
03:22 we didn't really watch a lot of TV growing up.
03:24 I don't remember watching a ton.
03:26 We definitely watched it, but we were mostly doing other stuff.
03:29 >> Well, were you watching any Fox News or
03:33 let's say any business shows on Fox or just throwing it out there?
03:36 >> We watched a little bit.
03:38 >> Okay, but you survived that.
03:40 That wasn't a big deal to you.
03:41 And mom, it's back to you.
03:43 Was that you and your husband applying subtle pressure?
03:48 Little TV is fine, little device use is fine.
03:51 Were you policing that yourselves with any of the girls, all of the girls?
03:54 >> Well, with my oldest, I know we started a rule that they couldn't have their phone
04:00 in their room, and that was really where it started.
04:02 Cuz trying to keep them as part of the family,
04:05 I never wanted them back in their bedrooms all by themselves.
04:08 We tried to keep the family unit, we had tables out in our family room for
04:12 homework, not put them back, let them be back in their bedrooms.
04:16 So we definitely tried to keep everything visible all the time out where we were
04:20 all together doing things.
04:23 So that was the biggest thing I remember.
04:25 I do remember not letting them have their phones back in their bedrooms.
04:30 And we never emphasize social media.
04:33 I'll say my husband and I are not big social media people.
04:37 We don't post a lot.
04:38 And I think the girls picked up on that and have become that way as well,
04:43 which I think really helped cuz they weren't comparing themselves to people all
04:46 the time.
04:47 >> Very impressive.
04:48 Riley, we don't have much time, but you're off to college.
04:51 Where are you gonna go?
04:52 What are you gonna study?
04:52 >> I'm going to the University of Florida and I'm studying biomedical engineering.
04:59 >> Incredible, I can't even spell medical engineering.
05:02 Riley, congratulations.
05:03 Tracy, you're a great family, without any overt pressure,
05:08 just letting your kids be free to be their best.
05:12 And that is obviously what happened here.
05:15 Very jealous of both of you, but congratulations.
05:17 It's too late for my kids now.
05:19 They keep saying they're doing their best.