When Los Gatos High School valedictorian walks down the school’s front steps tonight during the graduation ceremony, she will not forget the special community that helped raise her.
“Los Gatos is so special and unique,” she said. “It’s hard to find that anywhere else.”
The 17-year-old whiz kid wrapped up her tenure at LGHS while obtaining a GPA of over 4.6. She will be attending UCLA in the fall where she will be majoring in biology, with an emphasis in pre-medical studies.
Though she will be leaving home for the first time to attend college, the feeling is bittersweet for Easwar. After making so many friends during the last four years, Easwar dreads leaving her hometown when she travels down to Los Angeles.
“I’ve made so many close friends, and it terrifies me that in a few months I will be in a different place with so many new people.”
While she admits that she enjoyed all six of her advanced placement courses this school year, her comparative government course taught by Mr. Rogers was her favorite.
“He cracked so many funny jokes in class,” Easwar said.
Her favorite high school memories include trips with friends down to the beach in Santa Cruz. One time, as a sophomore, Easwar remembers her and her friends throwing their homework into a lit bonfire on the beach in playful protest.
“Those times were really important for me,” she said.
When she’s not at school or studying for her next test, Easwar likes to engage in deep philosophical conversations with friends, and finds comfort in her 8-year-old Australian Shepherd named Shadow.
“It sounds really dorky, but he’s like a de-stressor for me,” she jokes.
Easwar also has a love for playing the piano, and likes to sing and listen to music.
“I’m not great or anything at piano, but it’s nice to do.”
As the standout student marches to Pomp and Circumstance to the applause and cheers of her friends, family and high school community and on to her next life adventure, she will miss having the close relationships with her fellow students as well as her teachers.
“I will definitely miss having close relationships with my teachers. I don’t think I will get that in college,” she said. “I’ll be in classes with over 100 people, my teachers probably won’t know me by name or know me personally.”
Easwar has been involved in numerous volunteer and service organizations and has been a Principal's Scholar in 2009, 2010 and 2011 having received the Scholar of Distinction from the in 2009, 2010 and 2011.
She's also earned numerous academic awards and certificates of excellence. The straight-A student took six AP classes at Los Gatos High School and has been playing piano for 11 years.
"The key to awesomeness is to be more like dogs," said Easwar when asked what can help youth become successful.
was also a semifinalist in the 2012 National Merit Scholarship Program.
