Extracurriculars
Athletics
I genuinely believe that the best part about school is the extracurricular activities. I have learned so much and made lifelong friends through simply joining a club, sport, or activity. These are most of the extracurriculars I am currently involved in.
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Cross Country
2016-2019
I am involved in Cross Country. I'd be lying if I say I like to run, but I do love the runner's high after running. We run about 20 miles a week. The meet distances are 3.1 miles or 5 kilometers. Last summer, I ran 200 miles to condition for the season.
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Click on the image to see my Cross Country times.
Track and Field
2016-2019
I also run track. My love for long distance carries over into track where I run the 4x800m relay, the 1600m run, and the 3200m run. We run about 15 miles a week.
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Click on the image to see my Track and Field times.
Music
Carnatic Sangeetha
2009-2020
I have been learning Carnatic Sangeetha since my earliest memories. I have progressed through Sangeetha like I have gone through school. Carnatic Sangeetha introduced me to music and encouraged me to explore my love for the arts. All my basic music skills were built through Sangeetha.
Orchestra
2012-2021
I play the cello in our school's varsity-level orchestra. I originally chose the cello because not many people played it, so I would get to be in the spotlight. Eventually, I fell in love with the deep, weeping, emotional sound that the cello releases. One of the best days of my life was watching Yo-Yo Ma perform. Simply beautiful!
Choir
2019-2020
I joined my school's choir, and I accidentally made the varsity-level choir for the following year. Unfortunately, my schedule didn't allow for me to take the class. Choir allowed me to learn Western Vocal Music and improve my tone, pitch, and range. It's quite ironic - I play a low instrument in my school's orchestra, but I was the highest voice part (Soprano 1) in the choir.
Public Speaking
Forensics (Speech)
2015-2021
Forensics has helped me find my voice and discover who I am as a person. My confidence has increased immensely, and I am overjoyed to give a presentation. I explore subjects I am passionate about in my speeches such as the pressure on girls to look a certain way, the act of putting others down to raise ourselves up, taking life too seriously, and my personal favorite, the need to destigmatize menstruation.
Debate
2017-2021
I can proudly say that I have found my second family in debate. I absolutely adore being able to argue both sides, it really challenges my beliefs. Despite the fact that congressional debate is somewhat of a joke on our team, I love the event. As someone who hopes to enter politics, it gives me a small taste of what I may encounter one day. Debate is truly a safe space for every single individual.
Volunteering
Lakeside Hospital
2017-2020
Volunteering at CHI Lakeside Hospital is such a rewarding experience. I have developed so many new skills, met amazing people, and gotten a glimpse into how hospitals are run. Interacting with patients and other volunteers is the highlight of my volunteering experience. I rotate between working at welcome desk, stocking rooms and running errands in procedure center, and I recently began learning how to run the gift shop.
Mustang Mentoring
2019-2021
I am part of the Mustang Mentoring Program at my school. My partner and I are given a "homeroom" with about fifteen freshman. We meet for twenty five minutes every Monday to discuss how the freshman can stay physically, emotionally, and socially healthy throughout high school. We are here to help ease the stressful transition from middle school to high school and ensure that the freshman have the necessary skills to navigate their high school careers.
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Click on the image to learn more about the Mustang Mentoring Program.
Interact Club
2020-2021
I am the Vice President of our chapter of the Rotary Interact Club. We do a couple service projects annually both on a community and global scale. Most recently, we collected cans for our food pantry at school, wrote pen pal letters to the senior citizens in a retirement home, and make appreciation cards for the teachers and staff at our school. Interact Club teaches me how to be a better global citizen.
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Click on the image to learn more about Interact Club.
TASSEL
2019-2021
Teaching and Sharing Skills to Enrich Lives (TASSEL) is a non-profit organization that strives to help Cambodian citizens in a variety of different ways such as clothing, food, education, etc. Specifically, I help teach English to Cambodian students through correcting paragraphs they write. In the Khmer Rouge Genocide, Cambodia lost over 90% of their English teachers. Words cannot describe the feeling I have when my TASSEL students write me a personal note.
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Click on the image to learn more about TASSEL.
National Honor Society
2019-2021
As a member of the National Honor Society (NHS), we do group volunteering projects on a regular basis. For the first semester project, we rang bells for the Salvation Army to collect donations (yes, we sang Christmas Carols and yes, we danced to make sure we didn't get frostbite). In addition to group projects, each NHS member accumulates volunteer hours individually. NHS emphasizes giving back to our community as one of its core values.
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Click on the image to learn more about NHS.
Kara Eastman Campaign
2020
This past election, I couldn't vote, but I still wanted to help in the democratic process and use my voice, so I volunteered on the campaign of our U.S. House of Representatives candidate, Kara Eastman. The initiative I was volunteering on specifically aimed to get more South Asian voters involved in the election because Asians have some of the lowest voter turnout rates. I also did some phone banking where we called registered voters in the area and asked them to vote for Kara. Phone banking made me step out of my comfort zone and gain more confidence in myself as I conversed with individuals, both friendly and hostile about issues I was passionate about.
Other
Mayor's Youth Advisory Commission
2019-2020
The Mayor's Youth Advisory Commission (MYAC) allows high school juniors and seniors to work alongside the Mayor (Madame Jean Stothert) on specific issues affecting the youth of Omaha. One of our ongoing projects is to ban the use of vapes, e-cigarettes, and juuls in indoor places. MYAC has opened my eyes to the importance of my local government. I have learned how to advocate for issues I am passionate about.
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Click on the image to learn more about the MYAC.
HOSA
2019-2020
Health Occupation Students of America (HOSA) - Future Health Professionals is an organization that caters towards high school students interested in pursuing a medical career down the road. This year, I became a HOSA chapter officer. My fellow officers and I organize meetings, schedule guest speakers, and assist in administrative tasks as directed by the club sponsors. HOSA has provided me with so many opportunities and workshops to broaden my knowledge of medicine.
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Click on the image to learn more about HOSA.