Background

I was born in Bangalore, India, and I moved to America in 3rd grade. After living in several states, I have settled in Massachusetts. There is somehow a balance between city and suburbs, and I’m happy to have access to both. Before joining Mass Academy, I went to Westborough High School. I have many great memories from there, such as competing in Science Olympiad and Math Team. I enjoy most of my time after school by dancing and figureskating competitively. I’ve also invested myself in music. I was in remote band for the entirety of sophomore year, so I'm really excited to be back in person!

My family

My parents have done so much for me since I was little, and my contributions often feel inadequate, but someday I will repay them. We love traveling together, and my favorite part is, of course, the food. My dad has a tendency to always choose a bad item off of a menu, so I am now his assistant in picking food, because I am very trustworthy in these situations. I have the most difficult time convincing my mom to go to different types of restaurants because she likes to stay safe and stick to what she has already tried, but I’m working on it. One of my goals in the future is to travel to everywhere with good food. I will go to Italy first, and stay there until I try enough pasta

Dance

I’ve been dancing since I was 3 years old, and I’ve tried my hand at many styles. In my childhood I did Kathak and Rabindra Sangeet, but after moving to America, I decided to join Jazz and Ballet. In cultural festivals however, I still perform the dance styles of my roots so I don’t lose that side of me.

Figureskating

Back in India I used to rollerblade, and my mom always loved watching figure skating on television, so I transitioned to figure skating. At first it was quite scary, but after 8 years I think I am more scared of disappointing my coach than the actual ice. I do compete, and those times are the ones with most memories, especially of the ones in which I’ve fallen. My fondest memory would be the time I did my program completely wrong but got gold. I’m still not sure why, but the adrenaline must have helped in some way (right?) I’ve come to love the feeling of gliding on such a delicate ground and consider it a privilege, even in those compelling moments.

Art

I can’t pinpoint when I realized art is effective in relieving my worries, but I am glad I did. Usually over the summer I like to draw and just explore different types of art, and sometimes I end up with a couple of drawings I like. Looking back I always wonder if it was me who drew them, but it must be the magical serenity of summer that inhibits my ability to draw.

Music

I joined band on a whim back in the 5th grade, and I never thought I would still be playing my instrument. I now play the Bb Bass Clarinet, and it’s amazing how much affection I have for it. I love playing bass in a band because it articulates the feeling of importance and provides the foundation for every piece. I also tried singing a while back, but I’m not sure my skills carried over through puberty, so I just hum off-tune sometimes.

Community Service

I was able to participate in many community service events at Mass Academy, totaling 50 hours for my junior year. Much of my hours came from Community Harvest in Grafton. Over the summer, I regularly immersed myself outside to give back to all that my community has done for me. My tasks included harvesting, weeding, washing the harvest, cleaning, laundry, and many others. At the end of the summer, I was very familiar with how the organization was set up.

During the year, I volunteered to teach a class at Abby Kelly Foster Charter School in Worcester, where Alexis Chong, Asya Litvak, and I introduced second graders to the principles of Computer Science (image below). I was amazed at the curiosity and wonder in their eyes as we explained concepts using the whiteboard and other physical models. I started learning Computer Science this year, so I felt proud that the kids were being exposed at such a young age.

I also consistently tutored at the India Society of Worcester, where I imparted my English knowledge to a 5th-grade student. We met weekly, and we primarily focused on what he wanted to improve upon. Through practicing reading comprehension, grammar, writing, and homework that I assigned, he has significantly improved. Tutoring has given me a new skillset of patience, planning, organizing, and assessing, which will stay with me in the future as well.