SOUTH BRUNSWICK – The two students at the top of the class at South Brunswick High School aspire to achieve careers in medicine.
Rohith Kariveda and Harrison Chiu may have graduated on June 22 as valedictorian and salutatorian, respectively, but their career goals will lead them to more opportunities outside the classroom.
Rohith achieved a cumulative weighted GPA or 4.625, or 4.0 unweighted.
He was a National Advanced Placement Scholar and a National Merit Scholarship Commended Student. He has been part of the National, Math, Science, Social Studies and French honor societies.
Rohith conducted biology research last summer, and took part in the Columbia Science Honors Program every weekend. Last summer, he also attended the Governor’s School of the Sciences at Drew University.
He has played tennis for his whole life, first with his father and then outside of school.
“It’s always been a family tradition, going out to the tennis courts on a cool summer morning and hitting a couple of balls. I’ve played tennis for both the middle school and high school teams, playing varsity last year and this year. I also love to play a game of pick-up basketball whenever I can,” he said.
Rohith used to play the saxophone – mostly Baritone but also Alto – until ninth grade.
With an interest in debate and science, Rohith was a member of Junior State of America for four years, having served as vice president, and a member of the Science Olympiad for five years, having served as co-captain.
“I love to volunteer, and giving back to others gives me a joy paralleled by few other activities. I have volunteered in the South Brunswick District, and have helped out in the public library as well. My dream is to become a doctor, and I enjoy volunteering in hospitals and with emergency medical service teams as well. Volunteering is something I definitely want to continue as I go into college and beyond,” he said.
Rohith said his two strongest academic qualities are his tenacity and his patience.
“I tried my very best in every class I took, and at the end of four years I guess things turned out alright. I’m happy I developed the skills of being able to work through adversity early on, and for someone who is hoping to study for at least another decade, patience is also a good skill to have. But in the end, I think it was because of the people I have had behind me. I’ve had amazing guidance from my teachers and friends, and my parents and sister have been instrumental in getting me to where I am today. I would not have been able to learn so much throughout high school if it weren’t for the people surrounding me,” he said.
He said he was able to stay committed to his schoolwork due to his desire for success in the future.
“I always pushed myself in the back of my mind to think about the future. My parents have always told me ‘work hard today and enjoy harder tomorrow,’ so I’ve been working to save up for a lot of fun-filled tomorrows. I know that there is still a long path ahead of me, so I hope to carry this mindset with me to college and beyond,” he said.
He said if he could repeat high school, he would do a lot of things in a similar fashion.
“I think that I’ve been able to manage my time pretty well … and I’ve always been able to make time for the things most important to me. To be honest, my biggest goal going into high school was never to focus only on school. I feel like I’ve had a relatively balanced life, and don’t really feel like I’ve missed out of any ‘quintessential’ high school experiences. I like to think that I’m still what most people would call a ‘normal’ person,” he said.
He has not fully grasped the totality of being named valedictorian.
“There were a lot of kids in my grade who I thought might be at the top of my class, so everything was a little hazy until the Friday during our senior awards assembly when we found out. I’m so honored to be able to represent the South Brunswick Class of 2018, and I know that everyone will go on to do incredible things. It was a pleasure to spend my four years of high school with such a wonderful group of people,” he said.
“I don’t want to sound cliche, but if the last few months have taught me anything, it’s that time is a funny thing. When I was a freshman I couldn’t wait to be a senior, and now as a senior I’m reminiscing about the ‘good old days.’ I would say to try your best to make the most of everything, the good and the bad. Nothing terrible lasts forever, so hang in there; nothing worthwhile lasts forever, so hang on to it. Stay in the moment, and remember that whatever it is, it’s just a part of life,” he said.
Rohith will attend Boston University to study in the seven year Liberal Arts/Medical Education Program.
“My lifelong goal has been to become a doctor, and hopefully some type of surgeon, but I still have some ways to go before I get there. I also hope to do some volunteering at college, and want to continue my passion for music and dance. I’m really excited to start this next chapter of my life, and I can’t wait to go out there and explore the world,” he said.
Harrison achieved a GPA of 4.5809
South Brunswick High School celebrated the graduation of 778 students at its commencement ceremony at CURE Insurance Arena in Trenton on June 22.
Contact Jennifer Amato at [email protected].