Valedictorian, salutatorian reflect on their high-school years
Lenape High School held its 63rd annual commencement at the school’s Richard M. Driscoll Stadium on June 16.
Prior to the commencement Valedictorian Adithya N. Selvakumar and Salutatorians Rohan Sachin Gawande and Aayush J. Talreja reflected on their time at Lenape.
Adithya Selvakumar
- Tell me about your time at Lenape High School. What have you been involved in both in school and out of school?
Activities and societies: MTL Horizon (founder and CEO), Math Team (captain), Science League (president), National Honor Society (team leader), Knowledge Bowl (team captain), Mock Trial (expert witness), DECA, FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America), Chemistry Club, Technology Student Association (TSA), and Spanish Honor Society.
Coursework: Sciences: AP Physics C, AP Physics 1, AP Chemistry, AP Biology, AP Environmental Science; Math and Computer Science: AP Computer Science A, AP Computer Science Principles, AP Calculus BC, AP Calculus AB, AP Statistics; History and Social Sciences: AP Psychology, AP World History, AP European History, AP US History; English: AP English Language and Composition, AP English Literature and Composition; World Languages and Cultures: AP Spanish Language and Culture; Project Lead the Way (PLTW): Principles of Engineering, Computer Integrated Manufacturing, and Introduction to Engineering Design.
2. What are you going to miss at Lenape High School?
I’m going to miss the milestones I’ll never get to experience again: prom, spirit week, senior trip, etc.
3. What are your plans for the fall?
I’ll be attending the University of Pennsylvania, where I’ll be pursuing degrees in biology and bioengineering through the selective VIPER dual-degree program.
Rohan Gowande
- Tell me about your time at Lenape High School. What have you been involved in both in school and out of school?
At Lenape, I thoroughly explored my passions in engineering and a variety of other fields. I [served as] a director on my FIRST Robotics Competition team, Red Watch Robotics, where I worked on designing and building a 120-pound robot, as well as leading strategy during intense 3 v. 3 robot matches. On top of this, I was a competitor and podium-holder in the Technology Student Assocation engineering competition. I was also the vice president of my DECA business competition chapter and a competitor in the FBLA business competition. I found massive success in both and qualified for internationals multiple times.
Outside of school, I co-founded a program called Camp CAD to teach engineering design to young teens, hoping to inspire them to learn to love engineering as I have. I also wrote a research paper under a mentor from Stanford’s SLAC National Laboratory, working on improvements to electric vehicle charging infrastructure.
2. What are you going to miss at Lenape High School?
I’m going to sorely miss Lenape’s driven and selfless teachers and faculty. They go to the ends of the earth to foster my passions and provide outlets for me to pursue them. They’re role models to me, and I hope to mimic their amazing qualities.
3. What are your plans for the fall?
This fall, I’ll be attending Georgia Tech for mechanical engineering with a concentration in robotics.
Aayush J. Talreja
1. Tell me about your time at Lenape High School. What have you been involved in both in school and out of school?
My time at Lenape High School has been an amazing and enriching experience, one filled with memories, friendships and relations that I’ll never forget. It’s an experience that has been characterized by involvement in a multitude of clubs and activities such as:
Robotics – Director of Design – It’s been an amazing experience, one where I’ve built a family I’m truly in love with. Qualified for District Championships (MAR – Midatlantic Region Championship)
DECA – Participant – Competed in Marketing Team Decision Making with Selvkumar – Qualified for ICDC (International Career Development Conference)
Other clubs I’ve participated in include Math Team, FBLA, Science League, Asian Club, Honor Society, Interact Volunteer Club etc.
2. What are you going to miss at Lenape?
Sure, life at Lenape was great, but the only thing I’m going to miss are the people. My senior year was all about socializing and getting out of my introverted shell. I made so many new friends, especially with sophomores and juniors, that the weight of leaving for college just feels that much heavier, I’ll really miss those kids.
3. What are your plans for the fall, next year?
I’ll be pursuing a degree in mechanical engineering from Purdue University.
