Dear Wayzata class of 2011,

It’s been fun.

Being a level below you on the Wayzatan food chain for the past three years has had its fair share of laughs and lessons-learned. Those of you that I got to know have served as role models throughout my high school career (for the most part). No doubt, your class is of incredibly high caliber. And that said, I sincerely hope each one of you leads a future as impressive and illustrious as I make you out to be.

In many ways, you’re the spearhead of our generation. You’ll be one of the first to test the waters, to encounter the challenges of today’s world, and, as cliché as it sounds, you’ll be the doctors, engineers, teachers, and problem-solvers of the future. Although it’ll take me one more year before I can start sympathizing with you guys, I wish each and everyone one of you the very best in your future endeavors. No matter where you’re headed, you’re bound to meet success. And just know, us juniors are right behind ya’.

As fluffy as that sounded, it was from the heart.

Many of you have set an example for me. And some of us share lasting memories. So, in no particular order, here are a series of shout-outs to those seniors that mean a lot to me.

Hari Ganti, whose passion and achievement is science continues to inspire me, and whose thirst for learning is similar to my own; Lindsay Ortlip, fellow water safety instructor and a brilliant individual; Chris Chin, the amiable and down-to-earth friend that tolerates me calling him “Chrischin Chin”; Shannon McDermott, for showing me the ropes of MUN; Anisha Chada, who is desperately in love with me and whose wit I looked forward to in AP Calc, AP Chem, and Ochem; Kelley Chen, who kept me entertained via Skype during Human Genetics and whose academics speak for themselves; Brett Schnobrich, an inspiration during those three terms in AP Chem; Eddie Chen, whom I’ll always remember as a teammate, avid volunteer, and leader; Lawrence Wang, for his outstanding academic achievements, loveable quirks, and valuable friendship; Yasir Uddin, for sharing what it means to be Bengali, our joint passion for Kingdom Hearts, and similar senses of humor; Merry Huang, whom I wish I got to know better, for taking care of my Partha and being a girl that plays StarCraft; Amy Wen, for her irrefutable voice of reason, wise words, and kindness that never goes unnoticed; Abhishek Srivastava, whom I’ll always remember from that joyously lazy last term of AP Bio, AP Calc, and the countless laughs we shared, usually directed at Vik; Vikhil Boyalla, for managing to graduate, staying alive, making me laugh, and for deserving more credit than people will give him; Raphael Santo Domingo, for his unyielding love of anime, drawing skills that I wish I had, and brotherly friendship; Jake Klopfenstein, whose amiability I will always try to emulate; Sam Cady, for putting up with us NHS kids and serving as an inspiration for me and my peers; Ganesh Raman, for our joint interest in Pokémon, good times in Science Olympiad and Science Bowl, and who I look up to as an older brother; Ben Wedin, for his intellect, likability, and common interests–someone I wish I got to know better; Laura Holder, for a shared passion for everything Japanese; Anna Rayas, whom it feels like I’ve known forever, despite us only sharing Ochem this past term; Julia Sun, a role model like no other, kind, compassionate, interested, and with a bright future ahead of her; Nikhil Pandey, whom I wish I could see more of on that auditorium stage; Devon Manley, for our shared journey through chemistry, unmatched intellect, and snappy wit; Rohit Agrawal, whose academic accomplishments are impossible to enumerate, whose leadership in Science Olympiad, Math Team, and Science Bowl was unparalleled, and whom I will always admire as a charismatic symbol of a bright future; Kaylee Carpenter, for her sunny disposition, friendliness, intelligence, and for the billion-or-so classes that we’ve shared; Brian Tu, whose name is an anagram for “brain” and whose friendship I have cherished since Freshman year; Larry Lee, for his relaxedness, humbleness, advice, and achievement; Richard Lu, whom I’ve known for a while and whose friendship I’ll continue to hold dear; Jonathan Wong, for being a reliable and sympathetic friend; Lewin Xue, for his brilliance, cleverness, and emblematic love of learning; Gabrielle Sanderson, for not telling anyone that I park in the senior lot, for her thoughtfulness and kind words; Joe Inofer, for making whatever he does seem effortless, and for a valuable friendship that began with first term Calculus; Divya Palanisamy, whose academic achievements are worthy of note, for sharing a similar mentality when it comes to school, and for being an idyllic elder; and Gaurav Singh, whose brilliance will take him far, who’s easy to befriend once you get to know him, whose skills in mathematics, chemistry, and everything in between are bewildering, and who, along with his peers, defines the caliber of Wayzata senior class, 2011.

And with that, I bid thee adieu. Keep in touch!

Now hand over the throne.