Welcome to the 2022 Underclassmen Wills!
After editing 141 pages and 81,286 words, The Acronym and Junior Class Club (JCC) are beyond excited to finally give you all this year’s Underclassmen Wills!
Click here for names Aashima Singh Sisodia–Marcelle Mbende
Meera Mutharasan
Megan Sia
Melinda Yuan
Michael Capriotti
Michelle Li
Michelle Sun
Muna Onwuameze
Nandana Varma
Nashra Younus
Nat Gao
Nathaniel Huang
Nikita Rudrapati
Nomar Martin
Noor Azhar
Nooriyah Doriwala
Pietro Stabile
Pranit Guntupalli
Raghav Sinha
Rashmi Alawani
Raven McKelvin
Rebecca Liu
Renaldo Venegas
Revanth Poondru
Rohan Jain
Ryan Li
Rylie Bozarth
Sachleen Tuteja
Sahil Veeravalli
Sajal Shukla
Saketh Dontaraju
Samuel Go
Sarah Wheeler
Saul Juarez
Shaan Doshi
Shiqi Cheng
Shreeya Avadhanula
Shreya Chakraborty
Shria Halkoda
Sofia Zasiebida
Sophia Ait Boucherbil
Sridevi Krothapalli
Srihari Gurugubelli
Sriya Mudumba
Sufiya Hussaini
Taylor Baugh
Theo Schreiber
Umi Arora
Valeria Castellanos
Venus Obazuaye
Vikram Karra
William Hellrung
Yanel Gonzalez
Yareli Marinez
Yoanna Georgieva
Zander Tamez
Meera Mutharasan
To Naveena Mutharasan, if there’s one senior I owe everything to, it’s you. I know I could’ve just told you this in person, but I want to imagine your face lighting up when you read this, just like how my face lights up everyday when I see you in the hallways. Even though we lived together for 15 years, saying hi to you while walking down the halls was still the highlight of my day. Thank you for sharing all your IMSA wisdom with me and making a new place seem a little less scary. From riding the downstate bus together to eating dosa and mango lassi at the temple every Sunday, I will miss you an incredible amount but I thank all the stars above that we got to have 1 year together at IMSA. You are such an amazing person and the future is lucky to have you. Even though I can never repay what you’ve given me, I’ll try my best. So on that note, I will you an upperclassmen who can be everything you were (and still are!) for me: a guide, a shining example, a confidant, and above all, an incredible friend. We didn’t choose to be sisters, but I’m so glad we chose to be friends. Thank you again for everything, and I wish you the best of luck in your undeniably bright future!
Megan Sia
To Natalie Hulseberg, Liz Soyemi, Erin Yoo, Sam Gong, Shehzad Bajowala, and Yihan Deng, I will you all an amazing future! I’ve enjoyed working with everyone on GEA, and I’ll miss you all dearly. Your dedication for gender equity is outstanding, and I hope you all continue to maintain your values with confidence and compassion!
To Esther Im, I will you amazing memories! You were an amazing Co, and your compassion truly amazes me. From SocEnt to TEDx, I’ve admired all the hard work you’ve done to create fulfilling, amazing memories for people at IMSA. Now, in turn, I hope you make great memories at college and beyond!
To Makayla Zheng, I will you more chocolate oranges! Thanks for being such a kind and amazing Co! You were a great guide for me in LEAD. Your kindness and hard work is commendable. I wish you all the best in your future endeavors!
Melinda Yuan
To Haley Rodriguez, I will you all the cups of iced coffee and card games in the world. I will you all the concussion free semesters, and I hope you find someone as amazing as Staci. I know that you’re going to do amazing in college and enjoy being away from ice. I will you a red chair that won’t lean back, and classmates that won’t push your chair backwards. Don’t trip and fall. Stay healthy! I’m going to miss you, come back and visit :D
To Edwin (Eddy), I will you great naps and friends that won’t try to draw on you while you’re sleeping. Istg, everytime I see you, you are just napping in Staci’s office. Get more sleep while you’re in college. I hope that you are awake to accomplish all your hopes and dreams. Stop sleeping so late >;(. You are going to do amazing and I wish you the best of luck.
To Gavin, I will you all the Panera trips. I do not will you the idk what it’s called, but it’s the person who hands people cards in the game of Mao, Mau? Idk how to spell it. I hope that you do not give your friends a bazillion cards for touching their cards, playing out of turn, or not calling spades. I will you a nice day everyday, and I’m going to miss your seaweed dancing during class next year.
To Kosi, I will you all the snacks and food that you are able to find. I still have not been able to make potstickers for you, but I will do so before you leave! Thanks for being such a fun senior and coming into our room. I’ll miss your humor and contagious laugh. You are so talented and you’re going to have an amazing time in Cali. Come back and visit Einsteinia and me!!
To Abi, I will you unlimited puzzles and energy drinks. Thanks for braiding my hair during competition season, hanging out with me in Staci’s, and entertaining me with your stories. I hope that you find amazing friends and have the best time at college.
To Rujuta, I will you all the hugs and happiness that the world has to offer. You are always able to light up a room with your laughter. You are so kind-hearted and I’m going to miss seeing you in the hallways. I hope that you find your community in college and come back to visit sometime.
To Esther, I will you happiness, bagels, and more bagels. I enjoyed having you as a lead facilitator as well as being on Active Minds with you! Thanks for making the bagel party happen! I hope you have an amazing time at college and continue on having the cutest outfits and best handwriting.
To Temi Akinmolayan, I will you great people to live with!! I enjoyed being in C-wing with you!
Michael Capriotti
To Abhi Pasupula, I will you to keep your easy-going personality. Whether in a tennis game, on the way to Taco Bell at 11, or in the hallway outside our math classes, you’re always able to make me smile. I don’t know what your future holds for you in college, but I know you’ll succeed as long as you keep your positive attitude. Thank you for making my experience in 04 and on the tennis team so memorable, I will make sure to pass on everything you have given me to the underclassmen next year.
To Advait Patel, I will you the ability to actually tut. The one time in the wing commons you showed me it looked sick, keep it up and it’ll keep getting better. I am grateful for you being an 04 drill head. I cannot imagine drill without you and will miss you for the next two years. You are a great dancer, and I learned a lot from you just by looking at your freestyle. Thank you for teaching me how to body roll, I will never forget the story you told me of how you learned to body roll. If you ever feel down, remember you’ll always be an 04 hot boy.
To AJ Williams, I will you a conversation with each other. You know my brother, and I’ve never met you before, so next time I see you I’ll have to introduce myself. Thank you for the words of inspiration, I’ll try to fulfill them.
To Christo Ekimov, I will you to be a successful businessman. You are a real one Christo, and the first day I met you I noticed the energy radiating from you. Your excitement and energy are contagious and I enjoyed every second I’ve ever spent with you. Even at the beginning of the year when I didn’t know anyone, you were there for me and treated me like a brother. Case Western doesn’t know what’s in store for them, have fun the next four years, you deserve it. Thank you for everything Christo, I know we’ll see each other again.
To Marco Bravo, I will you the future. You’re such a chill dude, and the vibe around you makes everything seem alright. Thank you for the 04 Drill memories, and for being an amazing teacher. I did not really know you until halfway through the year, but I’m happy I know you now. Good luck in your future endeavors, and keep dancing, you are crazy good at it.
To Rishik Ummareddy, I will you upperclassmen in college who are as influential as you were to me. Rishik, I have never seen you angry, or frustrated, no matter how you are feeling you always are kind to everyone around you. You are one of the best seniors, and you are the nicest person I know. Thank you for the advice, and for helping me get through tough times. Also thanks for helping me when I burned that macaroni, you didn’t blame me even though I was stupid, and that meant the world to me. Never let anyone change your compassion, you are going to accomplish great things in the future, I know you will.
To Robert Zhu, I will you the ability to take off your shirt in the wing commons. For real though, thanks for letting me borrow those garbage bags that one time. You are really smart, and I hope you always remember A-wing. Good luck in college.
To Shikar Gupta, I will you to pay for your own Taco Bell.
To Rujuta Durwas, I will you to keep your energetic personality. Every time you greet me in the hallway, even if I may not show it you brighten my day. I am truly grateful for the small interactions that we have had, and have nothing but the best of wishes for your future.
To Rohit Katakam, I will you a rice cooker in college. Thanks for everything, you were a cool senior and a good big sib.
To Vivan Cho I will you to continue uplifting the people around you. You were a great debate captain, thanks for dealing with Fredy and me even though we were always distracted. Also the letter you wrote at the end of the year meant a lot, and I really appreciate that you and Kenith took the time to write the letters.
To Gerardo Paramo and Liam McCarthy, I will you a better sophomore than Fredy An.
To Sameer Komoravolu, I will you my ping pong skills. You are a really cool senior, and ridiculously smart. Thanks for explaining that black hole thing to me, I still don’t really understand it though.
To Edward Zhang, I will you to not cheat in golf. You were the first person I ever met at IMSA, thanks for being the golf captain.
Michelle Li
To Natalie Hulseburg, I will you a concussion-free future. I hope you have an amazing time doing big things in college (with your roommate and her cat) because I have no doubt that you can continue to harness the power to change the world. Thank you for being the best EnAct co-facilitator that anyone could have ever asked for. My 8:30pms on Wednesdays won’t be the same without you and your insanely admirable passion for what you do. Have fun living your best life. (Please don’t get any more concussions. Something tells me they’re not that good for you).
To Eunice Kim and Makayla Zheng, I will you a promise to carry on the sushi legacy. Thank you for being such kind and welcoming seniors. I’m so glad that I got to know you guys, and I know that you’ll do amazing things in the future!!
To Disha Dureja, I will you all the success in the world. You deserve it so so much. Thank you for bestowing so much senior wisdom upon me and always being so supportive. North Carolina is lucky to have gained such a talented and passionate person.
To Gavin Heartlub, I will you an infinite amount of sidewalk and good weather for your walks. Thank you for being such a bright person to talk to and also having a sense of direction (we wouldn’t have made it to SIMUN without you). I hope you have an absolutely amazing time in D.C.
To Siddharth Tiwari, I will you the pinnacle of all existence and lots of smiles to ease your constant and perpetual state of crisis. I hope you have fun continuing to tear it up on the dance floor at your small college located in Boston.
Michelle Sun
To Sri Voora, I will you a future filled with sunshine, smiles, and (very very) good food. I hope you can eat all the Panera pizza you want without me stealing it from you. Don’t forget to keep in touch otherwise I will go and hunt you down and give you a big fat hug <3
To Nadia Ludwig, I will you a high five, a deck of cards, and a big blanket for chilly track meets. Girls Who Code events were so much fun to plan with you, and you’re such a sweet person to be around. I hope you keep doing what you love and don’t worry, I’ll definitely come to visit you at UIUC!
To Hannah Johnson, I will you a solid 10-hour sleep schedule and a super cute sticker that says, “Je t’aime.” Never stop believing in yourself because you’re just that awesome, and I know you’re going to achieve great things in college. (Psst…When you’re famous, don’t forget to dedicate a book to me or something!)
To Matt Torres, I will you some sunshine and snickers to keep in your pocket on tough days. You’re one of the funniest people I know lol. Keep going and don’t forget to run another 10 miles today :)
To Andrea Torres, I will you a book that says, “Mems with Michelle.” In this book, you’ll find our numerous breakfast meetings with endless track shenanigans. Even though you’re going to be graduating in literally a few weeks, I hope we can keep filling these pages (enough to last a lifetime) :D
To Sabrina Zhang, I will you a little friend for your hedgehog and a big hug. Although we haven’t talked a ton this year, seeing you in French class and occasionally at the math office have been super fun and your vibe is immaculate. Keep smiling and staying golden :).
Muna Onwuameze
To Temi, I will you to finally tell me if you are okay?????? Nahh but thank you Temi for being a great upperclassman to me and always being funny and checking on me. I hope you enjoy college next year.
To Ola, I will you to enjoy college and have fun. Thank you for being a great Big Sib and also my Little Sib like in actual real life. I appreciate you for always being funny, and I enjoyed the times that we had together. You were a great Little Sib and Big Sib to me at the same time. It is honestly so crazyyyy. I hope you enjoy your next year at college. Enjoy it, Ola and be smart.
To Feyikemi, I will you to enjoy college and have fun. You are always throwing up threes when I see you in the hallway, and I thank you for flowing my flow lol. I enjoy the times we had in IN2, and you always being there and just making me laugh. I hope you enjoy college next year and stay smart.
To Kosi, I will you to brush your teeth, you rat. I enjoyed my time at IMSA with you, and it was very fun. I’m glad that I will be able to breathe right when yo stank breath gets outta here but enjoy UCLA, and I hope I will be able to see you there. I also hope you will be able to brush your teeth by then.
To Sanaa, I will you to enjoy college. Thank you for always helping me and also carrying me in chemistry. If I’m gonna be honest, you are the reason I got good grades in chemistry, and it was because you were willing to help me. I am really grateful for that Sanaa, thank you so much. I enjoyed the times we spent at IN2 together and stay smart at college Sanaa, I hope you enjoy it.
To Liz, I will you to enjoy college and have fun. I want to thank you so much for being a great upperclassman to me. I am very happy for all of your achievements, Liz. I know you will do well in life, and I hope you strive to do your best in college.
To Belly, I will you to get a better jumpshot. But, Belly man I really enjoyed the times we had over the basketball season man, I honestly enjoyed it. I appreciate you for being a big brother to me while I was at IMSA man. I really enjoyed being around you man. I’m going to miss you not being here at IMSA, and I also appreciate it especially when you gave me your underwear during the tourney. I hope you enjoy college, my boy, and keep doing well. I know you will be going places someday, and I will always be here to see it man. Enjoy my bro.
Nandana Varma
To Gloria Wang, I will you a trip to Britain with me to find Toto Wolff and then we’ll go see Pierre Gasly because he’s better than Charles LeClerc ;). But I also will you an amazing college experience because you absolutely deserve it. Knowing you online and then meeting you in person was such an experience and I am so happy to have found such an incredible upperclassman. Debate practices and competitions where we would just spill tea and rant or watch F1 or just talk about life in general. I’ve always admired the way you challenge yourself and think outside the box— not just in debate, but with everything you do. When I saw you do mehendi for the first time during Diwali and it was honestly beautiful, or when I watched you read through like 10 articles to try and understand what the Spectacle was at state, or just with anything you do I can see the genuine time and dedication you put towards it and I know it’s going to pay off for you! Don’t let anything hold you back because I know you are capable of so much and I know you are going to do great things. With you, I always knew that I would be supported and that I had someone who would rant with me and be annoyed with me when stupid things happened in life, and I hope you are surrounded with people who will support you. You are such a creative and thoughtful person and no matter where you are, I hope you know I’ve always got hugs, smiles, tea, and more in store for you. I love you so so much <3
To Liz Alcala, I will you a Chicago adventure with me like we’ve talked about and just pure peace, because that’s what you always provided me. Anytime I am with you I truly feel utterly at peace, that’s always the vibe you give off and it’s infectious. With every hug and cuddle I just felt safe and relaxed and literally would forget about any of my problems— that was the effect you had on me! You make me feel so comfortable and loved, and I hope in college and throughout your life that you find people who make you feel the same exact way. I remember talking with you one day in the loft about college and life and the way you just took everything in stride was the most admirable thing. You just seemed grounded and at peace, and I hope that stays with you throughout your life. I wish I’d met you earlier to get to know the kind, fun-loving, lovely person you are. Cuddling during Acronym meetings and ‘studying’ (I never end up studying) with you in the loft and going to get pizza and boba with you over break have been some of my favorite memories this year. I’ll be sure to visit you at college, and thank you for being one of my best friends <3. I am always here for you, please call and text and update me on random things going on in your life, I love you with my whole entire heart:) <3
To Oliver Ni, I will you zo zany zore Zendrick Zamar listening sessions (m.A.A.d. city> To Pimp a Butterfly), so many hugs, laughs, and the ability to put yourself first, no matter how hard it may be. Oliver you are one of the most selfless people I’ve met and it sometimes quite frankly scares me. Whether it was helping me with StudCo election stuff, essays, math, or literally anything I’d asked for your help with, you were always readily there. Just make sure that as you grow, you learn to prioritize yourself as well and give yourself the same care you offer everyone else. I made so many memories with you this year that made me so happy, I can’t believe I didn’t know you before joining Acronym. I would text you at the most random times with the most random, sometimes out of pocket stuff, but then we’d also have conversations about more difficult/deeper topics that have always led me to learn something. I hope you find people to have those conversations with in college and that you’re able to learn from those talks the same way I’ve learned from speaking with you. Oftentimes I ramble and say things and I don’t know what I’m trying to say but with you it always felt as though somehow, someway, you understood and that’s something that I am eternally grateful for. You better keep in contact with me and call or text randomly and whenever Kendrick drops again, we gotta have a listening session! Thanks for everything shlime <3
To Srinitya Voora, I will you someone to ballroom dance with when I’m not with you, to provide you with the positive energy, the smiles, the laughs, and the happiness that you have provided me. Sri you are an absolute ray of sunshine and everytime I see you, my day just becomes that much brighter. You are one of the strongest people I know and I love the way you are there for the people you love and the absolute thought and care you put into your relationships with people. Whenever I asked you to come study with me or walk outside with me and Oliver, or just do other stupid stuff you would never hesitate to say yes, and I found so many of my favorite memories with you this year just talking, laughing, making random jokes (I love your laugh by the way, it is very infectious I would listen to it over and over if I could)! Keep your strength and take care of yourself, and I hope you find people who brighten your day as much as you brighten mine, I love you :) <3.
To Kavin Suhirtharen, I will you a haircut from me one day because you lost that jumping contest to reach the projector in our LEAD classroom but never let me cut your hair >:( To be honest, when I first heard that you were my LEAD co I was actually very scared because SLD week, all I could remember about you was that you had your camera off and I just did not know anything about you. Now, after all this time, I have come to learn what an amazing person you are and I am so very happy to call you my friend :) I remember LEAD first semester watching you work on your college apps and I admired how hardworking you were (you were on the grind 24/7 and it paid off so much)! Having you as my co for LEAD first semester was such a fun experience and then all our memories since are ones that I cherish so much! You are a very kind person Kavin and thank you for literally just spending time with me and for being willing to have jumping contests, letting me punch you 24/7 and make fun of your hair, and just so much more. Thank you for being such an amazing friend! <3.
To Pranav Patel, I will you absolutely nothing because I don’t like you either. And also because I know you’re fully capable of going after what you want all on your own, you don’t need my will to do that. You are one of the most dedicated people I have met at this school and just such a thoughtful person. I remember when you came to state for debate and I was just ranting about something that got on my nerves and the way you genuinely cared and reflected on whether you’d done that before and the way you truly listened to what I was saying was something I truly appreciated. Here’s something funny—when I met you online for the first time during SLD week I thought you absolutely hated me (which is weird because we didn’t really talk)! I hope that’s not true anymore, but thank you for being an amazing friend. It’s sad that you’re going all the way to California but I know you’re going to thrive there and I am very happy to have met you this year Panu :). Call/text and keep in touch, and just know someday I’ll come for you with a baseball bat and you’ll never be expecting it! <3.
To Annabelle Lu, I will you a surprise friendship that turned out to mean the world to you, because that’s what our friendship is to me! I remember before second semester I would see you in the loft but I was kind of intimidated (you gave off very powerful girlboss energy and I was scared) and then I met you in ModPhys and I became so very sad. I was sad that I hadn’t met you earlier and gotten to know you earlier because you are one of the coolest, sweetest, not scariest (but still a powerful girlboss) people I have met at this school! I truly admire the work and effort you put into what you do— the fact that you literally did not sign up for that class yet you put all your effort into doing well and understanding concepts is so motivating. I hope to find that same motivation and the same drive and energy I see from you. Also you’re just such a kind person, seeing you in the loft or the halls and giving you hugs brightens my day and I am just so so happy to have met you this year, even if it was late. Please be sure to keep in touch, I love you <3 :).
To Kevin Fan, I will you sleep and someone to massage your head to make up for the millions of times I’ve slapped the back of your head. A really specific memory comes to mind when I was thinking of what to write for your will. I was having an absolutely terrible time and I walked out of a bathroom and you were just there and you gave me a hug. That was a very important memory for me from 1st semester and I just truly appreciated that moment and the other moments in which you were there for me. I truly cherish all the 3:57am moments where you would be awake with me and we would just talk or have stupid conversations that made me feel so much less alone during those long nights. You’re going to do amazing things Kevin, I hope you have the most amazing college experience and just know that someday I’ll find you again and smack you in the back of the head :) <3.
To Margaret Wei, I will you an ENTJ, ENFP, or ENTP (our favs <3) in your life because they’re the most compatible with your INTJ! Actually I take that back, I want to be the ENFP in your life so find one of the other two. :) Meeting you at SIR second semester was such an amazingly fun experience, and I was so happy to have met someone who shared so many interests with me! From loving Mitski, loving personality types/tests, to people watching and making up stories for random people on the street, and never getting annoyed with me when I wanted to go to Big Bowl every week, I absolutely loved our time in Chicago. I appreciate how true you are to yourself and the kindness you’ve shown me. I hope to see you again for more Chicago adventures, I love you <33.
To Rishitha Boddu, thank you for all the memories sophomore year and for being one of the first seniors I truly got to know. Our FaceTimes sophomore year where we would do work and talk about so much and have so many jokes made online school so much more fun. I never thought I’d meet someone with so much energy and light my sophomore year when we were all online and everything seemed dull. Then I met you in person and that same energy was there except 10x more! I love all the hugs and smiles we’ve exchanged and all the happy memories (remember failing Med Chem together)! You truly have an energy about you that is infectious and I can’t wait to see what the future holds for you, I love you <3.
To Rujuta Durwas, I will you sunflowers because they remind me so much of you. Even online, meeting someone who was so incredibly warm was such a shock and then meeting you in person, no matter what I could always feel the warmth that you put out. Thank you for being such a lovely math buddy and for all the smiles and laughs that we’ve shared— I cherish them all and all the memories that we’ve made! I remember one day where I couldn’t sleep and felt so anxious because of things that had happened and you called me late at night to tell me it would be okay. Not only that, but it was second mod and you sat with me at the back of the loft and simply stayed with me and talked and I just felt so cared for. You have that quality of making people feel so very cared for and I hope that everyone in your life makes you feel just as cared for. I hope wherever life takes you, that you carry on with a smile, and that you keep the same warmth that you have radiated in the time that I have known you, love you so much <3.
To Niyati Kapadia, I will you change, and the most diverse range of experiences, because I have a feeling you’d appreciate it in your life. You’re someone who takes things head on and I can tell what an amazing leader and person you are. I have faith that you will do amazing things in life and that … I also appreciate the joy that you make for yourself. I watched you dance and I watched you participate in all the culture shows, and I saw how happy you were. Also watching you dance is literally an experience in and of itself- I don’t know why but I find it absolutely mesmerizing. I love how much appreciation you have for culture, your own and the cultures of so many people. I am so happy for you to be able to go to Kunshan or Barcelona and to be able to immerse yourself in such a new environment, because I know that change will be something you find a lot of joy in. Niyati, I will you an amazing experience outside of high school and just know that I always have hugs and kisses waiting for you, I love you so so much Ms. Kapadia <3.
To Christin Sanchez, I will you completely pure kindness from the people you are surrounded by, and the support that you have shown me this past year. Whenever I’ve felt down you’ve never hesitated to make me feel so absolutely loved with your words, reminding me of my worth and I hope you never lose your own worth either. You are so loved and such an amazing, kind person and you deserve all the love that you put out into the world. From talking about pineapples on pizza and spilling tea over zoom text to meeting in person, thank you for the kindness and friendship you’ve shown me. Thank you for making me that waffle that night and for the hugs and smiles and every memory that we have— I absolutely adore them and I hope we keep in touch because I have so much love for you <3.
To Thavaisya Ananth, I will you a person to make animal noises with, someone who will moo, meow, and quack with you everyday the way I love to. Thavaisya you are a very special person and I say this in the best way, I’ve never met anyone quite like you. It’s like chaos mixed with joy and every memory I have with you is one I cherish. I hope you take care and prioritize yourself because you are such an amazing human who is deserving of so so so much love. I know how capable you are and what a hard worker you are and I just want you to make sure that you take care of yourself the way you deserve. And no matter what, just know I always have snacks to share and a hug waiting for you, so keep in touch. I can’t wait to see what amazing things you do, I love you <3.
To Natali Chung, I will you (if you ever end up on more zoom meetings, which I hope you don’t because I hate zoom) someone who will actually talk with you on zoom when absolutely no one else does. And then not only did you talk with me on zoom and actually interact with me, but then we met in person! Natali you are actually one of the sweetest, most adorable people I have met. Hugs from you are always so sweet and I love every interaction I’ve had with you. I remember most recently our target trip and it felt so nice because talking with you is literally like talking to a teddy bear— that’s a weird analogy but you’re just so sweet and you make people feel so comfortable in conversations and with every interaction. I hope you find people that make you feel the same way and I am so excited to see what life has in store for you, make sure to keep in touch, maybe we’ll hop on a zoom call once again, I love you <3.
To Kaylee Zhou, I will you some height (sadly I know you’re never going to receive it)! All jokes aside, Kaylee I will you a lot of pure joy because you radiate joy wherever you go. It was so funny seeing someone as social as I am just running around between friends and extracurriculars all day, but I was also able to see such an amazing work ethic from you as well and I know that you are a dedicated person and I hope that I find that balance myself one day. OMG I just looked back at your will and it’s so funny that you talked about the same thing but towards me, but anyways I simply admire what a ball of fun that you are and I hope you never lose that because when life gets dull, we all need a Kaylee in our lives. I hope we keep in touch and that you know I’ve always got a hug for you whenever I see you next, I love you <3.
To Liz Soyemi, like Panu, I really don’t need to will you anything because you are one of the most capable, hard working people I have ever met. It is absolutely insane the amount of passion you have for everything you do and I am inspired by your drive and work ethic. Quite honestly, it’s so motivating and I know that you will cause great changes in this world. From listening to you give a TED talk that was absolutely captivating, and watching you as a leader for organizations on campus, I hope your dedication and drive remains with you, and that you always have moments for fun and happiness in your life. I wish I saw you more throughout the year but whenever I did, you always matched my energy and gave me some of the best hugs, brightest smiles, and happiest moments and I can’t wait to see what the future holds for you— I love you <3.
To my 03 B wing Seniors (Natalie, Thavaisya, Naveena, Adriana, Hailey), I will you all amazing people to be surrounded by when you guys go through housing at your respectives schools. All of us in 03B were so lucky to have you guys as seniors to listen to us after 10 check when we’re being stupid, feeling sad, need to rant, etc. All the hi’s and hugs and smiles that we’ve exchanged in the wing have brought me so so so much happiness. You guys made me feel at home at IMSA, and for that I am eternally grateful <3.
To Senior CAB (Gerry, Liam, Cor, Dean), I will you the ability to spread smiles, joy and fun across the campuses of the schools you all are attending— to do what you’ve done for all of us at IMSA this year for the people that you will meet throughout your lives. Gerry, you were an amazing CAB director this year and such an amazing leader. Liam, your jokes and energy were unparalleled, thank you for teaching me that Charles Barkley is a basketball player. Dean, you are an incredibly capable individual and I love how oftentimes you just say the thoughts that I have in my head— I know there are amazing things in store for your future. Cor, you always made me feel so comfortable at meetings with some of the conversations we’ve had and I hope you enjoy all the sunshine in California, you deserve it! To all of you, I hope we make you proud next year as CAB, be sure to come visit sometime :) <3.
To all the seniors and anyone I may not have named (sadly there is a 20 will limit), I will you an amazing experience wherever you all are headed and I know you all are capable of so much, I hope all of your dreams come true. Thank you for making our first year on campus so memorable and for all the love and care you’ve shown us <3.
Nashra Younus
To everyone, I will all you guys not to ghost me. Pls keep staying in touch <3.
To Sanaa, I will you longer legs. I really am going to miss you. You make things 10x funnier because you are so blunt. I know some people find that you seem mean but they’re so wrong, it’s literally the funniest thing ever. Pls stay like that forever I luv that about you. I’m really going to miss giving you hugs ik you dont like them, but you know like mine :). And yes, I will actually draw you a Maine Coon. Also I hope you become rich because we both know that you and I both want that. You have an amazing life ahead.
To Sanaa and Ola, I will you guys to be roommates again. I know you both are going to UIC and I hope the best for you guys. I know you guys are going to be rich in the future. I really am going to miss hanging out with you and Sanaa after check, it is sooo fun. I always say I’m going to get my work done in there but end up staying till 1am and not finishing anything. Also, we need to eat some spicy noodles again.
To Ola, I will you to understand that yam tastes like a potato without the potato flavor frl. Ola, I honestly like how you help people. That seems weird but every time there’s something that I need, I know I can go to you for help of any kind. I notice how you only do this to people you actually care about, and I’m glad I’m one of them. Also I don’t understand your obsession with the orange day of service shirt that you wear as a dress — it’s so funny when you wear it. You should wear it out once like you said lol. Anyways I hope you excel in life and be a great person and have an amazing life and be amazing.
To Belly, I will you to become TikTok famous. You’re one of the people I appreciate the most at IMSA. You really helped me a lot through EXCELand during the school year. You’re really cool even though I won’t tell you that in person, but you’re also kinda weird at the same time, so I guess it balances. Anyways, I hope you have an amazing time in college and meet new people and have to explain to them that your name is really Belly. I expect you to still stay in touch or there is going to be a problem.
To Temi, I will you to run those 4 by 4. Doing track with you was so fun. It was really funny to suffer together during practice. Although during it, it was not so fun. I really hope you succeed in the future and continue to do amazing things with your life.
To Temi aka Prez, I will you to keep being sarcastically funny. Your humor is so bad which makes it funny. At first when I was on board of Heliotrope, I didn’t really talk to you much but this one time you asked me what was going on with my love life. That’s when being on board actually became super fun. It was really fun hanging out with you, and I hope you continue to do amazing artwork that is really amazing. Also I want the Independent Study sculpture you were making — it looks so good so far. Have an amazing future ahead and continue to be funny.
To Kosi, I will you to keep being the funny person you are. I really love your energy, Kosi. Personally, I love it. It’s literally what makes you as a person. You’re probably the funniest person in IN2. I hope you have an amazing life ahead.
To Feyikemi, I will you to continue being amazing at hugging. You are one of the people that give the best hugs, and there are not that many. I know I wasn’t that close to you but the times I did hang around you, you were really funny. I hope we can get closer.
To Liz, I will you to continue to be someone who inspires other people. You really are an inspiration to people around you, especially sophomores. I hope the people who don’t know you will realize that. I really love your personality, it’s so chill and welcoming, and I hope to continue receiving hugs from you!!
Nat (Nathaniel) Gao
To Emilia Daniels, I will you a space where you can show your singing, dancing, artistic, and all other talents you probably have up your sleeve. Also if there’s an acapella group there infiltrate them and recruit them to Mod21. Very slay of you.
To Inga Pavilionis, I will you college years with as many smiles and laughs as you have given me this year. I also will you the ability to slay all the Schlampes and Schwanzes like I do. A magician isn’t supposed to reveal his secrets, so I know some of y’all are about to be really mad at me, but it must be said. All you really have to do is pull up on an opp like you’re in Sri Lanka, and ask “do we have a problem?”…no, I did not LI-I-I-I-I-I-IE!
To Brogan Long, I actually have no clue where you’re going. If you’re going to SIU, I will you the Carbondale spirit and endless corn. If you’re not going to SIU, I will you a nice dorm where the people in the room next to you can’t hear everything you say, and where you also won’t have an annoying (but very very attractive) dude singing at the top of his lungs when you’re trying to get work done.
To Jai Raval, I will you a dance culture like IMSA that you can lead and inspire like you did here. Also a place that appreciates all the work that you put in for everything you’re passionate about. There may not be another Love, 01, but there will definitely be many more victories for you to come.
To Esther Im, speaking of Love, 01, I will you future years as beautiful and bright as you and a very slay graphic design career (or hobby). I also will that you (idk if that’s grammatically correct) give me your makeup because it’s always bomb.
To Mo Narciso, I will you another famous TikTok, hopefully this time without having to give the world a middle finger. I also hope you have a lot of funny moments in college that keep you happy, because that’s what you gave me this year.
To 01-B seniors, I will you a community as cool as 01B. Oh wait, that’s not possible, sorry. But I hope you get something close because that would be fake if you didn’t.
To Advait, congrats on being the first non-01 person on this list. I think you’re going to the same place as Jon, so I will you Jon. I hope he (or whoever ends up guiding you through your freshman year) is as welcoming and caring as you were to me and Sri.
To Eric and Michael, I will you someone as cool as Sri at your new colleges. Good luck, it probably won’t happen.
Nathaniel Huang
To Emily Jung, I will you the best of luck at the University of Chicago. I still remember when we first met at Trinity Christian School, and where later came back into touch after I moved to Carterville. I still remember seeing you do so well in music and I know that you will continue to be godly at the violin and the piano into college and onwards. It is nostalgic thinking of when we first got in touch before IMSA via email and where we first saw each other in person at the beginning of the year, back when everything was so new… Thank you for being a great fellow Southern Illinois friend and I sincerely wish you the best of luck. I’ll continue the tradition of Southern Illinois strength! ;). I am grateful for the random times we see each other in the hallways. Plz visit and check in! :):).
To Cesar Osornio, I will you the best in college and life! I am grateful for when we first started talking in Titan Crew and then became closer because we were on the swim team and went through the warmups and routines together in the same lane. I still remember when you gave me advice on how to handle and plan my classes in my next two years here and when you helped me with my numerous techniques such as diving and breaststroke turns. I will miss having those random conversations once in a while. I will cherish the memories on the swim team. Thank you for being one of the few people I became comfortable talking with in swim. Plz visit and good luck in college! :):).
To Michael Hunding, I will you to become the Tier God math and literature player in Quiz Bowl! Even though we did not know each other well in the beginning of the season, I’m glad we got to talk to each other more during Scobol Solo and NAQT state, as well as during Clash season. You are one of the few seniors I was chill with and became comfortable talking to. I aspire to reach your level of skill one day and continue the domination of IMSA Quiz Bowl, so please give your tips to become a god like you before your leave ;). PLZ PLZ PLZ continue Quiz Bowl in college, your college team will become so OP, and check back in once in a while, it will be nice to see you again some time. :):).
To Andy Tang, I will you to be THE math and debate genius. You are one of the smartest people I have ever met here and I admire your skill in literally anything. I know you will have a bright future wherever you go and those few debate tournaments I went to will be cherished by me. I remember when everything started off a bit awkward before we started to become chill with each other. I still remember when I took a peek at your Linear Algebra homework and lost some brain cells over the difficulty of the homework lol. To think that I will eventually enter that world of crazy mathematics… but good luck with everything in college and plz check in once in a while. It will be nice to hear from you :):).
Nikita Rudrapati
To Shreya Mahesh, I will you a million more amazing fistbumps, a signed autograph from Sarah Dessen, almond snackings, and late night chalk drawings. Everyday, I looked forward to going to class to hear about your latest handshake. Snail, JellyFish, Rocket Ship, Four Leaf Clover, Turtle, Spider, Parachute (did I list all of them?) Shreya, I remember when I met you for the first time in Lexington, you were the first brave person to tell me to stop wearing the lanyard around my neck. I will miss our morning walks after stats class. I adore your fashion sense in purple pants and flower jeans and can’t wait to see your outfits in college. You worked so hard this year, and I wish you happiness and success in future endeavors. I’ll be honored to be your graduation/party planner :). Best of luck at Northwestern, my friend!
To Oliver Ni, I will you a Nobel Peace Prize for work in the humanities. Your patience is unparalleled. You are so genuinely kind and helpful. I’m so happy the world has someone like you to take care of educational inequities.
To Saanvi Chelikani, I will you that all your dreams come true. Thank you for being there for me during welcome week. During the COVID lockdown when we were not allowed to go home, you motivated me to be optimistic. You are the kindest person I met, with the ability to unconditionally love and support others. I’m still waiting for your Kuchipudi performance! I hope you make amazing memories at Georgia Tech :)).
To Makayla Zheng, I will you a great team to lead, unlimited Boba, and Wash U’s upcoming fashionista. You inspired the IMPACT team to work harder. Makayla, I enjoyed your bonding activities, and I hope Alex and I can spread your energy to IMPACT for next year. I am forever grateful that you supported me to join LEAD, and you are truly an IMPACTful person forever (see the pun lol). I truly wish you all the best for your future endeavors, and I would love to keep in touch!
To Apurva Reddy, I will you another year of Science Olympiad. You were the best co-facilitator, and I loved talking to you about IMPACT. I’m forever grateful for your help with course selection and answering my million questions. Thank you for being patient and supportive. I’m so excited for you, and I wish you the best of luck in the Big Apple!
To Siddarth Tiwari, I will you a fist bump partner, a psychology coin flip trick, and a million more cool abbreviations like TCS. I will never forget the first time I met you and how you reacted when I accidentally called you Madhav. I will miss shouting your name in the hallways. You were the first person in my autograph notebook. I know you will accomplish great things at Harvard. I’m so happy I got to meet you this year :)).
Nomar Martin
To Jonah, I will you a much better music experience. I didn’t really talk to you too much outside of wind ensemble, which kinda sucks, but anytime we complained about McCarthy (or about anything for that matter), it just hit different. We’re both passionate about music and want to continue to enjoy it, but the IMSA music program isn’t really great :’). So I hope wherever you end up that you get to experience something that IMSA could never give you. I also will you an impact on the IMSA community. I think all the work you’re doing with the Student Advocacy Committee is really cool, and I hope none of it goes to waste.
To Julie Lima/Jubert/Bozo/JuLima, I will you someone who will actually appreciate your jokes, handshakes, and nicknames. No one here understands true comedy, and as much as I hate to say it, you probably were the funniest on the robotics team (sorry Grayson). I’m honored to have been willed your handshakes and the ability to give the robotics team members nicknames, and I promise you I will use these to their full potential. Thank you for making robotics such a fun experience, for actually making sure I was good when I bonked my leg in the pool, and for mega-spooning with me and Caroline. Have fun in college, baby gorl.
To Grayson, I will you the Worlds experience we could’ve had. You kinda carried us this year, basically designing the robot alone, and it sucks to see that go to waste with the end of our 2022 season. I genuinely had such a good time with you, both in and out of robotics, you really were the second funniest person on the team, only behind Julie. I’m glad I was able to learn so much from you while also messing around and learning nothing and will always cherish memories like the time no one showed up to your CAD training, or the time we played poker with bot-coins, or the time we played jackbox at the inn. Have fun at UIUC GrayGray.
To Shehzad and Brogan, I will you a sophomore-free world. It was really cool for you two to essentially take in three (arguably four) sophomores, and I know I wasn’t too big a part of the Bro-gang but some of the memories I made when I was there were some of the best: Cards Against Humanity, hot seat, and hyper-pop, a night I will never forget. Shezhad, thank you for the math and essay help and giving me the opportunity to be a tales facilitator. And Brogan, thank you for the help on all of my apps, and thank you for believing in me, thinking I could make a good HDC, I really appreciate it! Good luck in college, specifically Brogan, I hope to know you as Dr. Long someday.
To Karrick, I will you even more on-campus Smash tourneys. You were one of the first people I talked to on campus and you were so welcoming, thank you for that. One of, if not my first IMSA memories was the time I got second in your Smash tournament in the 01 hall commons. After that we would talk occasionally, and I always enjoyed and appreciated whenever that happened. Pop-off, Karrick, and good luck at Purdue.
To Jai, I will you some BioFreeze because your back must hurt after carrying 01. Even though we didn’t know each other that well, I’m still glad I got to know you. I will always remember the time we played paranoia on the bridge at the beginning of the year, the RSL bowling trip, and all the hall councils and events we ran. Thank you for making all of this possible, leading 01 through Clash and being in charge of (almost) every event, just being a cool person in general. To the best choreo, best HCC, best person with a name spelled J-A-I, good luck in college!
To every 01 Senior, I will you a world without “check-check-check-check-check-check-check” and Luis tapping the mic. You all made the community amazing and influenced all of us underclassmen with the on-campus you had. To call some people out (who I haven’t already); Yihan, thank you for being another one of the first people I talked to and for having such good guitar skills; Sabrina, thank you for being a senior I’ve known for the longest time, we’ve went through Titan Crew online together, both semesters of LEAD (best facilitator!!!), and now we’ve lived in the same hall for a year; Cor and Dean, thank you for being cool FRC Business members, CAB representatives, and making overly difficult riddles; Willow and Matt, I didn’t talk to you two a ton this year, but any conversations I did have were always really fun and completely different every time; Mya, you literally have such a cool style, I just wanted to say that; everyone who was on the bridge playing paranoia that day, thank for such a happy core memory, I will continue the tradition; and to any senior who’s name I didn’t mention, I didn’t forget about you, I’m just getting real close to the deadline. GOOD LUCK IN COLLEGE, ALL OF YOU!!
Noor Azhar
To Alice Li, I will you even more boba and Crumbl cookies. I will you the ability to replicate Crumbl’s recipe so you don’t have to spend the $15.38 for a 4-pack almost every week. Thank you for making my first club board experience on UNICEF something to remember with everything we’ve been able to accomplish. Boba will be returning next year and it will be dedicated to our 21-22 president Alice Li!
To Joyce Li, I will you all the Orchard and Woodman’s trips and for Starbucks baristas to keep up with your orders. I’ve loved all the trips I’ve gone on with you and will miss them so much. I’m so thankful for all your guidance, advice, and all the random conversations we’ve had on those trips or after ten-check.
To Hannah Johnson, I will you the knowledge to take on every single lab in the world and another box full of Among Us themed gifts!! JK Hannah, this is me saying I will you the biggest brain in the world because I know you’ll go so far. Thank you so much for supporting me as a wingmate and a classmate in med-chem.
To Rachel Selvaraj, I will you the entire stock of Todoroki merch that the world has. He’s not growing up but you are!! At least I hope so!! My totally true 02-drill buddy who was with me in almost every dance, I hope you’re travelling at the speed of light wherever you are <3
To 1502B Upquad, I will you all the best in the future! B-wing would never be the same without you four and I’m so grateful to have met you all. I wish you all the happiness, success, and good times to come wherever life takes you!
To Isabel Chen, I will you the ability to sit through horror. I still remember the day we were folding boxes and watching the Mandela Catalogue in the wing commons and there was nothing there but you were still scared :( one day, Isabel…. one day. Thank you for being an amazing prez for Saudade and HOI! I’ll do my best to keep Saudade’s legacy going with a certain someone’s number MAYHAPS? I’ll make sure no one ever says “saw-day-d” or “saw-daw-day” ever again.
To Oliver Ni, I will you every single introduction that makes no sense only for it to turn out to be the best speech in the whole world. Thank you so much for being an amazing captain who made speech such a memorable experience. I’m going to miss our random conversations and impromptu/extemp examples. We might TRY to do extemp next year but I’m sorry man, I don’t know if that legacy can keep on going with us. I know for sure impromptu will and maybe I will research a few baseball players to use as an example.
Nooriyah Doriwala
To Resh Mukherjee, I will you an opposite. Most people spend their entire lives searching for someone who gets them, someone who knows that they’re thinking before they do, someone who understands strange references, someone they can be themselves around. Since we have already found that… I will you lots of interesting people whom you could not even imagine meeting, I will you amazing new destinations with nothing familiar in sight. I will you lots of time spent in, around, and under the ocean a mere thirty minutes away from your new home: CALIFORNIA BABY!!!! I won’t be willing you lots of success — because let’s be honest, there is nothing stopping you from achieving your wildest dreams once you pursue them. I secretly will that the next era of your life helps you become a fantastic and completely different person (so you are no longer stealing my personality (no it doesn’t matter you were born first)). I even more secretly wish to the universe that we continue the same trend and follow these mirror dimensions. I don’t think we are a coincidence, but I am counting my lucky stars that you are a part of my life. Please don’t be too stubborn. Please never stop holding your ground. I can’t wait to go on more adventures together – and I can’t wait to watch you take over the world. (Then we can really pull off our switcheroo ;-)
To Jillian Heinzmann, I will you another fierce person to unconditionally have your back as you have done for me and others. I will you a place you feel you absolutely belong and a community that accepts and lifts you up. And finally, I will you the courage to continue growing and to never ever shrink or back down in front of challenges. There are many people in this world, but none more fearless than you. None more determined or deserving than you and I hope you read it and completely believe it. Not only have you taught me about instantaneous rates of change, you have taught me the correct way to roll a snowman, how to take injustices in the world in your hands and how to prioritize myself over the pressures of the world. From all of our times eating lunch together, I’ve collected a running list of advice you have given to me. I’ll impart some words of wisdom as I wish you the blazing future that you have earned. The world belongs in your hands. “Attack the problem with determination! JUST HAVE AT IT! You may find it is not as formidable as you once thought” — Calculus Textbook Moonam and Hoffman
To Madeline Fields Halva, I will you rainbows and cartons of milk to make the brutal and bland days in Ohio brighter. For all my hatred towards Ohio, I will sleep easier knowing there’s someone there to turn the state upside down and into something worth visiting. I will you my collection of spray paint and my affinity for rule breaking. I respect your discipline and hope you live life on the wild side for a bit so you can come back to your magnificent collection of tea and ‘how gay are you’ buzzfeed tests. I will you lots of long ambling walks in tree lined paths. I will you warm homemade cookies from mini-waffle makers. I will you ability to reframe your reality to make all your lonely, anxious, and let-down days a part of your colorful story. Please call me when you need someone to say something absurd and unrealistic, I will miss making you smile. I will you new adventures, the student now becomes the master. I will you one ticket to go skydiving, because you deserve to fly. I will you all the confidence and courage you need as you navigate your identity, your educational goals, and your (slightly alarming but I get it) obsession to milk. I will you my services: if anyone mis-genders you, I’ll come all the way to Ohio and spray toxins in their food. Finally, I will you big shoes, not to step on others, but to help you blaze the trail I know you are going to. You have made my life full of color and kindness this last year, I have an unshakable faith that you will do so for others (ideally not in Ohio, but beggars can’t be choosers). <3 <3 <3
To Hannah Johnson, I will you one set of watercolor paints, one English to Spanish dictionary, an infinite number of hot coco mugs, a supply of serotonin that I will personally synthesize for you, and a plane ticket because what am I going to do without you. I have no recollection of why I (or you) chose to sit at that table in Biochem, and I’m sure the first few classes had lots of awkward conversations… but once you pulled out your marvelous bullet journal – I knew we’d be friends until I became organized to have a bullet journal myself (which means we have our entire lifetime!). I am so lucky to have gotten to know all your different layers. I will you one giant graduated cylinder. You have lots of love and happiness to collect and pipette. If your future lab partners are like Jadesola and I, you will also need that graduated cylinder to re-measure solutions when they are spilled (*cough cough Jadesola*). I will you lots of patience, though based on your amazing teaching and gigantic and beautiful brain, I don’t think you need it. I will you lots of sweets because such a sweet person deserves lots of sweet treats. Every time I drink hot coco, I’m transported to all the warm mornings we spent in commons making brunch. I will you a crepe pan. I’m not exaggerating in the slightest, when I say MOST SCRUMPTIOUS CREPES i’ve ever had the privilege of eating. (Call me when you’re ready to start that bed and breakfast). I will you big skirts, chili peppers, and good walking shoes for your time in Madrid. I know you’ll be busy being a girlboss scientist, but don’t take a moment of your time in Spain for granted. I am so excited for this opportunity you have, and I’m not encouraging anything, but just giving you a heads up that Spain has some exotic and natural (*wink wink*) beaches (look up Aguas Blancas beach or Playa de Ses Illetes). Finally, I will you the ability to see yourself in my eyes whenever you need some encouragement. From where I am standing, you are an unstoppable, inspirational, and bold force of nature. I am always always always rooting for you.
To Joanna Menendie, I will you a million light bulb moments… It has been such a privilege getting to know you this last year. You have such an infectious energy and I admire how loudly and proudly you encourage and cheer people on. Of all the people I wave to in the halls, you are my favorite. I wish you the best of luck for your next coming years and hope you remember to see the glass half full as often as possible. I hope you eat lots of desserts (the really luxurious stuff, not the cheap stuff). I know you have set big goals, and I have all the confidence you will achieve them!
To Brogan Long & Disha Dureja, I will y’all an outstanding legacy. Know that you have already gotten started building it. In all the really (really really) hard times, when it felt like the entire world was against me, I knew you had my back. When my trust in certain institutions failed, I still knew I could trust you. I cannot express my appreciation for your courage and resolve. I have learned a lot from you these last two years, but most unforgettably, that my voice is powerful and needs to be used. You have made PME an extraordinary and pivotal part of my life, and IMSA. You made an awesome team and worked constantly to re-set and rebuild the organization and most importantly, encouraged us to believe we were a part of that.
Brogan, I will you lots of energy drinks, though I don’t think your compassionate, humorous, and dedicated personality came from those. I hope you start doing your math homework, but can’t blame you if you don’t. Good luck on the amazing future ahead of you.
Disha, I will you lots of mango flavored snacks. I hope the next era of your life is filled with lots of junk food and laughter. I always have and always will look up to your strong sense of self and selflessness.
To Saanvi Chelikani, we will you one incomplete lab write up. We mimic the sentiment that without your glorious chemistry knowledge, adchem would be a far more formidable challenge, or atleast a much less fun class. Thank you for putting up with our lab antics and always having the missing piece of knowledge to solve a problem. We wish you all the best in college and never lose your sense of style! – Nooriyah & Sara
To Gabi Velazquez, I will you one playlist of all your favorite songs. After the swim season ended, I was truly disappointed that I wouldn’t have your energetic mood and dancing to cheer me up everyday. Luckily, when I pass you on the way in or out of 06, I can still you dancing or bopping along to your favorite songs. Thank you for being yourself and being so supportive and encouraging of others. Have a fantastic years of college – and I will miss you <3
Pietro Stabile
To the seniors of 1505 D-wing (Kavin Suhirtharen, Balaji Balachandran, Neil Dighe, Akwasi Quarcoo, Shikhar Gupta, Pranav Manoj, Eric Shackelford, and Sameer Komoravolu), I will you a family of friends in college like what we had in our wing this year. You were consistently awesome to spend time with, and the shenanigans we would get up to were always the highlight of my day. I also truly appreciate your hospitality and advice, especially about life at IMSA and academics. I loved hanging out in your rooms, even if I was just procrastinating (read: working). I wish I had the opportunity to get to know you all better because every single one of you is a very unique, interesting, and all-around amazing person. I can’t wait to celebrate, with fist in air, your successes in college and beyond. Our wing needs to do something together this summer. Keep in touch, and good luck in life, D-wing.
To Oliver Ni, I will you The Hoya (the Georgetown school newspaper, which you’ll edit), a secluded, romantic dumpster, and the United States Presidency. When I first joined The Acronym, you seemed like a very serious type, but I guess that was just your top-tier writing skills and commitment to journalism shining through. You know exactly when to be serious and when to crack jokes (except during the EIC interview, that was a little weird). Talking with you about life at IMSA, as well as shaking our heads at Dhruv’s tomfoolery, was always enjoyable. I look forward to seeing you use your incredible communication skills, in both speech and writing, to change the world (and move from 1505 Senator to US Senator). Try not to let people’s nonsense get to you on the way. I’ll send you that one photograph once it’s developed, so you can use it as your profile picture. Let me know if you ever need an extra bowl of ramen, O. Ni.
To Cesar Osornio, I will you a Clash-like experience in college (with dancing, of course) and a position to lead your team, as well as a community to bring together. RSLing with you was amazing this year, and I learned a lot about how to increase your event turnout (make food for people). Clash was also a great learning experience, despite the challenges we faced. I’m really happy we pulled through in the end. Outside of RSL work, I really enjoyed just joking around and talking to you about life, as you’re genuinely one of the kindest people I know. I hope that in your college math classes, you still sit next to someone who’s chronically late (by the way, we should really start that Fourier series project). Thank you for the good times, Cesar.
To Sameer Komoravolu, I will you a vocal filter and some better chess skills. Spending time with you in your room or at Lexington was always peak because you have both the best advice and the worst judgment of what to say. That combination makes you a wise, funny person. I also admire the strong passion you have for things you’re interested in, as well as the clear lack of enthusiasm for things you don’t care about. It means you have your priorities straight (except when you play mobile games instead of doing your CompuSci project). Seriously though, you’re an outstanding person who’s always willing to help or teach others, both academically and personally. I’ll make sure to update you on my college applications, as long as you tell me about Urbana-Champaign (I might see you there). I look forward to seeing your successes, Sameer.
To Eric Shackelford, I will you an infinite supply of new math to learn (and more sleep). At the rate you’re going, I’m afraid you’ll run out of things to discover. Apart from the vast breadth of your knowledge, your comedic timing is always on point (maybe not the jokes themselves, but that’s why comedy is 90% execution). Thanks for the hospitality, even though I sometimes leeched your food. I view it as a favor to you and Sameer, because half of that stuff is expired anyway. On a more serious note, I appreciate your advice, especially on how to use my time more effectively. My own advice to you is not to let the small mistakes get you down. I know that A- in French has been eating you up inside, but just remember that we all understand if things are hard sometimes. Enough with the jokes: you’re a great guy and an excellent teacher, so I’ll make sure to sit in on one of your classes if I end up nearby.
To Balaji Balachandran, I will you eternal childhood and the desire to clean your room. Other than Sree and Raphy, I think you might be the most adorable D-winger. Behind the short stature and strange behavior, though, I see a kind-hearted person who genuinely cares about the well-being of others. Even though we may not have talked very much, saying hi to each other and witnessing your antics was always a high point of my day. I also loved spending time in the quad and messing around with you guys, despite the incessant false allegations (if I end up at UIUC, please don’t give me any kind of reputation). I look forward to sharing and discussing code with each other, once my skills are up to par. I hope you have an awesome time in college with people who are just as weird as you are, Balls.
To Kavin Suhirtharen, I will you massive gains and (also) the desire to clean your room. Despite the perpetual state of general disorder, it was always great pretending to work in your room, and I appreciate your consistent hospitality. You’re the kind of person who’s very easy to get along with, and it also comes naturally for you to motivate those around you and inspire them to do better. Those nights with anywhere from three to ten people just hanging out or watching a movie in the quad were peak (well, except for that one time when I may or may not have said that one thing). In the spirit of D-wing, I also will you the ability to get some [REDACTED]s in college. If Shaan and I end up getting that Northwestern SIR we’ve been looking for, I look forward to seeing you and getting a tour of the campus.
To Neil Dighe, I will you the time and money to pursue a fulfilling hobby in photography, as well as the ability to speak quietly once in a while. Your constant dedication to what you love is admirable, as is your general enthusiasm and authenticity. Thank you for inspiring me to get back into photography and take my camera to campus; I’ve had a lot of fun with it. I’ll make sure to share my developed photographs with you and ask for any tips as I learn how to take better pictures. It’s been great spending time with you otherwise because you’re never afraid to (loudly) express your opinion. Also, your music taste is pretty good too (except for your initial opinion of Mr. Morale, but we can overlook that). I’ll definitely miss hearing muffled yells from across the wing and sighing to myself, thinking, “there goes Neil again.”
To Akwasi Quarcoo, I will you delicious cake to share with your friends in college. I’ll always miss greeting you twice every time we crossed paths. Although you seemed like a quiet person at first glance, that appearance quickly faded away as I discovered that you’re a pretty funny guy. I think the loudness from Neil may rub off on you sometimes, which is not necessarily a bad thing. I also appreciate the fact that you always hold me accountable (yes, I did finally finish that history paper). Remember that if people are picking on you too much, you should stand up for yourself; whoever they are, you can definitely beat them in a fight. By the way, thanks for any food you gave me (and the Vitamin C supplements, they taste so good), and sorry for taking it from you. Have fun in college, Akwasi. Have fun in college, Akwasi’s [REDACTED].
To Pranav Manoj, I will you even bigger arms. Your kindness, wisdom, and physical attractiveness are truly unparalleled. The conversations we had about life at IMSA, both pre-COVID and now, have given me new insight and allowed me to look at everything with completely different philosophies. I’ve genuinely learned a lot from you about how to thrive under pressure and how to improve myself, both physically and mentally. Spending time with you otherwise was also amazing (3 Idiots is now officially on the list of my all-time favorite movies). After all the advice you’ve given, I hope you’ll appreciate some from me: be proud of yourself and your accomplishments! There’s definitely a time and a place for humility, but recognizing your own worth in a non-egocentric way is important too. Also, try not to get too deep into The Grind and let yourself live once in a while. Thank you for the good times and the late nights, Pranoj.
To Shikhar Gupta, I will you upperclassmen in college who are just as welcoming as you were to me. It was always nice spending time with you and just talking or laughing about random things. Planning and executing Clash, as well as staying up late in the wing, was always enjoyable. I also appreciated the insight and advice you gave me on general IMSA life and college applications. The genuine enthusiasm and liveliness you show for so many things (Red Cross Club, Student Council, tennis, and many others) is incredible and difficult to replicate. Speaking of StudCo, at the time of writing, I’m currently a candidate for 1505 Hall Senator… if I’m chosen, I’ll make sure to give you and Oliver StudCo updates and ask for advice. I look forward to seeing what you accomplish, Shikky G.
To Rushil Sambangi, I will you a better gym class in college and someone in it who matches your energy. You made Movement and Relaxation this semester actually slightly enjoyable (well, at least sometimes; the teacher is pretty hard to balance out). Your easygoing nature works very well with your humor. It’s always funny to witness your frustration at both the gym and band teachers (they’re like the yin and yang of low-quality education). Also, those times in the you-know-where (especially when Jesse was there) were… quite interesting. Thank you for the laughs, Rushil.
To the seniors of the Exoplanets SIR team (Advait Patel, Alice Li, Cesar Osornio, James Johnston, Kyler Yu, Liam Archer, and Manaal Shamsi), I will you some better research opportunities in college. Thanks for the hard carry this year.
To whoever I missed, thank you for the good times. I look forward to witnessing your successes.
Pranit Guntupalli
To Kevin Fan, I will you a better finsta name. You’re probably already looking at my will and analyzing all the grammatical errors in it. It’s what you do! I’ll admit, I was quite intimidated by you at the start of the school year, and was scared to talk to you during move-in week. However, you softened me up at the TEDx interviews, because I saw a passionate side of you that I don’t see in other people. I won’t ever forget the first time you sat down and truly listened and understood me when I was talking about TEDx struggles. You’ve been a mentor throughout the entire year, and calling me by my finsta name makes it even better. We should twin sometime soon btw, and thanks for the washu crewneck, it’s so fluffy. Thanks for always listening to me, thanks for always making sure I was okay. You’ve always acknowledged me and even humbled me at times. Have fun at WashU zzzz.
To Abhi Pasupula, I will you the ability to actually get out of bronze… I always enjoy discussing the latest esports drama, watching LCS, and even sometimes playing league with you (although you int a lot). I remember that one time we were in Rishik’s room and it was like 2A.M. and I came in and caught you playing League. I’ll never understand you wanting to be a Kayn one-trick, but you do you I guess? I enjoy all the sleepovers we’ve had and all the times Faisal told us to go to bed but Rishik, you, and I would laugh at the stupidest things and wouldn’t be able to fall asleep. I’ll remember every league game we’ve talked about, all the hottest TSM drama, and even you fangirling over Kayn <3.
To Rishik Ummareddy, I will you a brand new box of cinnamon toast crunch. Now, this is definitely a weird one right, right? I’d just like to say that I think you’ve consumed more food at 2am, than I ever have. Speaking of food, I’ve always loved how I can basically bribe you with any food. Remember all the times I’ve literally made you fold my laundry? HAHAHAH, I’ll never forget those precious moments. Can’t even forget the time I gave you a cinnamon toast crunch bar and your eyes lit up. One of my fondest memories that I have with food, I mean you, did I say food? My bad. Yeah, anyways, one of my fondest experiences with you was the start of the school year, where Rohit was showing me around A-Wing and we made eye contact. I didn’t know who you were, but I immediately stepped into your room and made a comedical joke, and we all burst into laughter. Those moments and so many more were always what I looked for after a long week at school. Walking trips, 10 check, and everything in between always put a smile on my face, especially when you would give me food, because we could connect over it. Have a blast at TAMU and make sure you visit every now and then!
To Pranav Patel, I will you to be better at Far Cry. Bro you’re so bad at that game it’s not even funny. Even though we’ve both moved past that phase in life, thanks for letting me crash at your house for a while, it was fun. You know you liked Barry Allen in the Flash, don’t even lie. I forgot the name of that one show we watched but it was super funny. I will not forget the constant screaming at 3am when you were playing Rainbow or Val with everybody and I was trying to fall asleep. Although I won’t lie, your snack taste is quite mid. Thanks for always making fun of me at the worst and possible times and live a little in college.
To Phillip Yi, I will you a new pair of roller blades even though you really don’t need them. I remember the first time we met, it was the weirdest interaction. Rohan told me that you were at Park To Shop, and since we were all there meeting up with people, we came inside to talk to you guys. I was so confused because you were so tall, and then I saw Amanda and Balaji and was baffled by your size. Before that, we vaguely met through the league but that was different. I was so relieved when I knew you were in my wing, and was so happy at the same time. Throughout the year, you’ve shown me how to be a better person through funny memes, tik-toks, and all the late night roller blading sessions that we’ve been on. I think I’m still faster than you though. All the times you’ve yelled at me to shut up, all the Lexington we ate together on the weekends, all the league games we played without Rohit, these memories and so much more really made me much more comfortable then the very first time I met you. Have fun in cedric high smiff, Duke University, and keep roller blading.
To Rujuta Durwas, I will you the ability to not get lost everywhere you go, because let’s face it, I actually carried directions during SIR. When I was a kid, my mom would bring me the same daal, rice, and omelet right after school on Thursday from 3rd grade all the way to 8th grade. We went to Kumon right after, and it would fuel me up for the day. This was the only thing I ever looked forward to on Thursdays, as it was my Mom and I’s happy place driving to Kumon together while I ate my rice and told her how my day was. As I grew over the years, I sort of became emotionally attached to the rice, 1, because it was really good food, and 2 it was because I got to spend time with my mom. Now looking back at our SIR days, they were hard, because I was going through my own problems at the time, and because I felt alone at first. But then out of nowhere, you pulled me out of my chair on the first day, and being the adventurous, caring, loving person that you are, showed me around Chicago. I will never forget the “champaign” boy, as he’s a part of me now, and I hope he is a part of you as well. You showed me so much variety in the 6 months that we went to Chicago, with taking me to a new restaurant every week, or trying to at least. I will never forget the time we went to Ramen-San and I sat and ranted to you about what I was scared of, and you told me you felt the exact same way not so long ago. I’ll never forget all the different food you showed me, and how you pushed me out of the daal, rice, and omelet comfort zone. Like a big sis, you showed me the basics on how to experience diversity, and then let me out on my own to experience the world. So thank you Rujuta, and I’m only 8.1 miles away from you on Wednesday’s or to make it a little easier for you to understand, a 22 minute drive.
To Niyati Kapadia, I will you the ability to get free concert tickets for any concert in existence. I remember that for a majority of first semester, the only thing I associated with you was Niyati Kapadia — avg k pop stan. But when I became closer to you through ISA, I realized you were someone who I could talk to about the struggles that I faced in and out of ISA. To me, you became a mentor and a big sister. I won’t ever forget Garba setup and the moments before it all started. Showing me the ropes on how to actually decorate made me feel a lot better about myself, because when I did it myself and showed you, you most definitely held in your laughter. When we finished changing and were walking back to the building, I remember telling you these exact words “You know what this reminds me of Niyati?” And I vaguely remember now that I said something about a big sister and her little brother going to the temple. Because that’s what it felt like. Years ago, my brother and I would go much later to the temple than my parents would, and so we would drive with the windows down while watching the sunset. That was the exact feeling that I got from walking to the building before Garba started with you, and so for that and much more, I’m forever grateful to you.
To Liam McCarthy, I will you the ability to not pronounce the -ent in every french conjugation ever. I remember during 1st semester when you came into my room and pulled a funny prank. I talked it over with Rohit and he was like yeah, that wasn’t very funny either. Going into French this year, my first impression was that you were a jokester and such. But after getting to know you better through all the test studying, the complaining about French, and laughing at Storm’s pronunciation, we became good friends. I won’t ever forget the week where Rohit and I would only come to D-Wing and hangout, and Avdhan could never figure out the baseball game. Shoutout to Esther for that one! I realized you were much more complex under the shell of this funny, outgoing, extroverted guy. To all those memories and much more, thank you. The fangirling at Clash was my favorite part of it all though.
To Natali Chung, I will you the ability to actually win a game of ERS. What’s the score now 15-0 I think right? I’m just that much better than you I guess. Playing card games with you always brought me back to middle school. I remember how my brother and his friend would go on and on about how they used to play so much cards at IMSA back in the day, and it really got me thinking. At the start of the school year, everyone would dabble in cards and such, because it was welcome week and what better way to spend your time. I don’t really remember when the trend of us started playing cards, but I know that I’ll never forget the score record at least :)). Now looking back, I realized we definitely played cards more than anyone else at the school. A part of me for at least one week was only ever looking forward to playing cards. I remember that through all of the slapping, the teasing, the trolling, I learned a lot more about who you are as a person. The stories and all of the friends I met through you and cards really showed me how to live a little. Don’t ever forget that I’m 15-0 against you, and quad cities are so kewl.
To Elizabeth Alcala, HI ELIZABETH!!!!! HELLOO!!!!! I will you this Sedona sweatshirt when I can actually afford it. https://www.abercrombie.com/shop/us/p/sedona-park-graphic-crew-sweatshirt-47054819?originalStore=wd&categoryId=6570709&seq=02#! I know that this sweatshirt will keep you warm at Northwestern because it is very brrrrrrr, so come back to IMSA one day and I’ll get it for you as a present. All of the smiles, the Hi Pronits whenever you see me, the high-fives, really made my day that much better. I’ll never forget when Kaylee, you, and I sat down, and we listened to Sedona for the first time. It was a mind blowing experience, and that’s when I really found myself digging deeper into indie and alternative music, and for that I’m grateful. Thank you for showing me music, and putting a smile on my face at the hardest times. Keep looking for those lifeguards, and discussing them with your mom. Stay cool!
To Kevin Qu, I will you the ability to time travel, so you can go back in time and see the notorious “malice in the palace” frfr. How come every time I meet a Kevin, I’m so shy around them, it’s literally so menacing idek. I remember at the start of the year how I always thought you were so serious, that I would be somewhat intimidated by you, and really never gave it a second thought. This all changed when I realized how passionate you really were about everything. TEDx, hockey, and even most recently, basketball. All of the times I mentioned malice in the palace really made you laugh didn’t they? Thanks for all the cuddles and laughs together and I can’t wait for you to drop a game against me in Clash Royale <33
To Robert Zhu, I will you all the Indian food you could possibly want at UIUC. Thanks for all the trips that we’ve gone on with Sri, and thanks for all of the time that we spent together making fun of her on those walking trips. I’ll never forget ninjas, and how it was so much fun whenever we messed up, because that excitement, that adrenaline rush from running out there, was what really was fun. Just know if you’re ever feeling down or want a boatload of Indian food, I’m only a 10 minute drive away whenever I come home. I’ll always be rooting for you robbie!
To Balaji Balachandran, I will you the ability to actually beat me in a clash royale match. Those other ones that you picked up a free win don’t really matter. Thanks for always being the last one at cross country practice with me, but let’s face it, I was second to last, and you were last bwahahahahaha. Anyways, I won’t forget the meet where you drove to instead of taking the bus, and we basically did everything together. We ran together, we stretched together, we went to go see Christin’s old school friends together, and even crossed the finish line together. That day was quite fun as hoco was right after, and we would hype ourselves up and I quote, “don’t worry Balaji, we get the meet over, and hoco is right after, don’t worry,” and it would feel ten times better when I thought about that on the long course. That day and many more really showed me that I am TALLER than you <3. Don’t forget that I’m only a call away and will spend every weekend I can with you at UIUC. Make sure to keep visiting cranchez mom, and have lots of fun in Champaign!
To Christin Ann Sanchez, I will you a succulent, but not the ones from Home Depot. When I was a kid, I remember going to the community garden with my parents, and laying down the seeds for a bright summer, both figuratively and literally. I felt like that’s exactly what you let me do this year. At first, when you left me in charge of the cookie decorating event during SUS week hehehe, I felt overwhelmed and a little bit scared. I realized that you trusted me with the event, and so in that moment, I really felt like you let my seeds blossom and grow into the flower that I am today. During the succulent sale, I won’t ever forget how stressed we all were, but we pulled through, and did something very fun for all of us. Hope I get to see Sheila ki jawani one day, and please keep spreading the magical fertilizer that you have Christin :DD
To Esther Im, I will you a duck! Why is that the metaphor that we came up with in our friendship even? One of the very first things I remember was how intimidated I was by TEDx. I was on vacation, and didn’t really want to attend the first meeting. I was scared to tell you, but eventually did. It took a lot of courage from me, but you were so nice and welcoming that I felt a lot better about it. I think I really realized that you looked like a duck through all those aEsthEtic instagram posts that you did. You stopped wearing the duck mask to school, and I was quite sad because I couldn’t make fun of it. But it didn’t stop there. Every duck motion you made with your hand, every Pranit? I heard in the hallway, every ur mom joke you made, really brightened up my every day. I think we can both agree that we were so scared of TEDx and what would happen to it, that we never really took into consideration what we had done for the organization. I remember there was a slump where I thought it wasn’t going so well, and you gave me the motivation to stand back up and reignited the passion that I had. You said these words to me: “I’ll talk to them,” which is when I realized, I had to take matters into my own hands, and be a lot more serious at meetings. No more good cop Pranit! Thanks for everything and have fun at draggin deez [REDACTED] university <3
To Kavin Suhirtharen, I will you a better attendance at everything in life. Whenever I needed to rest in swim you were there, whenever there was no one else on the bulkhead, you were there, and finally when I needed someone the most on sir days, you were there. I’ll never forget the day we went out to eat just the two of us at SIR, and it really felt like we were catching up after so long. Sometimes after a long day, I’ll think about not lifting, but then I’m like, would Kavin ever approve of this? And throw myself into the first set of the lift. I really want you to try running sometimes, as it feels really good after a long run. Just think about all the times you couldn’t lift because you were sore, you could be doing cccccardio <3 Please come visit Feinberg sometime when you have no class, we can catch up and eat Chipotle like we once did. :DD
To Shreya Mahesh, I will you the ability to calm down for once. Whenever I’ve observed, it feels like you’re always stressed about something, no? Well for one, thanks for always being there for me whenever I needed a mentor. I think I’ve always come to you for advice, and even to this day, (you can ask me for it after you’re done reading) I have a list of all of the different hand things that we’ve done. My favorite is definitely snail though, it’s a classic, and you know how I feel whenever I do it. Thank you for showing me the ropes at our school, and making sure I was well versed at everything. I think you’re one of the first seniors who really let me open up. I remember at the start of the year, it always seemed like you were my “boss” through Club Terra. After a while though, and listening to you and spending time with you, I realized we were much more than just colleagues, we were the greatest of friends. Thanks for teaching me about enviro when I was clueless, and thanks for helping me grow my passions through Club Terra. You’re the best boss that I could ask for, but you’re also the greatest friend I could’ve asked for. Stay swag, and Hilda and I will eventually come to one of your bnat comps!
To Srinitya Voora, I will you the ability to not break things in life. During my obsession with legos when I was a kid, the only thing I ever thought about was building new sets of Ninjago, or Lego city sets, but as I slowly grew more and more into my lego obsession, I built all different kinds of things. One day, when my parents told me that a friend was coming over and that I should hide my legos, I didn’t really think anything of it. I knew that why would some family friend really care about my legos? Boy was I wrong. The first thing that happened when my parents’ friends came over was the destruction of my legos. Those parents had a kid who would stop at nothing to destroy my legos. After I was handing out water as the good Telugu boy that I am to my parents and their friends, I went to go sit in my room and do what a lego builder does, build. To my surprise, when I got into my room, all my legos were destroyed. Every set I had built, every character I had customized, every scene I had constructed, was all torn down and built into monsters. I sat there and cried. I don’t know how long I cried, but I cried. I cried for the next few days, and even to this day, I really don’t plan on speaking to those family friends again. However, what I do remember is my change in attitude. My dad tried to consolidate me, my mom tried to buy me another lego set, but none of that worked. I took one good look at the kid’s destruction, and saw a small house built out of all of the legos he destroyed. From that day forward, I realized that I didn’t need to follow a manual, or set of instructions to make something look good. I realized that my creativity was the only thing that limited me in my quest to be the best lego builder I could be. In a lot of ways, you remind me of the kid who broke all my stuff (don’t forget the alligator clips but they are yours <3) but also the kid who gave me the ideas to really expand my horizons. You broke my perspective on many things, and gave me many new ideas and things that I discovered that I didn’t know I had. Sometimes though, I do question what goes on in that small head of yours. Do you even think? Thanks for listening to me whenever I need, humbling me when my ego is too big, going all those trips with Robbie, and being there every step of the way. You’re the greatest friend, and keep listening to boy pablo <3. Oh and here’s proof this isn’t some bs story. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1z0kgC72kjEie4q0sBwGFfxg-OCGjS1Dc/view?usp=sharing.
To Rohit Katakam, I will you a new pair of vans. Let’s face it bro, I don’t know how you ran through a whole pair of vans in like SIX months. You need to either take better care of your shoes, or stop being so rough around the edges. Growing up with a big sibling really put me through thick and thin, and so when I was a kid, my brother and I would always fight at the dinner table, and not for the reason you think. When I was a kid, I loved food, more than anything, and my brother did too, although he didn’t really show it as much. On days where it was a nice, cool, summer night, my mom would bring out a singular plate of food for my brother and I to share. She would sit on the patio and we would sit right on the left and right sides of her. She would make the food into small balls so it would be easier to swallow, and my brother and I would always fight for who got more rice balls at the end of the meal. I would count on my fingers because I wasn’t really old enough for math yet, and my brother would say it out loud. The one thing I do remember was how he always bragged about getting more than me, and whenever I asked my mom she would say “he’s bigger prani, he gets more food than you.” This always puzzled me, as even today, I eat a lot more than my brother. This fighting would occur almost weekly when it was the summer. Trying this again about 10 years later, my mom was really old, and my brother didn’t care as much, but my big ego did. When I came to imsa, I really wanted to fit in. So much so that I tried hopping from friend group to friend group originally, trying to fit in. However, you showed me that I didn’t need to do that. Through all of the teasing, fighting, trolling, joking, and hugging that we’ve been through, you showed me how to be myself. This specific story reminds me so much of you and me during indoor and outdoor, because for the first half of the semester and even now, I strive to beat you in every category. In badminton you’re better, in pickleball you’re better, in spikeball you’re better, and it feels like the only thing I’m good at is the pacer. I hope you realize that one day I will come back and be better at all of those sports, but until that day, you will have to watch me fail every step of the way. Thank you for being there for me from the very beginning of my imsa career, and I know you’ll be there at the very end as well. You were the most reserved lead facilitator ever, and Sharanya was much cooler <3 If you ever feel like you want to beat someone at anything again, please call me.
Raghav Sinha
To Edward Zhang, Bro I met you at FBLA and you are super chill. You are probably one of the nicest seniors I have met. I will you a good time in college.
To Yihan Deng, Hey Yihan, Advanced Programming was fun with you. But the JSA conference was where we really got to know each other. Thank you for always believing in me and for the wise college advice you gave me. You always have a positive attitude and you haven’t ever judged me for my mistakes. I know you will do amazing in college. I will you the freedom to be you, the patience with people you can’t bear, and the power to never be let down or sad.
To Siddharth Tiwari, PEKKA you deserve Harvard, don’t ever forget. All those long nights showed me one thing. I know you will continue to do amazing things in college. Remember that you don’t need bad energy/people. Take out any negativity in your life. I want you to aim for more than what is possible. Do what you love. Don’t beat yourself up for things you can’t control. You are going to be legendary, you are not meant to be a regular person with a regular job. You will end the suffering of millions, billions, even. I can see it. I know you got 1,000,000 other wills, but they are L’s compared to this one. Stay strong and humble, but not too humble. Be a good nerd. Thanks for all your advice. I will you an undying ambition stronger than any living or dying being. I will you a fighting spirit that our ancestors had during the Sepoy and Royal Navy Mutinies. I will you the focus, leadership, and confidence of Perseus. Signed, Mini PEKKA.
To Edwin Alcantara, ED WINNING! Ed, I feel like a proud NBA coach right now. I have gotten a lot of helpful tips from you. I know your potential. I know the true amount of winning you can accomplish is unimaginable. Stay motivated and power through trying times. Never let life get you down. I will you the willpower to accomplish your goals and the confidence to believe in yourself when doing so. I will you patience and concentration.
To Gavin Hartlaub, Hello Gavigation. I see you can’t troll Nick next year and Nick can’t troll you. You’re funny and always positive, I thank you for letting my Sophomore Moments come and go. I trust you will have a great time in college. I will you hope and confidence for your future.
To Nick Carter, Hello penny NICK-el dime, or NICK-name. Thanks for letting me randomly walk up to you and pop a random photo with you. You are super chill, and I thank you for your impact on me. I remember the time Ethan and I hung out in your room, I will be sad not to see you walk up and down the wing hallways. I see you can’t troll Gavin next year and Gavin can’t troll you. I will you an inner violence that only you can control and utilize to destroy obstacles in your path, that others would consider insanity. I will you infinite energy.
To Jakob Bachhausen, Hello Jack-man, I am sad to see you leave, A Wing will not be the same without your weights and your muscle mass shocking us all. I hope college treats you well. I will you the ability to see the bad and good in people. I will you trust in any positive aspect of your life. I will you a sense of aggressive motivation toward your goals incomparable to any others. I will you the ability to unlock new doors never seen before that every YBB member has within.
To Pranav Patel, Hello Pranavigation, you were a good RSL and I am thankful for your patience with me. I hope you enjoy college. Don’t compare yourself to others and remember your advice. I know you will accomplish great things. I will you the ability to never give up.
To John Pinto, HCCs never die. Mr. Bean, you’re my hero and a true legend. I promise to transfer the wisdom that you have given me to the upcoming Sophomores. You have always been kind to me and helped me out when I felt down. Thanks for everything. I will you commitment and creativity in your future endeavors.
To Natalie Hulseberg, Hi Nat, you’re leaving :(. Thanks for always being there, and listening to my rants. You were a great HDC. I hope you have fun in college! I will you excitement for the future.
To Christian Grey, I must’ve asked for your help 10000 times for OOP and Advanced Programming. I started OOP with no idea on what a String was. You changed everything. I thought I would never be able to complete quarter projects and assignments without your help. I remember the first time my code worked when I tried it on my own. I now have the confidence to code on my own. I can help others out and I plan on peer tutoring myself now. Thank you so much for everything. I thank you for your patience and cooperation. I have seen your potential, and I know that, one day, you will change the world for the better. You have done a lot of amazing things already, and I can foresee many more. Be confident and creative, and I thank you in advance. Enjoy college. I will you the confidence to go after any goal you have in life and achieve it.
To Christo Ekimov, Hello YBB Christo, thanks for your positive attitude always. I had fun in Ad. Pro with you. You are what I strive to be as a club leader and a senior. Your upbeat attitude and crazy speed on assessments is what all leaders must be. I remember you had to go remote for a short period of time and you were still able to power through. Thanks for being a great role model. I will you the ability to unlock the crazy motivation and power that every YBB member has within.
To Gerardo Paramo, finally, the 3rd YBB member, Gerry. I see your commitment to your position as CAB Advisor, and I’m proud of you for all your hard work. You made Clash fun and you made our SoCC tournament win Best Event. I have really seen myself become more and more grateful for your positive attitude. Thanks Gerry. I will you an undying passion and happiness.
To Nadia Ludwig, Ludwig’s sister. You are definitely one of the nicest seniors I have ever met. I am writing you a will because you are hilarious and I appreciate the things you have done this year. Thanks for your kindness. Thanks for inventing ISMA crushes. I will you a good college experience.
To Sabrina Zhang, Hey brin, you are amazing and I hope you have fun in UIC. Thank you for helping me join the JSA conference, even though I completely missed all the deadlines. You have always been kind towards me and included me. You are an amazing person and thanks for everything. The bean and brin combo is next level. I will you determination to make your goals a reality, and the ability to block out all haters and negativity.
To Aidan Brinkmann, Hi Aidan, Thanks for always being there, and listening to my rants. I had fun talking to you. I hope you have fun in college! I will you excitement for the future.
To Caroline Hall, I remember meeting you for the first time when we were heading to the JSA conference. You were really kind to me. If I could eat hot pot for the first time with anyone else, I wouldn’t. You helped me turn over a new leaf, and I thank you. Thanks for always being there through thick and thin. Enjoy college. I will you the best college experience ever.
To Shiraz Baxamusa, Hello highriser, enjoy UT texas. You are my favorite C winger. I will you answers to the most difficult questions.
Rashmi Alawani
To Miss Alice Li, I first will you an infinite amount of Uber Eats promo codes so you can continue ordering Crumbl and your vast concoctions of nasty ahh sugar-free green tea poison drinks. I will you a future full of dances just as energetic as yourself. It’s been amazing having you be my MVC and CompuSci carry, my impromptu 02 visit buddy, my style swap partner (seriously, when are we ever gonna get to doing that), and my wonderful Lunar SDAC choreo. In all honesty and seriousness, thanks for being such a silly goofy upperclassman I’ve gotten to know this year, and I wouldn’t have asked for anyone better to bother endlessly and eat oatmeal with. You’re extremely motivated and hardworking and I know your life will take you very far. PS I’m sorry for never submitting the Casa SDAC vid you spent like two hours personally teaching me, and for that, my final will to you is a friend just as irresponsible as me.
To Adrian Lara, I will you another random stupid underclassmen to continuously beg you for help on all of her hard classes and never stop until you finally send her the answers. It’s been an honor being so confused with you every day in physics and Compusci and always 3rd wheeling with you and Alice. I’m seriously really proud of you and can only hope to be a fraction of the amazing coding nerd you are today. I hope I can meet you again next year, when I’ll undoubtedly pester you for help on all of my coding assignments until you graduate.
To Will McClain, I will(haha) you a friend worse at physics than me, if that’s even remotely possible…someone who will annoy you with endless calculus related questions and force her crappy music tastes onto you. MVC with you Krys and Alice was interesting to say the least and I loved every moment of it. Thanks for making hoco such a blast and please don’t break your arm again!
Miss Srinitya Voora, I love you. I will you a friend so kind, funny, and compassionate just as you are to me. I will you less triple integrals, eigenvalues and Don Quixote pruebas, and more classmates to tease you about how spectacular you were at OOP, and a crazy Sone friend to watch questionable standup comedy with. I’m keeping my promise to you so please look for someone that’s screaming, crying, and throwing up in the crowd at your graduation. For the time I’ve known you, you’ve continually been a positive ray of sunshine, and it makes me regret not becoming friends with you earlier. You won’t be getting rid of me that easily though – I’ll be sure to bother you each and every single Wednesday when I drag you out of whatever smarty pants biology classes you have to tell you about my week. I couldn’t end this without willing you and Kavin an enjoyable early retirement, I know both of you have got what it takes.
To Saanvi Chelikani, I will you a splendid time at GT – one with less torque and more savage origami fortune tellers. Talking to you and laughing over our lack of knowledge was probably one of the highlights of this year. You’re seriously so smart and positve and I don’t know what I would do without you. I will you a relaxing, stress-free, Loggerpro-free summer and I hope you enjoy the nice Atlanta weather in the fall! :D
To Advait Patel, I will you a stress-free, happy, chill summer. I will you a future with less mySQL and Webworks and teachers that have participation grades. You’re seriously one of the most hardworking people I’ve met and one of the people I look up to most at this school. Thanks for all the life advice, math help, and “[CENSORED]!”s every time you greet me. It’s been so nice getting to know you more this year and I REALLY hope you get more sleep. More than anything, thank you for being a wonderful friend – I’ll miss you next year but I hope you have fun at college!
To the FTC seniors, thanks for the last two seasons! Y’all are all so smart and dedicated, I will you a restful summer and more robots in your life. Thank you for guiding me – I have learned so much from you all. Good luck at college and thank you guys for everything!
To Gerry Paramo, Dean Oquendo, Cor Siaris, and Liam McCarthy, I will you a lifetime rich with campus activities, whether or not you’re the ones planning them in the future:) I couldn’t ask for a better senior CAB and seriously appreciate all of your guys’ hard work and I’ll miss you all!
To Isabel Chen, I really enjoyed being on Saudade this year, and I promise we’ll continue your hard work and put together some of the coolest monthly issues any magazine reader has ever seen. I will you a great time at NYU with less Android apps and more literary magazines and well-put-together outfits. :D
Raven McKelvin
To all the seniors, I will you the best of luck on your pathway in life! Thanks for everything that you have done for the underclassmen and we highly appreciate it.
To the Excel tutors! I will you the best in life! Thank you for showing us sophs that we are able to do all we can and that we are all amazing people! I wish you the best In life!
To Queen Tabaebae (Thavaisya), I want to say thank you so much for all the conversations we have had and you are just such an amazing person and bright spirit! You always have the best fits and such an amazing smile! Continue to take your amazing vibes with you and thank you so much for everything! I will you the best in life !
To Disha, I am so glad that I met you and I will you all peace in the world! You are such an amazing person and I am so glad I met you this year! Continue to smile SO BRIGHT and shine so bright! Your smile is literally contagious girl please keep it we love it!!
To Joanna ! I am so happy that I got to work with you and I will you great experiences! You are such a bright spirit! I wish all the best for you!
To Belly! I will you all happiness! You are literally so funny and multi talented! Continue to be yourself, as you make someones day when you walk in the room! Continue to always be funny and thanks you for everything! And as for Colin, I will you great things in life! Thanks for always being so funny and putting a smile on everyone’s face!!
To Ola and Sanaa, I will you great futures! Thanks for always being there for me and pushing me to my max! I am so grateful and happy that I met you all this year! You guys are so funny. Alongside Kosi, I will you a great future! Thank you so much for always having my back and you all really have shown me real friendship! Amazing black queens!!
To Temi!! I will you Joy! Thank you so much for being there for me all the time! Being a D1 track star!! Continue to always smile because your smile really makes a lot of people’s day! Good luck in life and in college! I wish the best for you!
To FEYIKEMI!! Ayeee I Will you the world!! Thank you so much Feyikemi for always being there for me and having my back! You are such an amazing and bright person! All love for you and the amazing things that you do!! I will miss all the hype and positivity you array across the campus! I wish all great things for you in life Feyikemi and thanks for everything!
Rebecca Liu
To Jasmine Liu, I will you good food and fun times in college, as well as many pictures of Riceball. Thank you for always being there to support me and give me great advice. I treasure the time we spend together, and our shopping trips are the highlight of my extended. I’ll miss you so much when you go off to college.
To Niyati Kapadia, I will you a future full of fun and dance. You are such an amazing dancer, with a captivating crispness of movement. I know we haven’t talked much but I’ve always admired you, even before I met you, as my sister spoke very highly of you. Thank you for teaching a spectacular drill and I hope you enjoy your time in China!
To Samantha Gong, I will your dream come true, a future makeup company. I’m sure it would be amazing. If I could describe you with a word, it would be glamorous. You always catch my and many others’ attention with your beautiful new looks and generously help people with your skills. I’ll do my best to honor your hair-dying tradition with Bhavyaa, and keep it fabulous, like you.
To Rujuta Durwas, I will you people who make you happy just as you to others. You’re always so cheerful and have such a unique aura of happiness. Thank you for painting my nails for Clash, even though my technique was already amazing >:)
To Sri Voora, I will you a future just as bright as yourself. Your laugh and signature tinkle of your bells are both eternally cheerful. A final reminder: When flipping people off, keep the flipping finger tall and straight, and the other fingers curled neatly for maximum effect.
Renaldo Venegas
To Marco Bravo, I will you a new, unwarped frisbee. When I first moved onto campus, you were one of the first people I met. You taught me so much about IMSA when us juniors didn’t know anything, and you were always there to hang out in commons. You introduced me to one of my favorite pastimes at IMSA — frisbee, and taught me so much about the game. Still, some of my favorite memories at IMSA are during the first month after moving in, hanging out with up quad and you, in the wing commons blasting music, getting distracted, and dying at 0 to chrom up b like an idiot. I truly appreciate what you have done for us in the wing. Thanks, man.
To Avdhan Kandikattu, I will you more fish shorts. Seriously, I wish I had as much drip as was contained in those. Anyways, I’m so glad I got to know you this year. Although the majority of our time together playing Smash, you’d always be down to have serious late night talks. I was honestly scared of talking to you at the beginning of the year, but after stressing about math together I realized how chill of a guy you are. Keep doing you, and have fun in college.
To the Downquad, I will you a functioning TV. It’s unfortunate how the quad situation worked out this year with covid, but regardless all of you have been amazing seniors. Our wing would have been so much more boring without you all, and I’m proud to be able to say I lived in D-wing with you all.
To Oliver Ni, I will you a better sleep schedule. I didn’t want to put this because I know it’s kinda cliche, but seriously, doing The Acronym and then procrastinating til 3:00 am might not be the best. Anyways, I’m so glad I stepped out of my comfort zone and got to know you. From taking long walking trips to overhearing suspicious noises on access, every moment I spent with you was filled with laughter. I’m beyond excited to see your air conditioning cult come to life in the next few years while you simultaneously run for president in the bright, red, dress. Please remember to take care of yourself, and get a restful summer if possible. You are genuinely such a hardworking and committed person for your interests, I’m honestly baffled at how you can make time to reply to my dumb messages. However, because of this I often see you doing your mwfic readings the passing period before and cramming studco projects during midday. You really need, and deserve, a break, and I hope you know that. I’m sad I couldn’t get to know you earlier, but I’ve had an amazing time talking to you. From the bottom of my heart, thank you, for everything.
To Jacob Malone, I will you some of my amazing chocolate chip cookies. I want to start off by saying I regret not talking to you sooner. I’ve only known you for a few months at this point, but I certainly don’t regret the time we’ve spent together. I feel bad for always getting food from you, and I want to give back with my world-famous baked goods. All the ramen nights, all the food you’ve given to me, and all the times you saw me in specfic and made a funny face. I’ve always considered myself to be a relatively shy person, and I’m always conscious of what I’m saying when talking to others. When talking to you though, I felt like I could just naturally talk and uphold a conversation. You give off amazing vibes, and I really hope the world gets to appreciate the amazing guy you are. Thank you for everything, and please stop wearing birkenstocks.
To Karrick and Jacobe, I will Karrick a new gamecube controller. like, how do you play with that a button??? And to Jacobe, I will a frosty. Thanks for having a normal wendys order (cough cough, Karrick) Anyways, thanks for being an amazing captain and teammate on the esports team. Our trip to springfield is one of my favorite memories from the past year. The smashy bros jokes and our shenanigans in the car ride made me laugh so hard, I still remember everything vividly. Although I will always have a burning hatred for chrom ftilt, I loved all the time I’ve spent playing with you guys.
Revanth Poondru
To Edward Zhang, I will you a good time at [REDACTED].Edward you’re the senior that I’ve spoken to the most and you’ve had the biggest impact on me. Despite the many times you’ve attempted to scam me, I’m extremely grateful that you’ve been my friend at IMSA. Your intelligence and the incredible passion that you put into something you are passionate about (beating IMSA FTC), are truly inspiring. I hope you stop being so cringe and maybe stop making enemies so easily.
To Philip Yi, I will you someone at Duke that can share your rather mundane passions. Despite Henry being the better brother, you’re not too bad yourself. The first time I met you in person was when your dad drove you, Peter, and me to Naperville. Ever since then, it’s become an incredible experience to call you my friend. From skipping Digital Photography together, to dealing with Edward’s deleteriousness, to bullying you for your obnoxious laugh, you’ve been an incredible friend that I cannot thank more. Last but not least, I can run routes on you and drop you off 11-0 in 1v1 any day of the week, come back from Durham and I’ll show you.
To Avdhan Kandikattu, I will you a life outside of FBLA as well as an 8k camera. Also, lemme borrow your laundry card. UIC is incredibly lucky to have you and I hope that you can come back and visit IMSA sometime.
To Marco Bravo, I will you people at Purdue that you can play ultimate frisbee and dance with every day. I hope that the next day that I get a notification from Twitch that Neap Tide is live I can bet all my channel points against you and finally win.
To Christo Ekimov, I will you someone that will share your love for Rocky movies as well as maybe a roommate that won’t be as deleterious as Edward. Although I first met you through Edward, I’ve gotten to know you so much more through other activities. From Solidify to TALENT, you’ve been an inspiration through your upbeat atmosphere. Despite everything that you’ve been through, you continue to maintain a smile on your face. I know that through your verbose and charismatic personality, you’ll go on to achieve amazing things and I hope your time at Case is incredible.
To Jacob Malone, I will you a residential life supervisor that will approve the variety of budget requests you submit in a timely manner. I hope you become a chef in the future so that I can enjoy your incredible cooking more. Also, please make me more Oreo balls before you leave. Purdue isn’t that far away, you need to come back and make more pancakes, waffles, spam, spam waffles, spam pancakes, Oreo balls, biscuits, and gravy. Please.
To Eunice Kim I will you hope for the future of TALENT. You have a work ethic that I don’t think I’ve ever seen in anybody I’ve met. You carried us all during Solidify and have put TALENT on your back. Hopefully, Anthony and I can carry on the legacy that you’ve built and your work doesn’t go to waste. You’ll go on to achieve incredible things at Northwestern.
Rohan Jain
To Annabelle Lu, I will you more conversation. Although we talked with each other a decent amount last year, I felt that talking in-person was a little awkward but that was wholly my fault. Despite the fact that we had a class with each other both semesters, I found myself being very quiet. Regrets aside, thank you for being one of the nicest upperclassmen I’ve talked to. You’re always willing to help me with anything I need and your charisma is something that is enjoyable in any setting. I hope you’re able to bring that with you to anyone you meet in college.
To Joyce Li, I will you an avocado. Yes, the only avocado that you can think of. Thank you for being one of the funniest people I’ve talked to on campus. Your ability to always make me laugh in the most random moments but also being a very helpful upperclassmen is something that I think I haven’t expressed much appreciation for, but do know that it exists.
To Wei, I will you interestingly flavored ice cream during a field trip while observing what most would call a human phenomenon. Dong ModPhys was a very interesting experience, and it’s crazy to think that if it hadn’t been for our mutual desperation for extra credit, we probably wouldn’t have ended up talking much.
To Gloria Wang, I will you my Singularity cap. Thank you for having a very similar course load to me. It would have been hard to find someone to ask advice from if you didn’t exist. And although we did meet before I started IMSA, it kinda sucks that we didn’t start talking that much until late this year. Thank you for all the fun talks that we’ve had and all the funny times during FTC regionals and state. I hope you have a great time in college.
To Avdhan Kandikattu, I will you good blood boss. I’m very happy that you were one of the first seniors I was able to meet. I am extremely thankful for your willingness to look over the essays I read because you have definitely saved my grades on multiple occasions. I also reminisce over the times where we would play funny *** games on VC, and I hope college treats you well.
To Christo Ekimov, I will you inner peace. Times can be tough, but you know that. You are a very strong man both physically and mentally and you climb out of every situation that life puts you in, and it’s truly amazing to be a witness to that. You are one the the most down to earth people I’ve met, and I agree with you when you say that our paths will cross again during some point in our lives.
To Gerry Paramo, I will you decent weather. Although the depth of our interactions were mostly limited to bumping into each other on campus and eating together, I appreciate the times that we were able to talk face to face during times after check.
To Edward Zhang, I will you DN. The man, the myth, the legend. Words cannot describe the impact you have had on my life at IMSA. From the time when you would talk to me while I was still in 8th grade to being the senior I look up to the most now, it truly has been a wild ride. Thank you for being the best FTC mentor a team could ever ask for and for being someone who I could always lean a shoulder on. Please keep in touch.
To Jacob Malone, I will you a group of kids who relentlessly ask you for food in college. Thank you for being the best wingmate one could ever ask for. From the first few nights where we sat in our chairs in the hallway after check to what we are now, it’s really crazy to think about how close you’ve gotten with upquad. Thank you for all the food you’ve made, all the help you’ve offered to me, and overall for all the fun times that we’ve had in the wing.
To Marco Bravo, I will you a gelato store. Finding a good place to start writing about was very difficult, but I guess I just have to freestyle the same way you often did to the most random noises (like come on, freestyling to a random YouTube ad?? impressive). I remember the first few days where we met while playing Valorant with a bunch of random kids, and they seem just like yesterday. Although I thought I knew a lot about IMSA at the beginning of sophomore year, you showed me a whole new side by ingraining your passion for dance into me and my friend group by showing us the many videos that are on ISP from previous years. Without you, I don’t think I would have had the courage to participate in any dances in any of the culture shows, or even drill (definitely a top 3 IMSA experience). Aside from supporting the nostalgic talks, I also appreciate all the other conversations we were able to have, whether it be about video games, chess, backwards maturity, the spinning of the *** rejects from the bureaucracy created by ***or literally anything else. And tangentially related to that last topic, video editing was definitely an enjoyable experience (mardi gras Spanish 4 thing for CYODOM lmfao). I wish I could list more of the things we laughed about last year, but there’s way too many to remember them all. Please never stop being you, and I hope we can open a gelato shop in the future. I love you man.
To Philip Yi, I will you better pull game. You got into college then you lost all sanity. You need to gain all sanity back to play bruh. But fr thank you for being a great upperclassman since day one and you’re a monkey.
To Samuel Lee, I will you more time in a day. Being able to observe your ability to grind was very entertaining to see throughout this year. From Battlecode last year to seeing you excel in 3 very different classes was something I am lucky to have observed, and I can’t wait to see how you will be at Carnegie Mellon next year.
To Andy Tang, I will you the number 6. Maybe you’re asking yourself what’s so special about the number 6? Or maybe you aren’t, but read this anyway. A lot of things are cool about the number 6 in my opinion. For one, it’s a perfect number. Secondly, it’s the last digit of your college graduation year. But most importantly, it’s C(4, 2). I remember the first day on campus where you walked past my quad and a few other people playing BS and joining in and having a fun time. Since then, I’m so happy that our friendship has prospered to something greater. Organizing JHMC with you as the person in charge is an experience that I wouldn’t trade the world for, despite the many trials and tribulations that we endured. Through JHMC, though, we were able to become much closer friends. The tight-knit friend group that we developed as a result of our shared passion for math is invaluable to me and is something that I’m going to miss a lot next year. But as with many other fruitful experiences in life, all good things come to an end. I hope that as you transition into college, you are able to focus on yourself and all the good things that will come to you in the future. I hope you are able to remember all the good things that happened to you in the past few years, and that doesn’t necessarily mean to forget the bad things. If there’s one thing you’ve ingrained into me (that doesn’t include academic stuff), it’s that sadness leads to suffering leads to character growth leads to complacency and a will to be a better person. And for that, I thank you. I know that we’ll continue to speak to each other for the next few years but I hope our connection can last beyond that. If you ever need anything, know that I’m only a text away.
To Eric Shackelford, I will you an h-index of 89. I still remember the time during Summer@IMSA where you asked me if I scratched my balls. It was crazy to see you at IMSA upon being accepted, and I was very surprised to see what your math journey was like. Working with you through JHMC and other random activities like HMMT was a very enhancing experience and I can’t wait to see you publish a paper on Riemann’s hypothesis.
To Oliver Ni, I will you 靜夜思. The past two years have been a little crazy, both inter and intra personally. I often reminisce about the beginning of sophomore year when we would have conversations on Snapchat for hours at a time, talking about the most random topics. Of those topics include: 上海中学, 老干妈, math (and consequently Wilbert Chu [ٱلْحَمْدُ لِلَّٰهِ]), protobowl, and Valorant. I still remember telling you that I would carry you out of silver then you proceeding to absolutely destroy the rest of the lobby. All in all, thank you for the guidance you provided me during sophomore year, when I was a scared youngin ready to take on all the adventures that IMSA would provide me with. However, junior year was a little scarier. The transition from virtual to in-person was socially rough for everyone. And among those difficulties was the judgmentalness of many based on association. That being said, it was difficult at times to understand the specifics of human politics, but I’m glad everything turned out fine. To that end, I want to thank you for ending my junior year the same way you started my sophomore year, because I truly appreciate everything that you’ve done for me.
To Sameer Komoravolu, I will you Math 444 at UIUC since orchestra didn’t let you take Theory of Analysis this year.
To Tanav Karnik, I will you someone who will give you answers to assignments in college. It’s crazy that we have had a few classes together in all of my semesters and IMSA, and it’s even crazier that you’ve been such a hard carry for all of them. Through WebTech, Spanish, Sound and Light, Number Theory, and CompuSci, your intelligence has made itself clear to me and that in itself has taught me so much academically and otherwise. Your dedication to what you’re passionate about is very commendable, and I know you’ll succeed in college, with or without someone to help you.
To Bhargav Sampathkumaran, I will you a very happy birthday.
To Dev Singh, I will you uptime.
Ryan Li
To Eden, I will you height and many years of dancing on your university’s K-Pop dance team. Just kidding. But seriously, you might not know it, but a large part of who I am at IMSA is your fault. Dyed hair, culture show dances, being annoying — it’s like 90% you. Even so, you are a really cool senior, and I’m really going to miss you when you go off to college. Also, when you get to college, I will you an extra don’t-dye-your-hair-Hisoka-colors like you did here ;) I hope you have fun not getting abducted by aliens if you ever decide to graze the corn mazes. Also, ty for teaching me loco SHOOG SHOOG SHO-
To Wei, I will you the Griffith Observatory—the whole thing, so you can be maimed with existential dread any time you want. I think being a space person is cool, and I really hope you get to work on some incredible things in the future. Next time I open WeChat, I better see all the Chinese moms posting about you building a space shuttle for NASA or imaging a black hole or something like that. But seriously, have the best time in New York and pls don’t reveal the fact that you’re a Scaramouche lover (that’s embarrassing). Also, thanks for finding my MSI notebook (I tried getting it the next day, it wasn’t there). I begrudgingly enjoy talking to you, and I’ll miss you dearly when you leave for New York (barf). WATCH OUT BAILA BA-
To Gloria, I will you -1 AirPods. I still have not recovered my AirPods after you turned them into the security desk last November, but it is ok. Even so, maybe the value of 1 AirPods case can be replaced by the sheer amount of waves we’ve waved during our inter-mod commutes. You’re very swag, and I really enjoyed MUN with you and the rest of the board. I hope you can frolic and graze happily in the cornfields of the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign. If you ever get the chance to, go to Bearology and Lao Szechaun—they are truly the bomb.com.
To Oliver, I will you -1 pizzas. I lied. The banging on my room window was traumatizing. Actually no, that was a lie. But seriously, you’re such an awesome person that I don’t even know if I need a pizza. You are a swag dancer and I am very grateful you taught me some of the drill dances when I had to miss b/c of study hours. Hopefully you have a blast in Dee Cee and hopefully they still deliver pizza to Naperville. I’m expecting in the next (17 years? Whenever you turn 35) I’m looking at my presidential voting ballot and I see “Oliver Ni” on there. First-gen Chinese moms need someone to compare their kids to, and you can be the first Chinese-American president that future Chinese kids will have the pleasure of being compared to.
To Relay Seniors (Julie, Annabelle, Kevin), I will you guys an awesome time in uni. Y’all somehow kept Relay for Life alive over the pandemic, and I’m truly grateful you guys were able to sustain this amazing club. I’m really excited to continue with next year’s board to raise funds for something I’m passionate about. Have an amazing time in Cornfields!
To Alice, I will you a true bakalemon. What will it look like? I do not know. It will probably be some typical anime character’s face plastered onto a lemon. Between your truly amazing Phoenix skills, your swaggy dancing during every culture show, and your essence of IceJJFish, you are a very amazing senior. Thank you for encouraging me to push myself (b/c of you, I’m considering auditioning for Modern next year), and have an awesome time in the cornfields.
To Christin, I will you a chorus of Vander-Built different succulents. You are an incredibly bubbly person, and a lot of your bubbliness has rubbed off onto me. Thank you and Resh so much for an amazing year of Club Terra, it was truly an amazing experience and something I never anticipated to happen at IMSA. WOO COLLEGE
To Resh, I will you no more rude security guards. But seriously, thank you and Christin so much for carrying us soph reps on Club Terra. Without you guys, I don’t know how we would have managed such an organized year and successful Treeplenish event. Thank you so much, and have an awesome time in college.
To Nadia, I will you lots and lots of sunshine. I’m sad we didn’t get to talk more this year, but every time I have talked to you, you’ve had a sunny personality. Thank you for the Key Game, the pizza for the Instagram race, and for overall being a very swaggy senior :DD Have the best time in the cornfields, I hope it’s not too gloomy over there. Also, if the sunlight has a slightly off green tone and you see a UFO above you, please don’t get abducted.
To Isabel, I will you Mrs. DiFusco’s lipstick. I personally think it’s a very nice shade of hot pink, and it will help you stand out in uni. But seriously, I’m glad we were able to get a little bit closer b/c of the auction event. Your fits are fire, and obviously so—it’s something about us White Eagle kids ;) Have an awesome time in Shanghai and make the Naperville-Chinese-Moms-WeChat group chat jealous B))
To Saanvi, I will you a dinner with Carl Azuz from CNN10 (I think he’s in Georgia, I’m not sure). Thank you so much for being an awesome LEAD facilitator and for putting up with me for two semesters. I hope your time in Georgia will lead you to many Coca Colas and polar bears and aquariums and hopefully some pretty swaggy merch. Next year in SocEnt, I’m probably going to copy at least one of your modules (joking! kind of…), so know that your legacy will live on at IMSA (at least in some facets). Have an amazing time at Bee School!
To Vivian, I will you -1 audacity. I think you are 90% of the reason why I hate debate kids, but it’s okay (not really). I hope it was jarring for both of us to see each other at the Nichol’s Library, and even more weird that that was the start of our friendship (extremely late into the year). I think your height is quite funny, and hopefully you’re tall enough for the desks at L. Have an okay time!
To Shreya, I will you shmenhood. There’s no way you’re not a shmen. There’s no way you’re even a senior. I don’t get it. Good luck north and west from here!
Rylie Bozarth
To Manaal, I will you a hot Russian dude, no one asking you to do their henna and 1 thousand compliments. I will miss you and hope you have a great time at Purdue.
To Catelyn Rounds, I will you a lifetime supply of pomegranates, mangos and pears. May your life be as sweet as those fruits and your impact felt coast to coast.
To Karen, I will you an amazing college roommate, great conversations, and great fortune and wealth. You deserve the world, and I hope you get it.
Sachleen Tuteja
To Thavaisya Ananth – I will you a type c laptop charger that is always with you; one that never has to see the pitch black darkness of the lost & found or become buried in Facebook groups. But seriously, thank you for all the memories and wisdom. Your spontaneous tik tok references and “your mom” jokes have never failed to make me laugh (and get stuck in my head, for that matter :0 ). I will you everything that you have ever wished for because you truly deserve it, ms. plague doctor. I will you a roommate who shares in your love of kombucha and doesn’t cover the entire room with ant killer spray at the sight of a single ant. Good luck in college! Keep slaying queen <33
Sahil Veeravalli
To Liam Nelson, I will you some coolant to make your life a little bit easier. You have motivated me to thrive on the FRC robotics team by being such a big inspiration. Not only are you a great teacher, but also a great friend to talk to. I will (hopefully) carry on your legacy on the robotics team, and I wish you the best of luck for your future endeavors.
To Sameer Komoravolu, I will you a win in table tennis. You are one of the few upperclassmen that I’ve gotten very close to. From all of our lexington talks to playing table tennis in stunion during midday, you’ve always been a real one. I hope you will soon win a CSI speedrun challenge and also a table tennis match, but until then have fun being a coding nerd in college.
To Reese Ramos, I will you my unfinished problem set! You’re one of the most chill people I’ve ever met, and you’ve made my experience at IMSA a lot easier. I remember one of our first experiences here at IMSA was playing table tennis in stunion (I obviously won). You’ve been a great friend, and I hope you’ll be able to have some fun in college.
To Nathan Kilmer, I will you a clean colander. I am so lucky to be your wingmate this year. To all of our late-night game nights to our robotics rants, I am grateful that I met you this year. I hope you’ll visit and good luck in college.
To Grayson Pacourek, I will you an orthopedic. Your back must be in chronic pain from carrying robotics this year. But seriously, your mouse has more buttons than I can count. You’re a great leader and hard-worker. But really, I hope you’ll be able to appreciate Fusion 360, and I wish you the best.
To 05B upquad (Alex, Preston, Nathan, Christian), I will you an in-room extension. It’s been great having game nights every Tuesday and having seniors that I could hang out with in my wing. I hope you guys will make friends in college (it will be hard) and have as much fun as we have on Tuesday nights.
Sajal Shukla
To Liz, Sam, Yihan, Shehzad, Erin, and Natalie, I will you a community as wonderful as the one I had on BELLAs and then on GEA. BELLAs was the only thing that made remote learning feel slightly like what in-person school used to be like for me, and being on GEA second semester has made my IMSA experience so much better. Getting to interact so frequently with a group of people who could not be more hard-working, dedicated, and passionate about furthering the cause of feminism and gender equity showed me how fulfilling activism could be. I think we all felt a collective sense of pride and accomplishment after each meeting held, each project completed, each event hosted. Each of you have inspired me in so many different ways, and I can assure you that Shanan, Megan, and I will do our best to keep your legacy alive next year <33
To Brogan, Catelyn, Natalie, and Mya, I will you an activism project as fulfilling as the zine. Interacting with you all on the KYSHA project was my first exposure to advocacy, and although I was very quiet especially in those first few months, I learned so much from all four of you inspiring activists in that time. I admire all of your passion, knowledge, and dedication to the cause of implementing comprehensive sex ed – you all have been true role models for me over the past two years and I know each of you are going to change the world someday.
To Erin Yoo, I will you an upperclassman as sweet, welcoming, and thoughtful as you were to me. I truly appreciated every conversation we had, from going around to set up donation boxes in all the halls to spontaneous Lexington meetings to you helping me find my way to teachers’ classrooms. I am so inspired by the hard work and dedication you put in to the things you are passionate about and how much you go out of your way to make sure the people around you always feel comfortable and included. I will definitely be giving you a call next year when having to deal with difficult people during Tales planning ;)
Saketh Dontaraju
To Rujuta Durwas, I will you everything. I honestly can’t think of a single thing that I could will you, so I’m willing you everything I can (I tried to think like ten different times). During sophomore year, you took me in and kept me going through all of the dark times, even with the very stupid decisions I made. You would get so worried for no reason and stay up all night, even when you didn’t have to. We would be on FaceTime for hours just talking about life and everything happening to us, and I wouldn’t trade those experiences for anything. The quality FT photos I have of you are truly #shotsbysaketh. From ISA to all the random advice and conversations we’ve had, meeting you in person this year was amazing, and I’m glad that we were able to share so many good memories this year. I really don’t have a single clue what I’m going to do without you yelling at me to eat or stop being afraid of confrontation, but I’ll try to figure it out before you leave. I think if there’s one thing I would love to inherit from you, it’s your selflessness and ability to be there for everyone. There are so many people at IMSA that look up to you and that love being around you, and it makes me so proud to call you one of my closest upperclassmen and mother. Make sure to hold up your promise on the first day of Welcome Week too; I’ll be waiting. I hope that your future takes you everywhere, and I hope you enjoy every step of that journey. Even if you move too quickly sometimes, just remember that you have a son there for anything you need. I hope you still FaceTime him like you used to :)
To Esther Im, I will you a waiter’s number, flannel with hoodie combinations, and a new poster-making partner. From the good days of LEADxISP, we’ve come a long way. Becoming part of your life was one of the best things that happened this year, and I’m so glad that I was able to. You are honestly one of the biggest inspirations I have right now. All the talks about creativity and school and literally everything has given me so much insight and motivation to keep going, even when things seem really hard. Even when I wanted to quit photography, you were there keeping me going, and thanks to you, ShotsbySaketh isn’t done quite yet. I hope when you get to Drexel, you finally find the waiter’s number that you’ve been looking for. Once you get there, make sure that he wears a bunch of flannels with hoodies. I know you probably aren’t going to come visit every weekend, but come stop by every once in a while. When you do, bring me back some boba as well. The best IMSA poster duo is going to be very lonely without one of its core (arguably less important) members, but it’ll survive. It’s so crazy how we went from “let’s hang out more second semester” to “don’t forget about me in college,” but it’s true. Keep facetiming me, texting me about everything, and checking your notes app. Most of all, make sure you won’t forget about me in 3 years (*double exclamation marks*)
To Sri Voora, I will you someone to scare you and hug you every day. Sri, I could not think of a person that brings me more joy to see in the hallways, purely because it’s so funny to scare you every day. It’s also because whenever I have a bad day or something’s off, I know when you see me that day, I’ll end up telling you somehow. You’ve become such a close upperclassman to me, and I admire your kindness and lightheartedness so much. I hope when you get to Northwestern, you keep in contact, but get an iPhone and text me! I also hope that whenever you have a bad day, someone’s there to give you a hug and cheer you up. If you can’t find that person for a little bit, let me know, so I have an excuse to visit you often!
To Niyati Kapadia, I will you a ‘Taro Baap’ shirt and a round trip plane ticket to Chicago. Niyati, your commitment and dedication to everything is so unreal, and it’s something that I hope to have my senior year. At the beginning of this year, I had no clue about all the meetings we were going to attend, all the things we would have to work on, and all the challenges we were going to face. I can confidently say that we got through it though. Even if we may not have fully figured out how to make ISA the best it could be, we kept going until people could be proud of the club we ran. I will always cherish the life lessons we learned and ISA memories we had together. Now although Duke Kunshan may be far, I still expect you to come back for Diwali next year, which is why I willed you a round ticket plane ride here. When you pull up to IMSA again, I’ll have that ‘taro baap’ shirt waiting for you. Until then, make sure to take a break and sleep, you can leave the rest of the work to me.
To Michael Hunding, I will you a Ruth Benedict buzz, a T-20 Nats performance, and success wherever you go. Technically, when I’m writing this, we haven’t played at nationals yet, but you have swiped a Ruth Benedict tossup over me. Hopefully at nationals, you get both of those things. Playing with you this year was one of the best quizbowl memories I could have ever asked for. Seeing your improvement and dedication to the game made everyone around you better, and it’s one of the reasons we have been doing so well this season. When we hit nationals this year, we have to go t-20, so let’s get back on that grind. For the future, I hope you succeed wherever you go. Give QB in college a shot too, it’s not all that bad with a fun team. Next year, you’ve gotta teach me that lit 5-7 canon, that way I won’t last line Don Delillo again.
To Pranav Patel, I will you drip. Getting to know you through ISA and LEAD was pretty cool, and through all of the different club stuff we went through, you stayed solid. I remember a day when you saw me at a really low point, and went out of your way to make sure I was good and stayed up giving me advice. Those times gave me so much respect for you, and also showed me how similar we are. There is one exception though, being that you have no drip, and I am the definition of drip. In the future, please gain drip and aspire to be as drippy as me. When you come back to IMSA, make sure you’re as drippy as me, because when we have to take our masks off, you’re going to need it. Until then, keep staying solid and living your best life.
To Kavin Suhi, I will you a full tank of gas. Man, I really still have never paid you back for being my chauffeur everywhere, and I don’t think I ever will. I don’t know what about you I gravitate to the most, but you are genuinely such a good person to be around, especially when I’m taking a nap while stealing your aux. I’m still waiting on the shotsbysaketh x shotsbysuhi collaboration, I think it’ll be next time you drive me somewhere. By then, I will be making enough money on the shots to pay you back, so just wait.
To Jai Raval, I will you a new photographer. The ISP pictures curated by ShotsbySaketh of you dancing are simply too goated, so I will you someone that can cover for me when you leave. Even if you do make fun of me at least once every interaction, I will miss that humor and energy you bring to all of our conversations. Keep in touch and help me make fun of Esther whenever we can.
To Jakob Bakhausen, I will you pickle lays. Hall commons convos with you were some of the best memories I had in 03 this year, whether it was serious club stuff or just having fun and messing around. Next year, trust me, you boutta see the gains come to life, so stay tuned in. It’s been really cool knowing you, even if I was really intimidated by you at the beginning of the year. Thanks for being such a wholesome and swolesome dude all the time, stay in touch and buy me some more food for making a poster for you.
To ISP Old Cabinet and Board (Neil Dighe, Gabi Velazquez, Jessica Lyseng, Mo Narciso, Nat Chung, Avdhan Kandikattu, Julie Lima, Cam Magana, Hilda Montalvo, Esther Im, Sam Gong, Dean Oquendo, Damien Santiago), I will you to do cool ****. Keep up the ISP motto wherever you go. Know that it can only get easier from what we dealt with this year, both internally and externally.
To Mo Narciso, I will you more producer sunglasses. Being on ISP and doing random photoshoots with you and Esther was a blast! I hope “Producer Mo” continues on even after you leave — it’ll become a very successful brand soon, trust. Also, come back sometime to help me pose people at the crates again! Have fun with your next chapter and keep adding fire emojis to the @shotsbysaketh Instagram!
To Liz Soyemi, Makayla Zheng, Isabel Chen, and Thavaisya Ananth, I will you new people to have a designated greeting with. Liz, even if you leave, the Mr. 300 nickname will forever stick, partially due to my bad counting skills. Hopefully, the next time someone says “what up” to you, you’ll think of all of the funny conversations we’ve had in the past two years. Makayla, I’m gonna miss the “Makayla” and “Saketh” greetings and calling you “Top3” during IMPACT meetings. Have fun creating social impact wherever you go, and hopefully rise up to become top one someday. Isabel, I probably should’ve spelled your name “IsabeL” but in reality you are a very big W. Shanghai is very far, so every time you come back, you better text me and come say hi. By then though, I think I may put a W on your forehead though. Thavaisya, in reality, you’re probably the “chia pet” but I’ll let it slide. I’ll miss the 03 vibes and all of the sophomore year Houseparty calls. For all of you, thanks for being such great upperclassmen! No matter where you go, keep being amazing people and come back soon!
Samuel Go
To Michael Hunding, I will you a potential literature packet complete with a side of your favorite Russian short stories. I would give you the solutions to all the Millennium Prize problems, but that’s something I’m incapable of giving. You’ll be able to, though. The quiz bowl team will miss you, but your zest for literature and firstlining comp math will forever live on with us. We shall meet again in that math classroom on an undetermined Tuesday in the future.
To Adam Daki, I will you a “Shokran” for helping me get out of my shell here. Attached is a memo of the deep discussions we had about immigrant families, hometowns, languages, and whatnot. sheet music skills so that you can finally play all the music you ever wished to play. The “Claire de Lune” will be as easy as “Au claire de la lune.” I will you the wonderful sheet music database that is https://imslp.org/. You’ll never run out of music to play ever again. That piano is officially yours, too.
To Liam McCarthy, I will you my guitar and my guitar books. I also will you sheet music skills. The world of classical guitar is a fascinating one that I would like to help you enter. You make the wing a lively place to live in, too, and it’s hard finding those with as much enthusiasm for life as you.
To Andy Tang, I will you a subscription to Science magazine. That way, you will never run out of articles to read about swarms of microrobots in the Amazonian wilderness (true story!). I will you a comprehensive book about the history of Stockholm. It’ll definitely come in handy if anyone asks you Sten Stur the Younger. Enjoy the non-Illinois weather down there in California, and remember your mission to track down “the one” who left us.
To Apurva Reddy, I will you my entire newspaper and magazine collection. I may still be undecided when it comes to my favorite papers, but at least I know the opinion section of the WSJ is hot garbage. I will you a Metrocard Unlimited for the countless journeys you’ll take from Morningside Heights to the Rockaways. Enjoy the greatest city in the world, and enjoy the intellectual discussions there on all things about the world, just like we did here at IMSA.
To Emily Jung, I will you a good, adjustable piano stand and stool. It was a pleasure to be able to play as musicians together, and now I have a newfound appreciation for all things Korean thanks to you. It turns out a hanbok really is that comfortable. I will you the determination to pursue all your passions, andnd advanced knowledge of music theory in the context of music composition. Thank you for arranging the medley; Lunar literally wouldn’t have been possible without your work.
To Emily Nakiganda, I will you a physical map of the world. Your forward-thinking attitude will change the world one step at a time, and what better way to see it than as a whole with many parts. I will you a community with which to build a movement that will make the world a better place for us all.
And to all my dear seniors: I will you a stress-free four years in college. Pursue your passions, don’t do anything stupid, and enjoy your time there!
Sarah Wheeler
To Esther Im, I will you a bag of Hot Cheetos and many future successful scavenger hunts. You are one of the kindest people I’ve ever met, and I am so so glad I got to know you through K-trad and LEAD. Thank you for all of the LEAD interview prep and for listening to my conspiracy theories, spending time with you is always enjoyable. Have fun at Drexel and don’t forget about me! I will once again be texting you in nine months about how to use photoshop for clash propics :00
To Natalie Hulseberg, I will you a stress-free summer and an amazing college experience. I have looked up to you from the moment I met you, and your passion is unparalleled. Thank you for showing me the ropes of the ACLU at IMSA and for convincing me to join LEAD, it was the best decision I’ve ever made. I am certain you will accomplish so many things in life, my social-advocacy queen, and I am so honored to have gotten to know you.
To Rohit Katakam and Disha Dureja, I will you each one ICE drink, so that you can understand what the hype is about. They are truly fantastic. To Rohit, I will you someone to give you the great advice you gave me and Vikram. To Disha, I will you someone to watch Bridgerton with, an amazing college experience, and endless leadership opportunities. You two have been amazing throughout this semester and we couldn’t have accomplished what we did without your guidance.
To Mya Griesbaum, I will you a place in Mandarin II and endless mattress slides down the 01 C-wing stairs. You’re super cool and being in your presence is very inspiring. I also will you a hardcover copy of the zine.
To Morgan Johnson, I will you an amazing college experience, you deserve it. Thank you for being the upperclassmen to introduce me to IMSA life, and for being honest about how hard IMSA can get. Soph me was scared but very very thankful. You are such a kind person and my only regret is not getting to know you better over this past school year. Enjoy Auburn!!
To Alice Li & Joanna Menendie, I will you endless shirley temples and cake pops. Thank you for your leadership over this past year, the club couldn’t have functioned without you! Have fun at college and don’t forget to visit <33
To Natalie, Brogan, Catelyn, and Mya I will you a continued future in your sex-ed advocacy and activism journeys. Thank you for all of your work on the zine and on the proposal, I promise Sajal, Irene, and I will see implementation through and leave our mark on IMSA <3
To Axel and Wei, I will you a trip to a dark zone sometime in the near future! Thank you for your leadership throughout the past year, I know TAS wouldn’t have been nearly as successful without your passion and hard work. Have fun at college, and if the dark zone trip does happen next year, come visit!
Saul Juarez
To Oliver Ni, I will you 5 cents. I just wanted to tell you how much you mean to 05C. Thank you for always being so helpful and a great person overall. You were always there to help us in any way. If someone needed someone to talk to, you were there. You were like a guardian to us. We trusted you like how you would trust a parent. You made everyone 10x happier. Thank you so much, Oliver. Not only do I hope you’ll make it far in life, but I know you will!
To Andy Tang, I will you my boxing gloves. I hope that life will treat you well in college. Just know that you made an absolute impact on 05C. You really did help us whenever you could. You were like a superhero helping kids in need when they were cramming a week’s worth of math material lol. Anyways, I know you will go far in life and I am very excited for you. You will forever be in our memories!
To Alexander Williams, I will you all of my basketball shorts. I just want to thank you for being such a great upperclassman. Not only that, but a friend of mine. Whenever I needed someone to talk to, either related to school work or personal stuff, you were always the one I went to. You did have an impact in my Junior year and I thank you for it. You made Junior year way better. Just know that you will excel in life and become successful. I hope the best for you and no matter what, keep on going. Never give up. You will be remembered, AJ. Good Luck!!!
Shaan Doshi
To Kavin Suhirtharen, I will you the ability to use a blender, to finally be able to do a planche, and better-than-Costco drip. Thank you for being my go-to in the wing for anything; you’re one of the closest friends I’ve made this year, and I’m gonna miss you after the summer. I’ll definitely come up to Huntley more often and I want to work on cars with you, since you’re obviously a much better driver than Shreya (also, maybe the Aveo can get an upgrade). Thank you for all the memories this year; I’ve had so much fun with you. Whether it was composing amazing 3 AM poetry to share with the world (yeah Kavin, why don’t you), leaving my boba in your car for three months, or hanging up an Elon Musk mural on your ceiling, I’ll miss the random, spontaneous stuff we do. Also, thank you for teaching me how to work out, even though I will always be able to do more pullups than you, no matter how much you practice. In a real sense though, thank you for always being there in serious situations, and giving advice whenever I needed it. I’m definitely going to miss this period of my life, and make sure not to forget me when you come up with new medical techniques at Northwestern.
To Balaji Balachandran, I will you height and ticklishness, so that I can finally get back at you after an entire year of having to deal with spontaneous tickling. You’re literally winning in every aspect of life (except height) and I hope to remotely come near your CS skills one day far in the future. In addition to being a genius, you also somehow have the innate ability to always look cute in any picture possible, which I find completely unfair. Definitely bring that to UIUC though, because I expect Buji updates on the regular. I hope that wherever you go in life, you will always be able to turn any time into hot dog o’clock, so that others can experience the awesomeness of being able to live near Buji. Thank you for always being there for me, and don’t forget that Urbana-Champaign isn’t too far away. We also definitely have to hang out in the summer because I know you live nearby, but you were too busy simping that one time when we asked you to hang out during our Prius Prime adventure.
To Eric Shackelford, I will you some free time away from tutoring half of campus, a better Insta profile picture, and some yo-yo abilities because it’s honestly embarrassing to watch you attempt tricks. People like you are the reason I enjoy IMSA so much, and it’s amazing to see the things you have done with your time at IMSA. You’re one of the reasons I’ve developed a passion in math, and thank you for teaching me all the random things you have throughout the year. Elementary graph theory and random math team problems are actually so interesting, and you’re an awesome teacher (who pulls). You also have a hilarious sense of humor, and I still remember all the funny videos you’ve shown me, like the one about Baltimore and the Spiderman backflip. The only regrets I have are saying yes to watching that video about the world’s greatest magician, and not hanging out with you enough this past year. I want to hear about your math and physics journey in college, and please give me a list of cool math things to learn next year for when I can’t just go up to your room anymore. (Also, PS I saw your texts with Vikram during that one summer camp, and I have nothing to say but WOW.)
To Pranav Manoj (Pranoj), I will you my arms because I know how jealous you are. I almost never get to see you around except in ModPhys or after ten-check, but hanging out with you has been so much fun. From super deep 4 AM conversations about learning to learn, to you showing me how you read brain waves using an Arduino, to absolutely embarrassing me every time I attempt to work out, I have learned so much from you. You‘re one of the most profound people I‘ve ever met and my go-to for any philosophical questions I have. (What do you think about classical vs. quantum mechanics and whether the universe is deterministic?) One of these days I hope to beat you in an arm wrestling match, but until then, I‘ll have to hold on to the fact that I‘m better than you at Titan Crew Spoons. Also, please teach me the secret to how you‘re always so drippy because I really need help. The fits are on point 100% of the time. My two requests to you are to teach me how to play ERS (it sounds like fun) and to tell me your study spots before you go, because I‘m running out of places to work. Have fun at Columbia, and make sure to come back and visit.
To Sameer Komoravolu, I will you someone more competent to arm wrestle with and some nut-free food. You were the most innocent looking kid at the start of the year, but the more I get to know you, the more I see how outta pocket you really are. I‘ve had a lot of fun playing tennis with you this semester, and we should definitely play over the summer too. I still don‘t understand how someone can be so smart and so funny in the body of a third grader lol. Thank you for teaching me and Pietro how to derive Taylor‘s theorem. I still can‘t believe you knew how to do all that after watching one video and never even trying it out yourself. Also, thank you for teaching me what an integral was that one time last semester; that made me so excited for BC 2. If you have any other cool math things to learn, please add them to Eric’s list, because I’m going to miss having the smartest roommate pair on campus in my wing. Also, let me know how UIUC goes; please visit us at IMSA sometime with Balaji.
To Neil Dighe, I will you a quieter voice, a perpetual supply of food so you can stop raiding mine, and some working ears. You can be absolutely hilarious in the wing with the stuff you say, and I respect that you aren’t afraid to speak your mind. Thank you for being my day-one pen buddy; I like the Rotrings but please trade out that Safari for a Metropolitan. You always brought so much energy (and noise) to the wing, and I’m gonna miss having you around. You are the best in the wing at making waffles, fist-bumping Pietro, and singing “Smokin Out the Window,” but make sure not to lose your Dighe charm when you go off to college. You’re also Mr. ISP himself, and the person who got me interested in recording, so I thank you for that, too. Before you leave, please teach me and Lui how to get a computer setup like yours because we have been jealous since the start of the year. Don’t forget that I will always be better than you at poker and keep me updated on how engineering goes in college.
To Shikhar Gupta, I will you better music taste than country, some swaggier tennis wristbands to wear, and a better nickname than Shik*** (sorry for that one). You were one of the first seniors I met, and it’s always fun hanging out with you. You’ve taught me a lot about IMSA, and just life in general, and I appreciate that a lot. I can’t believe you’re going off to an Ivy; all your hard work and grinding has finally paid off. Playing tennis with you was a ton of fun, and we should also play over the summer (Palatine is like 10 minutes away). Hanging out with you at the mall and watching James Bond were a lot of fun too, but next time pleaaaase let me have AUX. Also, that night when the fire alarm went off at like 3 AM was a great memory from the year with you. I hope we can make many more over the summer, and remember to always stay Shikky.
To Akwasi Quarcoo, I will you a better roommate than Neil, and maybe some sleep so that you can finally “stop ______ sleeping” as your housing doc description says. Seriously though, you have to be one of the most resilient people I have ever met to deal with Neil for so long and still be sane. My favorite memory with you was when we all played poker that one night, and every time you folded you ended up having the winning hand. Keep working on your poker skills, so that one day, D-Wing can have a rematch and you can finally prove that you’re not absolutely horrible at poker. I wish I came to yours and Neil’s room more often this year because I didn’t get to talk to you as much as I wish I had, even though you’re always so chill. My final words to you are: have a humongous, ground-shaking, earth-moving, mountain-making day.
Shiqi Cheng
To Andy Tang, I will you even more crazy projects to pursue, beautiful sunsets and sunrises, and endless stars for you to comment on (also moons—they’re yummy too). Keep on doing brilliant things. I’m constantly impressed with your ability to do fun, extravagant activities (reminder: you do still need to build a fortress) while also accomplishing so much academically. The past eight months can probably be characterized best as unbelievable. You’ve inspired me to be passionate about so many new things and to try things that I never would have dared to try otherwise. From all the back-and-forth texts during Ross to the Messenger message simulation you coded, we’ve had so many wonderful conversations together. Go do even more awesome things at Stanford and beyond!
To Eric Shack(elf)ord, I will you endless math papers. Thanks for being an awesome co-math chair. I learned so much from you during JHMC (including how to spell your name). Your ability to comprehend mathematics is absolutely astounding. I hope you have an awesome time in college. I’m looking forward to reading all of those papers you’re going to publish.
To Nadia Ludwig, I will you an infinite number of thoughtful conversations late into the night. Thank you for all the advice you’ve given to me this year. The way you view the world is truly amazing and honestly quite inspirational. You’re able to be introspective, but also so passionate about everything you pursue and everything that happens around you.
To Oliver Ni, I will you even more extempTers. All jokes aside, you’ve been a brilliant Big Sib, speech captain, and upperclassman in general. All the things you’ve done here at IMSA with The Acronym, StudCo, and various other organizations are so inspirational, and I hope you’re able to do more of this amazing stuff in the future. I’ll miss your late night rants through messenger calls and your bolded, extra-large edits on JHMC problems (thank you so so so much for looking through those). I hope you pursue whatever you are passionate about, and I would also like to note that I’d be completely fine with you being the next President :DD. Have fun in college!
To Apurva Reddy, I will you an endless number of open fire exits on the eleventh floor. Thank you for being there to talk about things at obscure hours. From being a mysterious goddess-like figure for freshman me to a slightly less mysterious but still goddess-like person for current me, I’m constantly inspired by all you do. I’m very honored to join the girls-only math team whiz and soccer bawse association (sadly still with a membership count of three). I also will you boxes of tissues to combat the pesky glue that’s strong enough to make you sick but not strong enough for anything else (darn!). Have fun in New York and look into the metropolis when the sun is down and the lights are on. You will be the next creator of these wonderful cities, so go on and do awesome things. Build the next MRI machine or whatever your heart compels you to do. I’ll miss you.
Shreeya Avadhanula
To Belly Kubwimana, I will you the ability to find a girl that actually sticks with you. It’s time you find someone that truly makes you happy and matches your energy (therefore I hope you and you know who work out). Anyways, bro I don’t know what I am going to do without our late night walks and random trips. You have become like my closest upperclassmen and I don’t know who is going to get me out of my room when you leave. I don’t like being nice to you but campus without you is (very lowkey) going to be boring. Have fun with your gals at college tho ig.
To Kavin Suhirtharen, I will you some energy and a life. After all your all-nighters, hard work, and your 2 am (“stress-relieving”) McDonald’s runs, you got into an amazing college and for real, I am so proud. Therefore, stop looking so dead and please live a little!!! It’s crazy that I have known you for so long, yet we barely spoke until I came to IMSA. I always just knew you as some annoying dude that lived down the block LOL. But now, I feel like I could tell you literally anything in my life and you would never genuinely judge me (and I will forever be thankful for that). I hope we continue having our stupid conversations from 2-4 am and you continue yelling at me for being dumb (it keeps me somewhat in place even though I don’t usually listen). OH ALSO, stop trying to charge me for listening sessions it’s never going to work.
To Haley Rodriguez, I will you a next door neighbor as cool as me (even though that may be hard). Haley, I’m going to miss you SO much you have no idea. You coming into my room every night listening to me rant my heart out kept me sane this school year. You’re one of the few seniors that listens to me talk about my obsessions, my hatred towards things, and literally EVERYTHING. It’s crazy to think we met because of our least favorite class and we came this far. You are one of my favorite upperclassmen and I feel like I can trust you with my life. I literally love you with all my heart and I can’t imagine living on campus without you, it’s gonna be so rough LOL. But actually, I hope you meet some amazing people in college (and introduce me to all of them because your friends are usually pretty cool)!
To Brina Zhang, I will you an amazing time at college! You are one of the first people I met at IMSA and I am so thankful for that. You have always been someone I could talk to so openly about literally anything and I will never forget all the insanely long FaceTime calls we had. You are literally so cool and fun to be around, and I just know you are going to be super successful, so I hope you keep doing what you love and meet the most supportive people at college!
To Niyati Kapadia, I will you the ability to go to any kpop concert that you desire (and take me if that wasn’t obvious). You are going all the way to China and leaving me behind, but I hope you have so much fun and meet amazing (hot) people. I am literally so happy we started talking more… you are so fun to be around, and I absolutely love your energy. From learning fun (and stupid) dance choreos to crying and eating Taco Bell together, I made some of the best memories with you this year. I am going to miss you so so much, and I am genuinely so proud of you and everything you have worked towards!
Shreya Chakraborty
To Emily Jung, I will you an apple (hehe) and many more genuine, loving friendships, because anyone who is lucky enough to call you their friend knows what an incredibly compassionate, loving, and humble person you are. You, Jung Jung, are seriously one of my biggest role models and I look up to you so much; how does your ginormous brain have the capacity to start your own organizations, publish multiple papers, get into your dream school, get perfect grades, and still be the sweetest, most humble senior on campus?! I will never forget every single late night vent session, the spicy tea-spilling “grind times,” and the unconditional love you have given me as one of my favorite upperclassmen and best friends. It all started from a small, yellow cardboard box. A fine, fleshy bunch of bananas depicted behind bold Korean script. A dainty straw peeking out from a small, punctured hole in the carton’s head. A peculiar object, foreign to me until that moment, but one so impactful, so priceless, because little did I know that this very carton would be the start of a beautiful (and kinda wacky) friendship. The friendship that I know will last a lifetime. The friendship that has been one of the key contributors to my sanity this past year. The friendship I will forever cherish and remember. I love you Jungus and istg, you better keep texting me, no matter how busy you will be popping off at UChicago!
To Sri Voora, I will you the ability to drive (even if you still can’t get the official license smh) and a future upperclassman in Northwestern that will drop everything to turn into your designated stress pillow wherever and whenever you need, just like you did for me. You really are something special; I’ve never met anyone who can shapeshift the way you do! One moment, you’ll be the goofiest little monkey, erupting into uncontrollable, contagious laughter, bringing joy to everyone in a 2 mile radius of you. The next moment, you’ll be a robot mastermind, grinding through every worksheet, problem set, and reading with incredible efficiency. Then there’s my favorite: the pillow. I still remember that reslife when I doze off on your unexpectedly comfortable chest. That nap was the best one I’ve ever taken at IMSA, and even thirty minutes after res life was over and everyone was gone, you still didn’t wake me up or make me get off your chest. You stayed with me and held me in your arms. You’ve always been there for me, both in my happiest and hardest times, and truly I am the luckiest person in the world to have had the opportunity to call you my one and only Bestie Bae. You’ve made my IMSA experience one of a kind and I really can’t imagine IMSA without you next year, so you better come visit :))
To Julie Lima, I will you a bottle of ketchup (because what else could Julie Lima possibly want??) and a full bottle of water poured down your back. When I first met you in BC2, you were so overly energetic and exuberant that I felt like whenever I was around you, I was staring straight into the excruciatingly blinding sun. Honestly, your personality is painfully bubbly, but I think that’s also one of the reasons you are one of my favorite seniors. Despite all the times you bullied me in machine learning, splashed water in my face, and made my eardrums disintegrate with your squeaky voice singing the most random selection of songs (fix your music taste ong), you’ve always made me smile, even on my darkest days. You have the most beautiful smile (and most interesting way of sitting in a chair) and honestly you’re one of the seniors I look up to a lot! I’m really gonna miss hearing your loud, overwhelming laugh and watching you fall off your chair almost every day in class, but I’m so so excited to see where your future takes you!
To Thavasia Anath, I will you (as you asked for) a TINY piece of my legendary dump truck. I also will you a lifetime supply of FRITOS® FLAVOR TWISTS® Honey BBQ Flavored Corn Chips because you’d always offer me a handful of these underrated chips even when you were at your hungriest. And lastly, I will you the piece of gum I never gave you in Mandarin class (you can’t be mad anymore!!). What I really admire about you, Thavivi, is your blunt honesty and poise. If there’s anything I learned from our great variety of random convos, vent sessions, and laughs, it’s that if you have something to say, you never hesitate to say it; you stand up for people and are never afraid to make your voice heard. You are an extremely passionate and driven person and I really admire your ability to work hard (and somehow remain so incredibly productive even after like two hours of sleep). I’m glad you’re my friend and no matter how many more times you hiss at me, call me a useless child, or insult me in Mandarin, I’ll always love you and miss you so much next year. Have a crazy successful future, my favorite Mandarin buddy, and pleaseeee respond to the hurricane of texts I’ll be sending you all the time :))
To Liz Soyemi, I will you a million more genuine friendships, hugs, and connections, because you are really a gem of a person and just through a few conversations with you, I saw your humility and kindness and honest passion for what you do, and with that, you will get far. But in return, I want your autograph. Please. The world has been waiting for a leader like you: a changemaker, an influencer, an innovator. With all your hard work and perseverance, Brown was just your first step, and definitely not your last. I have been so lucky to have called you my friend and getting to know you through TEDx has been such a blessing, as you are one of my biggest inspirations. I know you’ll be so so busy in Brown, but honestly I’m gonna keep annoying you over text :))
To Pranav Patel, I will you perfect pitch. Lol not the singing type, of course — I mean the baseball type. I also will you the answers to Homework 31, even though they’ve been on Canvas for the past three weeks! You’re one of the coolest seniors I met this year and honestly, you’ve helped me get through so much and I admire how you always put others before yourself. When I was struggling through some of the hardest times this year, you didn’t think twice before dropping your stuff to come help me out, and show me how to stand up for myself. You’ve always been there to 🌮 and I really appreciate how genuine you are to everyone around you and the positivity you bring into any situation. You are going to go so far in life and I really hope you find an amazing upperclassman next year as supportive and kind as you have been to me. Good luck out there, scrawny baseball nerd who can’t speak Mandarin for his life. 谢谢您，你是很好的人。
To Belly Kubwimana, I will you the biggest purple heart and an amazing upperclassman next year that will always be there for you and love you unconditionally. I’m so glad I got to get to know you and as my first IMSA best friend, my funniest zoom buddy, and my fellow planetary geek, we made the sweetest of memories and had the best of times. Although things may not have panned out as we had imagined, you have taught me a lot and through our experiences, I felt that both you and I have really grown as a person. From endless late night calls to mini-basketball games and competitive roblox gamethons, I enjoyed every moment we hung out. I wish you the best of luck and can’t wait to see where your future takes you, Mr. Cubewimana :)
To Emilia Daniels, I will you all the love from MOD21, you’ve really made it such an amazing year for us this year. From the many all-nighters you’ve pulled writing us incredible arrangements, the choreo you made for our ICHSA set, the numerous rehearsals and sectionals you’ve put together for our group, MOD21 couldn’t have been as successful as we were this year without you. Thank you for sparking the love for music and acapella in all of us and making a musical mark on IMSA campus. We will all miss you very much and you’ve really given MOD21 so much to live up to next year!
To Shikhar Gupta, I will you a giant, colorful ESG Canva graphic that highlights the hard work and dedication you’ve put into creating an organization of your own and becoming an inspiring self-made CEO from scratch. You’ve always had incredibly high expectations of yourself and stop at nothing to work hard to reach them. Being able to join such a great, selfless organization and seeing the hours of effort you put into it has inspired me to also start something of my own and strive to make a difference in my own community as well. And outside of just ESG, I admire how you have always been there to talk and vent about literally anything and everything! You really are off to do great things, and I will definitely be keeping in touch with you!
To Kavin Suhi, I will you the 2021 edition of the official Illinois Rules of the Road DMV Handbook because you definitely lost yours a long time ago. You can also have full ownership of Shaan because you’ve already brainwashed him to lie about you being the better driver. But in all seriousness, you’re one of the most genuine seniors I’ve met and you’ve been one of my greatest role models since day one. You’re extremely dedicated and hard working, but at the same time, you’re someone who puts others before yourself and will go to any expense to be there for someone when they need it most. You also have an incredible taste in music, and I really think you should go through with your plan of getting your Spotify code tattooed on your arm. Best of luck in Northwestern, and learn to drive safe!
To Oliver Ni, I will you a megaphone to go along with your immaculate way of speech, so you can spread your passions and voice your opinions outside of just your community at IMSA, but eventually, around the globe. You are the best public speaker I’ve ever met and one of my biggest inspirations; it’s really been an honor getting to know you, Oliver, and I’ll never forget all that you have done for me ever since my sophomore year. Even through virtual learning, you were my first friend, fellow foodie, peer tutor, and speech coach. You’d help me work through the toughest calculus worksheets and in the close to impossible WebWorks problems that I could not have finished without your help. But most of all, you gave me a family of friends (NCG + bby sophs lol) and seniors I could rely on for anything and everything. I better get your autograph before you’re off to Georgetown because I can’t wait to see you get elected President one day and watch you start campaigns all across the country with your superpower and gift of speech. Thank you for everything, Olovera!
To Adam Daki, I will you the promise that next year’s SCC will use all of the advice you have given me and really have the best prom ever! Adam, you were my first (and favorite) dinner date, my chem cop, and a wonderful friend with the best advice, and just like Jung Jung had told me wayyy before I even knew who you were, you are so incredibly easy to talk to! You have the most positive vibes and you gave me back the hope for JCC that was slowly being lost to our dying confidence. I’m not gonna lie, I have been a little jealous of all the time you get to spend with MY Jung, but I really appreciate every conversation we’ve had and every advice you’ve given me!
To my obnoxious Mandarin table (Brogan, Cesar, Shiraz, Neil, Pranav), I will you some better pronunciation (my goodness can you guys even use tonal marks?!) and legible handwriting (have you never used stroke order?!). I just wanted to put it out there that I carried our group through Mandarin this whole year and without me, I really don’t know how you could have gotten through the class! Anyways, thanks for giving me the geolocation part in the group project and playing musical chairs, switching seats every other class, and playing endless games of hangman on the little whiteboards; these are the things that honestly made me smile even on my hardest days. You guys are all hilarious and so very annoying but I’m glad I’ve gotten to know you all through Mandarin. 你们很丑，可是我爱你们！
To 06C Seniors (Nadia, Shreya, Gabi, Sri, Apurva), I will you the corpse of the little stink bug that’s pinned to the wall in our wing because that very corpse represents the true “personality” of our wing. When Yina and I first found that evil bug crawling around outside our rooms looking for something (or someone) to eat, we were terrified (I bet our screams could be heard from 01)! In no time at all, our wing superhero, Nadia, rushed down to smash the bug and save the day, pinning its corpse on the wall in remembrance of the victory. In this way, living in C-wing, there’s always a certainty that someone is there for you. If you are struggling, whether it be with the trauma of finding a stink bug outside your door or because of the infinite supply of readings you have from Dr. Eysturlid’s class, you always know that there is always someone ready to help you out, whether it be by killing that stink bug or accompanying you while you work through the readings. And that’s what makes 06C stand out from every other wing on IMSA campus; this is something I realized after moving out and seeing that not every wing is this way. Living in C wing was such a blessing and I really have been so lucky to be able to get to know you all through late night vent and study sessions, random convos while drinking banana milk (thank you Jung Jung <33), and fun wing events planned by only the BEST hall senator (Nadia <3). You guys created the most positive wing vibes and gave us, underclassmen, so much to live up to for our senior year! You all are so incredibly smart and talented and I know you will do amazing things in the future!
To 03D Seniors (Christin, Hilda, Gloria, Vivian), I will you some soft pillows on which you can finally rest your heads, which must be so extremely heavy with the weight of your big brains! Thank you all so much for being so kind and welcoming this year, even with my move being so unprecedented and sudden. I was honestly really scared to suddenly get immersed into a completely new hall culture in the middle of second semester, terrified to leave the strong support system I had back in 1506. But after just a few weeks of living with you, I have felt like I am a part of a wonderful family, and with every welcoming embrace you have given me, I have felt more at home in a place that I thought would be forever foreign to me. And for that, I am incredibly grateful. You all have incredibly bright futures ahead of you and I wish you the best of luck!
To all my other amazing seniors who I didn’t mention above, I will you the best upperclassmen in college that will be there for you the way you have been there for me and all my fellow juniors and sophomores. You are all amazing role models, best friends, wise advice-givers, loving shoulders to lean on, and big siblings we will never forget, who have crafted the most essential parts of our IMSA experience, from our wing and hall cultures, to our culture shows and clubs. You have left an amazing mark on this campus ans given us, underclassmen, so much to live up to in the coming years. Thank you for everything you have done and good luck out there. You’ve changed IMSA for the better. Now go change the world :))
Sofia Zasiebida
To the JSA seniors (Emily, Caroline, Brina, and Yihan), I will you lots of opportunities to speak and be heard. Thank you for being wonderful upperclassmen and for teaching me how to run a club. I will always cherish our memories at Wintercon, especially our chapter caucus dance, as unorganized as it was. Thank you also for Zeitgeist; I’m beyond excited to continue it next year. I wish you all the best in your post-IMSA endeavors! :)
To the 01 C-Wing seniors (Ethan, Esther, Cor, Mo, Dean, Krysta, Abi, and Mya), we will you the best of luck. It has been very swagalicious living in your wing. Thank you for sharing IMSA culture with us and creating a great community for us to live in. When we came to IMSA this year we really didn’t know much. We don’t think we could have figured out how the fire drill worked without your yelling (no fr tho). We’ll always remember life lessons with Luis at check, wing movie nights, and all the advice on which teachers are not totally tubular. Thank you for letting us be a part of the best wing in the best hall on campus (wing war + clash champs). Maybe the sink will be clean next year (probably not tho). Don’t worry, we forgive you for the messy wing we put up with this year. We’re going to miss you but not as much as we’ll miss your mom.
Thats whats up,
C-Wing Juniors
Sophia Ait Boucherbil
To Manaal, I will you a future filled with the same kindness you gave me! I won’t forget everything you have done for me! You’re a very remarkable person and don’t ever forget that! I hope you find a friend as great as yours truly in college! Tuxedo Sam wishes you great luck in your future labors as well, and with his blessing, I’m sure you will go far!
To Rose, I will you all the adoration in the world! Thank you for all the compassion you have extended to not just me, but to a lot of the people in 1502! It’s because of people like you that make IMSA a great place to be! I don’t know how to express my gratitude, but believe me when I say I won’t ever forget you! THANK YOU!!
To Madeline, I will you a spectacular college experience with a super cool dormitory! I won’t forget the community you fostered in 1502 that allowed me to become the person I am today! Thank you for your continued kindness. I won’t ever forget it! Btw BANG!
To Laila, I will you the stress that I will appear behind you and pretend-shoot you in the back :)) !! You think that just because you are graduating IMSA that you are safe… but oh, how wrong you are. This game of Assassin transcends time itself and you were foolish to think it would end so suddenly… Anyways, have fun in college! You deserve the same community you helped foster here in 02 D-Wing at your new school!
To Hector, I will you a sense of humor like mine. You are pretty funny as is, but if you were more like me, you could go beyond the confines of your memes and reach the great expanses and peaks of true comedy. Just kidding! You’re really fantastic as is, and I’m confident you will make waves where you end up next. Good luck and I hope to live up to your expectations of becoming an extraordinary memer!
To Natali, I will you a continued obsession with your “terrible, terrible fandoms” because you def deserve it on the basis that you are a very interesting person!1!1!!!!1 Just kidding!! Maybe!! On a serious note, thank you so much for hanging out with me and enduring my random chatter. I wish you a continued good fortune Genshin, and I’m totally not salty about any of your pulls, in case you were wondering! Have fun in college! You can hmu for my Steam account at any time. Btw this is my investment in you, so when you’re making bank, you are expected to pay me back in full :) !
To Caesar (Cesar Osornio), I will you an exciting freshman year in college. You’re a very kind and funny person, and I wish you the best in your future endeavors! Thank you for tolerating me and joining my very informal game of Assassin. I will try my best to surpass your “super crazy” IMSA experience. Make sure to have a lot of fun in the coming years and try not to stress too much! Good luck!!
Sridevi Krothapalli
To Liz Soyemi, Liz Alcala, Sabrina Zhang, and Oliver Ni I will you all the time of your lives. Thank you for being such encouraging and lovely seniors! Your presence at IMSA made my time here so much more enjoyable, and I am grateful for all the conversations we’ve all had together. I will miss you guys a lot!
To Kavin Suhi, I will you a genuinely unforgettable college experience. I hope you know you really deserve it. Although our time together was a tad bit limited, I will never forget the uplifting things I’ve heard from you. They’ve made me feel like I belong here—I think I do :). I can’t wait for what awesome food you’ll give me in the future. You’re chasing that Evanston dream!
To Disha Dureja, I will you all the opportunities to showcase your singing in the future. You have such a great sense of humor and support. You helped me acclimate to IMSA in so many different aspects and have helped me believe in myself more :).
To Philip Yi, I will you the best samosas and pani puri you could ever dream of. Thanks for always being very kind to me and making fun of me for how “supposedly” short I am. If you need a hairdresser you know who to call! I can’t wait to see all the spectacular things that come your way, I’ll always cheer you on.
To Rohit Katakam, I will you lots of adventures and strawberry ice cream with your goals. Good luck in college! Thank you for supporting me in sophomore year when I had it rough—your kindness in that year is something I will always be thankful for. Always :,)
To Michael Hunding, I will you “Say So” by Doja Cat and everlasting memories with all you choose to pursue. The only Curry I love is the one my mom makes (haha). Don’t stress too much about the future because I know you will do wonderful things. Maybe you’ll choreograph an epic dance in another universe and sing too. You’re a fantastic sibling… and best friend.
To Kian and Sameer, I will you guys fun memories at UIUC and a role in the Powerpuff Girls Franchise! I can’t wait to see what cool and unique things you guys are going to do. To Sameer, take some time to enjoy the outdoors and rest. To Kian, remember that Rowena only has your best interests at heart. Btw, Kian, let me know where all the good places to eat are. Sorry, if I break your wallet in advance, my bad bro.
To Eric Shackelford, I will you someone that is paranoid about whether you hate them or not—LOL! In all seriousness, you are so smart and just overall a super fun person to talk to. I’ve enjoyed all of our conversations, and I just wanted to say I hope you know how much your advice and sincerity helped me in the second semester. I wish we had met earlier. I also will you delicious curly fries in Houston because I remember when you’d occasionally steal mine. smh. Most importantly, I am glad that you are Blossom instead of Sameer. (Buttercup appreciates her oldest sister very much).
To Advait Jigar Patel, I will you another fictional waterbender friend and the ability to sleep earlier. I never mentioned it as much as I should have, but I really do appreciate you more than you’ll ever know. This isn’t even a goodbye from me because dude, things are gonna be wild since you got me in your corner. Can I have a popsicle, please? Ok! Love, your favorite worrisome friend, baddie, Big-Time Rusher, Katara.
Srihari Gurugubelli
To Adam Daki, Edwin Alcantara, Quinn Verdeyen, Mason Rinkel, Shehzad Bajowala, Zach Swanson-Linville, and Logan Schultz, I will you all many more successful soccer seasons and good games to be played. I’d like to also say thank you to Adam Daki, in particular, for passing me #5. It means a lot from you and I appreciate it.
To Haley Rodriguez, I will you all the good memories that you can make. I genuinely appreciate the times we’ve spent together and the jokes we’ve made, and I hope your next steps bring you as much joy as you’ve brought me. Have fun in warm weather! I also will you better Speed and Uno skills. (I’d like to say that’s another joke but… ).
To Gabriella Velazquez, I will you all the waves I can ever give. You never fail to brighten my day whenever I see you, and I hope you’ll continue to be so contagiously happy. People like you make me choose to continue believing in kindness. (I would also like to apologize for calling you Abbi the first time we met :)).
To Eden Puchitkanont, I will you a better sense of humor :/ JK Eden, I appreciate you and your humor, and I hope you’re aware of the positive impact you’ve made on me. I hope you have a wonderful time pursuing your next goals and always stay smiley.
To Siddarth Tiwari, I will you the never-ending energy to pursue the answers to your questions, as well as the power to inspire others as you have myself and many others already. Respect for your grind.
To Nicholas Dean Carter, otherwise known as NDC, I will you good times in Iowa. Thanks for getting to know me and never hesitating to share a laugh.
To Gavin Hartlaub, I will you more seaweed days. I hope you continue to use your humor and be a positive influence on others.
Sriya Mudumba
To Karen Olvera, I will you to come visit me and have a happy and fun college experience. I will you to stay with my abuela, even when you don’t want to. I will you all the Indian food that I can make you and all the KPOP recommendations that you want from me.
To Catelyn Rounds, I will you a fun college life and friends. I will you happiness and many many many many good memories. I love you.
Sufiya Hussaini
To Sage Owen, I will you all the happiness in the world. Though that isn’t specific, I thought of many things I could will you, but there is nothing I want you to have more than happiness. I remember when I was first added to the B-wing group chat, you reached out to me separately. We talked a lot about IMSA and you answered the questions I had. Then, on move-in day, you were the one to help me move into my room. I even remember early in the school year, when I ran out of money on my laundry card, I knocked on your door early in the morning to borrow yours. You gave it to me without hesitation and ever since that day I saw you like my older sister. This was the start of a friendship that I hold close to my heart. Sage, something I noticed about you was that you are someone who will stick up for the right thing, even if it isn’t in your favor. You are never afraid to say something and keep our wing in check. You have a pure and kind heart, and I always found that precious about you. No matter what life throws at you, don’t change who you are. You are someone I strive to be like, and the best thing I could will you is happiness. I hope you find happiness in every situation. Also, I am counting on a B-wing REUNION!! If this doesn’t happen, I’ll be sad :( Oh, and invite me to your wedding! Don’t forget about us!! I love you, Sufiya <3
To Morgan, I will you many many amazing back massages. Apparently, I wasn’t good enough!! All jokes aside, thank you for your endless college and relationship advice (tip #1: NEVER date a drug dealer or a 20-year-old). Thank you for bringing a happy and cheery vibe to our wing. You are always smiling and I love that about you. I can’t believe you’re going off to college, but I know you’ll have so much fun. I hope you are successful in changing the culture in a sorority house (ROLL TIDE (western accent) *right hand on knee and left hand in air*). I hope you find your happiness, and I would say live life to the fullest, but I know you will. (Please invite me to your wedding, and you better come to the reunion.) I love you, Sufiya <3
To Lizard Alpaca (Liz Alcala), I will you a guy who is taller than you, if all the short girls (me) don’t steal them all. Liz, words can’t describe how much I enjoy being in your presence and spending time with you. You were one of my first senior friends. I don’t remember much of how we met but I remember becoming close friends pretty fast. I always appreciate it when you ask how my day went or wave to me in the hallways. I know college season was rough for you, but you are going to end up right where you should be. I know you’ll love Northwestern, and you’re going to be so close to Chicago!! Notre Dame is lame anyway, I mean it’s in Indiana. Also, they have no beaches there and no fun things. Also, you can visit more often now :)) I can’t wait to see who you become and I hope we never lose touch. Please, please invite me to your wedding and come to the wing reunion, ok?! (Also, you will always be my favorite senior). Love you Lizzo, Sufiya <3
To Deesher (Disha), I will you the chance to meet Srikar and even be featured in one of his music videos (remember me when you’re famous). Congrats on being a Park Scholar; I’m so proud of you. I bet the only reason you wanted to go to NCSU was for him. It’s okay, though, cause he’s hot (Tanmay is cuter though, please get me a pic of him and an autograph). Seriously, though, I want to start by saying thank you for all the advice you have given me. Though you might think I will never listen to it—well I probably won’t—but I will still cherish it? Idk man, also invite me to your wedding and you better come to the reunion, ok? Great, now have fun at college, you’re gonna love it!! Love you, Sufiya <3
To Jasmine, I will you all the Indian food in the world. I hope you are able to try every single dish there is. To be honest, I don’t know where to start. You helped me with soo many things voluntarily and I’ll always be grateful. First off, thank you for helping me start the process for SIR when I had no clue what to do. Thank you for giving me endless advice on colleges and careers and everything else. I know you tell me to not stress as much, and I am trying to take your advice, but I know I’ll be thankful for it in a couple of years. Thank you for letting me study in your room at night and thank you for always making me laugh. I always enjoy having conversations with you (though I was intimidated by you at the beginning of the year) and I’m glad we got the chance to get closer. You are a fun person and I know that you’ll have an amazing time at college. I will take you up on the offer of texting you, and I hope we never lose touch. Also, I would love for you to come visit!! Please invite me to your wedding lol and come to the B-wing reunion. Love you, Sufiya <3
To Niyati, I will you a perfect college experience!! I am so happy for you; I still can’t believe you’re going to China and Barcelona. I know you’ll have an amazing time. My favorite memory of you is in the purple wig throwing it back. So sexyyy ;)). You are a very talented person and I aspire to be as cool as you! Also, please invite me to your wedding and come to the B-wing reunion!! Love you, Sufiya <3
To Belly, I will you a good phone for the rest of your life to record all your TikToks on. First of all, thank you for being the coolest senior out there. You always make me laugh, even when you’re making fun of me lol. You’re a fun person to talk to and I hope we never lose touch. Even though you beat me in iMessage games once in a while (hehe), your dancing skills make up for it. Don’t forget me when you’re a famous dancer. I’m so happy I was able to meet you, you really are an amazing person. I can’t believe you’re going to college, though. I hope you have the bestest time in college; I know you’re very excited for it. Also, never call me my sister’s name, thanks :)) I’ll miss you, Sufiya <3
To Haley, I will you a better sister. You definitely are the better Rodriguez sister!! Even though we didn’t talk too much, I know you’re an amazing person and you have a kind heart. I hope you enjoy every second of college and are forever happy.
To Shiraz, I will you a better volleyball. That volleyball was so bad that it scratched me, so get a new one! It was a lot of fun getting to know you and having iftar together. You are a funny and kind person. I hope you enjoy every second of college. Good luck with the Texas heat. I’ll miss you at the MSA meetings!
To Adam, I will you a watch, so maybe then you’ll see the time and come to MSA meetings. HAHA, jokes aside, I really enjoyed getting to know you. You are a very fun person to be around and I appreciate the laughter you bring to our meetings (when you’re there lol). Also, guess what: my sister’s going to Loyola toooo!! If you decide to join MSA (and actually go to the meetings) maybe you’ll see her. If you do see her, tell her I’m the better sister hehe. Seriously, though, I will miss having you as a senior; have fun at college!
To Manaal, I will you happiness. I will always keep you in my duas, and I hope you know how much I appreciate you. You are so, so kind-hearted and I hope you never change that about yourself. May Allah fill your life with blessings and noor. Thank you for giving me Arabic lessons for a while, it was a lot of fun while it lasted! Thank you for being an amazing MSA president, I love you! Sufiya <3
Taylor Baugh
To Hannah Johnson, I will you lots of dropped time, a window seat on the bus, and all the talent in 02. Hannah, I don’t even know where to begin. I remember going to Zoom programming with you a year ago, and now we’re here. You have not only become one of my closest friends here in 02, but you’ve also been one of the most exceptional and inspirational role models I know. You have led me to meet amazing people, try awesome things, and gain some really dope experiences. There’s no way that last-year-me would’ve predicted how close I have gotten with you (mostly because I thought you were a senior last year…). Thank you for all the memories, and I hope you play lots of Among Us in college.
To Madeline Fields Halva, I will you all of my future fly events, every last word of Dr. Eysturlid’s readings, and Lexington’s milk machine. Actually, now that I’m thinking about it, you can have my IM events too.
Madeline, I know you’re going to will me your gender crisis and possibly your sexuality crisis. This is me waiting to read those words and officially accept the crises. It’s sort of like a declaration of war (but the war will be inside myself, you know?). I will never forget the awesome memories I made with you this year. I’m so glad we got to do everything we did, even if it was nowhere near enough time. I hope you find some amazing people in college who make you just as happy as you made us (well, maybe slightly less happy, so you don’t forget about us). Despite everything, I do genuinely hope you enjoy Ohio. I think that when you’re there, the net coolness of the state will be raised significantly. Maybe even enough for Jadesola and me to visit.
To Naveena Mutharasan, I will you a more thermally stable variant of rubisco activase ;) Naveena, I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say that I was completely and totally unprepared for SIR. I came in with no experience and practically no knowledge in the field. But when I first walked into the lab and saw you sitting there, I knew everything would work out. And it did! I am so so happy with how our research turned out, and we should both be incredibly proud. I genuinely could never have done it without you. Thank you for being my SIR partner and a truly incredible role model.
To Em and Gabi, I will you our late nights in a hall council. You have both been such amazing role models for me, and taught me so much about what it means to be an RSL here at IMSA (and, by extension, a really dope IMSA student in general). You were both so inspirational to me in SIR, and every day, I was impressed by your intelligence. I could never have done any of this without you, so thank you for all the guidance and support.
To the 02 B-wing seniors (Alice, Joyce, Hannah, Rachel, Ola, Sanaa, Wei, and Isabel), I will you a college residential experience that is much, much better than the one at IMSA. I hope your sinks are clean, programming is short (but sweet!), and that your upperclassmen are just as welcoming, supportive, and genuinely kind as you all have been to us. Thank you for showing B-wing what IMSA is all about!
Theo Schreiber
To Grayson Pacourek, I will you a new mouse with even more buttons on it so that one day you may be able to defeat Xander in a Speed CAD competition. I could not have asked for a better DI head and I hope that I can fill the hole in the team that you are leaving. *Official FRC Team 2022 Laugh*
To Julie Lima, I will you my number 8.2 drill bit. I hope it may be an acceptable instrument for whenever you feel the need for drilling. I loved all of the moments when I got to hear your iconic laugh. It will be missed by everyone on the team. I appreciate your ability to leave a smile on anybody’s face and to make anyone laugh in any situation.
To Dev Singh, I will you the United States Constitution so that you may have some new material to read when you get bored now that you are a free man. I have always admired how you always seem to have your stuff together, your confidence, your knowledge of how the world works, and your honesty. I have no doubt that you will be successful in the future and am very thankful to have met you at IMSA.
To Nathan Kilmer, I will you a new Prius. I have always loved hearing you go into detail about anything and everything and hearing all of your stories. I hope you are able to instantiate a quiet dorm at Purdue. That night we spent working in your garage is one that I can never forget, partially because I got to sleep under an awesome aircraft comforter. Thank you for bringing life into B wing with weekly game nights, even though I have not been to them recently. There are so many things that will always make me think of you, like Spam, moving couches in small economical cars, using Celsius instead of Fahrenheit, tape measures, and so much more. I will be sure to visit you at 3:00AM at some point while you are at Purdue.
To Christian Grey, I will you the memory of my name. My name is Theo Schreiber, and I only lived in the room across from you for an entire school year.
To Kian De Guzman, my oldest IMSA friend, I will you a great college life. I have loved every interaction we have had together and kind of feel bad we were not closer this year. Doing Lunar with you as the choreographer was so much fun. It is so crazy to think that we have known each other for so long and it is sad to see you go again. I hope we can meet again in the future. -Theo Subscriber
To Blake Barth, Team Leader, I will you a college life that will be filled with as many perks of Florida life as possible. Yes, I am talking about the two main things we decided we had to have in our hypothetical spaceship or Mars colony or whatever we were supposed to do. Planetary Science was such a great class with you there to lighten the mood and make us laugh. Thank you for teaching me the ways of a Second Semester Senior.
To Angel Hernandez, I will you a bottle of stump remover from my garage so that you may… remove some stumps. I always loved talking to you about your cooking experiments and giving what help I could. Seeing you work out outside with your DIY equipment always brought a smile to my face and I hope you continue to improvise and continue to get bigger and buffer. I hope to never receive a package in the mail from you and hope you understand.
To Sage Owen, I will you the French cinema finale in black and white with “Fin.” for your conclusion to your time at IMSA. I had a great time leaving engineering class with you and having random conversations about anything.
Umi Arora
To Saanvi Chelikani, I will you an endless supply of satisfying Expo markers! I loved having you as my co, and I can’t wait to see you thrive in college!! Keep on being the gorgeous, genius, funny, hilarious, sarcastic, and bestest person ever. I loved laughing with you on Wednesday nights, bonding with you over Manifest and other random Netflix shows, and forcing our LEAD classes to watch the old culture show dances. (Please don’t forget your roots, and remember your commitment to making a guest appearance to my future SocEnt class!)
To Niyati Kapadia, I will you more Amazon scrubs that look like cute pants! You made Mandarin SO SO fun last semester, and I loved knowing I wasn’t the only Apple Watch gal. Thank you for being there to listen to my problems and always give genuine and helpful advice or just listen as I ranted. You are the blueprint: pro dancer, taekwondo queen, gorgeous girlboss, Mandarin expert, and so much more. Can’t wait to see you take on China!
To Thavaisya Ananth, I will you all the baddie energy in the worl- oh wait, you already have it! PLS PLS PLS see how awesome you are!!! You are such a light in my B-wing life, and I love our midday + post check talks. Thanks for always being there to listen to a random rant, give some good old upperclassman advice, and keep it real. Even though we didn’t talk every day, our conversations were always meaningful and genuine. Keep on being you, and I know you’re going to do awesome things in college and in life!
To Apurva Reddy, I will you more midnight milky ways! You were my first co, and I want to thank you for making that first semester on LEAD so awesome. I loved our chill talks, all your upperclassman advice, and the candy you brought from Science Olympiad. Have so much fun in college!
To Rujuta Durwas, I will you the next Taylor Swift album (praying it’s 1989 TV)! Thank you for being one of the first upperclassmen that I knew online and making my first year at IMSA so much better. I’m never going to forget our facetimes sophomore year, all the advice you gave me, and the genuine kindness that you showed to all of us all the time. You are an awesome person, and I know you’re going to have the best time ever in college!! #RAMBLER
To Mya Griesbaum, I will you all the mycelium in the world! I loved working with you in TALENT and EMPR (Even through the Power Pitch times over Zoom LOLZ) and I’m so glad I got the chance to know the charismatic and kind person that you are. Thank you for always being so bubbly and letting us know about the dry PBJs in Lexington. You’re such a genuine soul, and I know you are going to have a great time in college!
To Nadia Ludwig, I will you a ton of smiles! Thank you so much for making events team so fun and being such a welcoming and kind person. You and Mya were some of the first upperclassmen in club environments to be nice to me, and I’m so happy that we got to work together the past year. Your positivity and good energy is contagious, and I can’t wait to see you have a fantastic time in college!!
Valeria Castellanos
To Erin Yoo, I will you a never ending thank you and everlasting appreciation for the impact you’ve had on me through your noble leadership in leading SCRJ. Back when SCRJ was GLP, and I was a sophomore and you a junior, I remember expressing interest in joining the decarceration efforts that the Grassroots Law Project had described. You had started GLP@IMSA, but at the time, we didn’t have a specific committee focusing on decarceration efforts. Instead of turning me away or encouraging me to join another subcommittee, you encouraged me to start my own committee under GLP, and I’ve only grown since. What I never expressed to you was the reasoning behind my interest in pursuing that specific advocacy effort, and that was because it directly impacted and continues to impact my home-life. I never imagined myself taking on the role that I did or engaging in advocacy work in the way that I do now, but you made me FEEL and ultimately become capable. As a young sophomore, I had no idea what I was doing trying to organize, structure, and run an entire committee on my own but you were there every step of the way and all while you were developing SCRJ into the INCREDIBLE trailblazing organization that it is today. I couldn’t have done it without you and I don’t think but I know for a fact that I never expressed that enough. You have no idea of the impact you’ve had on me. This is really the true definition of a Lollipop Moment. I am so grateful for the kindness you’ve shown me, Erin. PRINCETON and the WORLD is so incredibly lucky to have you. Thank you for showing me the power of the kindness of an upperclassman and for being someone I can look up to.
Venus Obazuaye
To Temi Ijisesan, I will you a better taste in fictional men. Let’s Play isn’t as good as you think it is, please please please read Age Matters instead. I also will you upperclassmen in college who give you stickers, argue with you on Messenger during Creative Writing, and judge you for half of everything you do. Please design me a library one day while you’re off doing your cool architect things. Also, I think the midday meetings are fine. You aren’t doing much besides hanging out in the IRC with your boyfriend anyways <3.
To Adriana Rodriguez, I will you underclassmen who are better at helping with math than I am and Cheetos flavored mac and cheese. (I’m really sorry, solids of rotations still make no sense.) Thanks for all the late nights in the wing commons, trying to figure out what was going on during Casa practices, and more. I’m really gonna miss you but I hope you have the best time in college :)).
To Thavaisya Ananth, I will you more food, specifically Cheez-Its. Also some sleep because sometimes you looked like you really needed it. I’m gonna miss you telling us all the IMSA drama in the wing commons, and all the discussions about questionable things. I hope you have a good time in Georgia with the little wasp dude :>>.
To Erin Yoo and all the SCRJ seniors (Sam, Thavaisya, Gabe, Sanaa), I will you a relaxing time in college after all the stuff you’ve done here. It’s been a pleasure working with y’all, and you are some of the most talented and inspiring people I know.
To Jai Raval, I will you a lifetime of good hair days (your hair is really cool). I hope you have a great time in college :).
Vikram Karra
To Christin, I will you recess time that we got from those math bowl workshops. I will forever hate the word vaccum, and you’re the sole reason for it. But I will always love the one phrase you told me a long time ago back at the Mathletes workshop in my 7th grade: “you do you.” I took that to heart, and that’s exactly what I did, and throughout my years of competing with you in math, spelling, and literally following your shadow since the very beginning as a flute player, I have gained an unforgettable friend and an invaluable mentor. I would not have run for NJHS had I not heard your speech about the planets as I watched from the back of the gym with the band. I would not have pushed myself to the limit every day were it not for your benchmarks in the spelling bee, the math bowl, and your social energy in every setting. I would not have been the lead coordinator I am today had it not been for your wholesome teaching during my CORE class last year and gifting me the privilege of having the best co facilitator by my side. Finally, of course, I know for a fact I would be living a very different life if it weren’t for your support throughout each and every single fricking big step of my life in the last few years. Please don’t forget me as you make your way towards the best of the best, because you have been so much more to me than I could possibly convey in words, but maybe one simple object I still keep in my room bookshelf will be enough summarize our time together: it’s that puff ball you gave me right before our Mathletes competition four years ago…
To Kavin, I will you my future X5 so you can stop complaining about your Benz’s inability to keep up with me. Kavin, did you know that you were my big sib for LEAD? Yeah, you didn’t show up once until the week before SLD week, and the day you did show up, you told me about how you got three tickets in one day. I thought you were funny, careless, smart, and an idiot. The perfect ingredients for one of my favorite seniors. I will never forget the long nights I had in your room. From staring at your fish for hours to talking med while I sat on top of your bed, the quad is just never going to be the same when you’re gone. You were my biggest advocate, and especially during times when I was the most insecure, believe it or not, spending time in your room gave me some of the best memories I’ve ever had. Please don’t lose your love for cars because I’m getting my revenge soon. If it’s not on the highway then it’ll be in Formula SAE, but let’s hope we’ll be on the same team one day rather than against each other.
To Balaji, I will you a second first date since I accidentally ruined your first. You were literally the first IMSA upperclassman I met in person (apart from Christin). The little dude that I saw in the park of Millennium Elementary as I hijacked your first date ended up becoming one of the few seniors I looked up to every single day (even though I had to technically look down to see you). I thought we would have a very acquaintance-like relationship with each other, but it was the little things we did together that added up to earning an invaluable friend that I will never forget. When you voluntarily went out of your way to buy supplies for my Homecoming poster, and literally went overboard to calculate the precise measurements of the poster (spending literally five hours on it), I realized that I was going to be in good hands for the rest of the year. You were so selfless, and your intelligence was just unmatched. I can’t believe I only got to know you for a year. I still remember the first time you stole Christin’s phone your sophomore year and snapped me in the middle of school using her phone (when I was a freshman). I don’t know why I remember that, because obviously we didn’t know each other at the time, but little did I know that that little person would end up becoming more than just a wingmate to me. Thank you for all the quad nights and all the nights that made junior year more than just tolerable, but enjoyable too.
To Neil, I will you a second chance at watching Interstellar. It’s not as overrated as you think. In all seriousness though, thank you for being one of the few seniors that I could relate to when it came to these things. The one or two conversations we had late at night about Christopher Nolan and movies in general was a moment I just won’t be able to share with anyone else. Your humor in the quad kept me wide awake at night, and I appreciated all the down to Earth advice that you gave me and the rest of the underclassmen throughout the year. I wish I spent more time in your room this year and had gotten the chance to have more of those late-night convos. You probably don’t remember this but I once asked you during first semester that when things die down after college apps and after the junior grind (towards the end of the year basically) you would teach me everything about your setup, from your speakers to your plex server to every little detail about your desk setup. When you’re reading this, I will be waiting for you to finally teach me this before you leave. Enjoy Ohio, cuz you deserve it.
To Eric, I will you a xenomorph simulation. I’m sure we remember that one week during that one summer that one year. For a while, it was like we wouldn’t see each other again after the summer camp (honestly, I don’t think we cared about that at the time lol) but after spending a year with you as my wing mate, it’s definitely a different feeling this time around. I’m going to miss all the little memories we had here and there. There was this one moment specifically in the beginning of the year where we caught up about life and you gave me advice about teachers, classes, and so much more. You were sitting on that one table in our wing (the one next to the tv) and I was sitting on the couch. It was a very very specific memory, but it was a memory that stuck, and I will never forget just how humble and tall IMSA students can be. Too bad we couldn’t do another one of those xenomorph type presentations again. Four years ago, as the summer camp ended, I thought I would probably not see you again, but obviously that was proven wrong, so maybe in another four years…
To Pranav, I will you a football so you can use that to simp with instead of mine (jkjk). I remember that one night we spent right outside my room just talking about your soph year and then about IMSA in general, and then went to my room and stood by my door talking for over three hours about literally everything. I promise you that I will never forget that conversation. You gave me a perspective on life that I would not have had for a while, and I hope you know that the relationship that you had with that one upperclassman that gave you the hat is the same relationship that I have with you. One that is unforgettable and worthy of leaving a hat behind.
To Shikhar, I will you better hall decs than the ones we made for Nitr05. That was the first time I met you. We were on call until like 3 AM grinding those hall decs only to get snubbed for 5th or something. It was tough, but I got a lot closer with you. Since then, having you as my wing mate has been a wonderful experience. I will try to continue your tennis legacy and I hope you make a legacy of your own in UPenn.
To Gloria, I will you another two seasons of Drive to Survive (Netflix confirmed two more seasons lol). Thank you for being like the only person on campus that could relate to F1. Whether you were passionate out of pity for me or actually liked the sport, I will never forget the little rants we had about each race and the weird rules and dramatic moments in the Netflix show we would talk about. I’m going to miss the little waves we’d give each other even if we were on opposite sides of the hall. You’re going so many places in the future I can already tell, and you’re going to be really busy spending long hours doing work at night, so I would recommend drinking a Red Bull to keep you awake lol.
To Rohit & Disha, I will you a vacation to take a break from the back breaking work of being a LEAD coordinator. I mean seriously, your work has paid off in ways you will never be able to see, but I promise you we will feel the ripples of your influence. Thank you for leaving the LEAD program in such a way that has made our job easy (almost). I would not be the coordinator I am today if it weren’t for your expertise, and I bet Sarah would say the same. Those one-hour convos sitting on the floor of the engineering hallway are going to help us in the long run in so many ways that you have no idea. I wish you the best of luck in college. Disha, I hope your school gets the championship win it deserves and Rohit, I hope you get better at Badminton (I’m still convinced Balaji won but whatever lol). We won’t forget you, and I hope you both can leave confident that LEAD is in good hands.
To Natalie & Pranav, I will you a future team that can be as great as the EnAct team that you made this year. We would not have been as successful as we were if it weren’t for the two of you (although maybe we could’ve done better without Pranav…jkjk). From Natalie being such an inspiring facilitator my soph year to Pranav lightening the mood in almost every setting, you two will always be my favorite co chairs from this year. I will never forget the time I spent with you and the rest of the team, from bonding over BDSM and RPS tests to that one time we had a meeting outside at those benches discussing the Ukraine v Russia current event. EnAct was an unforgettable experience this year, and it was all thanks to the two of you, so thank you (and Pranav please get better hair).
To Gerry, I will you infinite meat stick things because it seemed like you didn’t eat enough that night (even though you ate double the sticks than the rest of us had combined). Gerry, you’ve left me with the biggest shoes to fill, and I don’t know how I’m going to fill it. No like literally though, your feet are really big (according to Nachi). In all seriousness though, I don’t know how I’m going to live up to your benchmark as of now. There is a long road ahead of me, but you have given me an exceptional organization to work with and made my job all the more easier. I don’t know how you were able to head IMSA’s biggest event of the year, but you’ve shown that with time, a good board to back you up, and sheer motivation to complete your goals, it is possible to transcend all the challenges that you’re faced with and deliver an event that will be ingrained in the heads of every IMSA student. Your legacy now hovers above CAB just like the CAB Directors before you and me, and I promise to use what you have given me this year to take CAB to unprecedented heights.
To Senior CAB, I will you a better CAB Drill. I am genuinely sorry we all had to go through that. Senior CAB though, I could never have imagined how CAB would’ve worked if any one of you weren’t a part of it. From Cor and I emceeing a Kahoot game at the virtual lock-in last year (my first CAB event!) to hearing Liam’s alligator joke for the first time, to Dean’s confidence as an emcee, and to Gerry’s leadership as a CAB Director, you all have each had an impact on me and my involvement in CAB and left me with an easy job (as easy as the job of a CAB Director can get). I will never forget what I have learned from all of you, and I hope you can leave IMSA knowing that CAB is in good hands and what you have given to us will be invaluable in preserving the culture of IMSA.
To Eunice, I will you the best memories in Northwestern (Kellogg specifically). The work you put in for TALENT definitely did not go unnoticed, and the future of TALENT as well as every board member will be indebted to the gift of an organization you have given us. I will never forget the little hi’s we gave each other in the hall and the meetings we spent over the summer working on IGNITE and facilitating. Your work has set up TALENT perfectly for a bright future, and you have made our job all the easier, so I hope you can go to Northwestern knowing that TALENT is in good hands and has so much potential.
To Christo, I will you the chance to SOLIDIFY your career. I still remember those days when you used to facilitate INC every other week my sophomore year. Weird memory but you had a sophomore rush poster in your room that I could see on Zoom and would always stare at and be like “This can’t be Christo’s poster.” Since then, working with you has been an absolute pleasure, and you will go down in the history books of TALENT for sure. Take some time for yourself Mr. Retired President, and I hope you haven’t forgotten the fact that you still gave me an invitation to come to your room, which I gladly accepted (so you might want to start locking your door).
To Akwasi, I will your infinite Beyblades. Thanks for being the anchor in our wing amidst the chaos almost everywhere. I wish I got closer with you this year, because you’ve always been so friendly and laid back in the wing and having you as my wing mate was one of the best parts of this wing as a whole. I’m going to miss you and your obsession with bey blades, but don’t change one bit.
To Rujuta, I will you some height. Whenever I was around you, no matter how tired I was, my energy would always increase like a ton. I really don’t know what it was about you, whether it was the little hi’s we said to each other in the hall or the “ur mom” jokes or the insulting each other by calling each other ugly. Either way, some of the best moments I remember in the loft were with you and your little circle of friends. I wish I got closer to you, but you’ve been so supportive of me and everyone around me, and honestly that’s all that mattered. In fact, you don’t even need the height. Your passion and support for others will be more than enough, because it was definitely enough for me
To Jonah, I will you a metronome, so you don’t have to keep clicking the beat for us. I know we weren’t best buds or anything, but we were band nerds in a math and science school, so I think that says enough. One of the reasons I hesitated to leave my old school was because of its exceptional band program compared to IMSA, because I knew what I was getting myself into by joining IMSA’s band program. However, you made it bearable. In fact, it was more than bearable, dare I say, enjoyable? It was a pain watching in live time (get it haha) as the band got slower then faster then slower and all over the place, but as a percussion section, I’m glad to have spent my final year in band with a little bit of reassurance that we were in your good hands. Please don’t stop playing mallets or snare or percussion in general, because just like your open letter touched on, IMSA shouldn’t be a means for you to give up.
To Oliver, I will you a Phantasmic college experience. I didn’t know you that well in the beginning of the year, but it was the small moments, like that one hug outside 05 one night in late August to the little “what’s ups” we’d give each other in the hallway that gave me a friendship I will always consider invaluable. I remember that one day you edited my The Arrival essay with Christin in 05 hall commons. It was the first time I had witnessed the Oliver mind at work, and since then I would continue to see a passion driven student, mentor, and friend who was there for me when I needed you and a supporter for literally everyone. I will never forget the advice you gave to me about my CAB Director speech, because I looked specifically at you as I iterated one of my final lines of my speech when I recited it to the school. Your help throughout the year did not go unnoticed, and it has inspired me to do the same for my underclassmen, or at the very least, try.
William Hellrung
To Damien Santiago, I will you another Hellrung sibling you can count on and a hug. God knows you need it.
To Leo Volker, I will you the right index toe of the skeleton you keep in your room. Zuyu bit it off, and it’s been hanging by our wall calendar ever since. May your bones remain intact doing whatever you decide to spend your time on.
To Dev Singh, I will you a chocolate protein shake, similar to the one you wouldn’t let me drink that first week. Don’t deprive yourself of those GAINZ.
To Bhargav Sampathkumaran, I will you an entire year in college where nobody wishes you happy birthday on any date other than on April 30. Sorry for being a Royal pain.
To Jillian Heinzmann, I will you a wooden broom. It was an honor defending Bhargav’s chambers with you.
To Liam Archer, I will you a map and compass. I don’t know how you managed to get Eagle Scout at 13 with such pitiful navigation skills, but you have my respect nonetheless. I hope to match your feat in New Mexico this summer.
To Jamie Im, I will you strength in Pokémon Go. May you one day have the power to rival my brother.
And to Liam Nelson, I will you your brother Logan. Please take him to college with you. Regardless, it’s been fun messing around and being bros with you both.
Yanel Gonzalez
To all of the senior 02 B wingers, I will you all years filled with friendship, success, smiles, and much more. You all work so hard and deserve so much. Thank you for making programming so much fun, I wish you all the best!
To my fav senior roommate pair, Olamiji Fabamigbe and Sanaa Davis, I will you both a better sleeping schedule because the way y’all be laughing it up in that room at 3 in the morning is interesting, to say the least. You both have showed me what friendship really is and I aspire to have that with my roommate. I loved going to your room to do homework while jamming to music and eating snacks, BUT PLEASE, get rid of that light because that thing is scary. Sanaa, I will you a bigger collection of noodles. Thank you for being so honest and straightforward with things and for feeding me. You are a great math tutor and a great friend:) Ola, I enjoyed our late-night workout sessions with Nashra where we’d run around the wing. Studying at night in the study room never failed to be fun, when it wasn’t steaming in there. I have never met someone who loves watching movies as much as you. I thank both of you for being so welcoming and making my sophomore year so much fun. I will you both years full of success, friendship, and love, and will miss both of you very much. Keep us updated with the SOY Sauce chat:)))
To the senior IN2 group, I will you guys more years of strong friendship. You all have such a beautiful friendship that spreads good vibes and laughter to everyone nearby. There was never a dull moment with all of you in IN2. You all made it so fun… filled with giggles and smiles. I hope you all continue to prosper and find success in the years to come.
To Abbi Gonzalez, I will you more laughs and giggles. Every time you walk into the room you bring this uplifting wave of happiness. I remember meeting you the first time in the RC office and I was astonished at how outgoing you are. There was also the time when I asked for a sweater for the soccer game and ended up with what seemed like a whole closet worth of clothes to try on. You’re extremely stylish and please continue to rock em crocs because after all, if you ain’t crocin, you ain’t rockin. You have such a big heart, I remember the time you found a dog outside on campus and you did all you could to make sure it was in safe hands. I will you years filled with joy, friendship, and love. HEY ABBI, you ARE and will ALWAYS be a SMEXY *****.
Yareli Marinez
To Adriana Rodriguez, I will you some more creamer and the ability to dance zapateado. Thank you for all the creamer you’ve given me, it has helped me survive this year. You are my favorite senior and I loved getting to know you this past year. Having you as my partner for Cumbia was so much fun and our conversations in the wing always brightened my day. I hope you learn how to dance zapateado so you can teach me sometime. Have fun at SLU and text me whenever, I’ll always be down to talk to you. <3
To Thavaisya Ananth, I will you a corset and some tea. I have loved having you in 03 B wing. You’ve brought some of the best energy to our wing and I’ve loved whenever you’d join us for our nightly tea sessions. I hope you are blessed with so much tea (that you can spill with us on a call). Also, you need a corset because when you put on Solange’s you looked HOT and the world deserves to know how hot you are. I really appreciate all the advice and time you’ve spent with us and I wish you nothing but the best. <3
To Hailey Munafo, I will you some more bracelets and all the solitaire games in the world. Having you in ModFic this semester has been a lot of fun. You’re so good at solitaire, you should help me out sometime. You’ve been an amazing senior and I’ve loved having you in B wing. Thanks for all the fun. <3
To Naveena Mutharasan, I will you many more shoes and the lead role in whatever plays you participate in. You are so amazing and kind and I’ve always left a conversation with you with a smile on my face. You are incredibly talented and I hope you get many more shoes to match all your costumes. I don’t doubt that you’ll do great things and I hope for nothing but the best for you. <3
To Natalie Hulseberg, I will you all the best ingredients and baking tools you could ever want. You have been a great person to have around and seeing you bake all kinds of stuff in the hall commons was always entertaining. <3
To Shiraz Baxamusa and Belly Kubwimana, I will you guys someone who has Halimat’s photography skills. You guys have been so much fun to be around and although I bully y’all (mostly Shiraz), I will miss you. The impromptu photoshoots were so much fun, you guys are fabulous models. Belly is still the cooler one, but I guess you’re cool too Shiraz. I hope for nothing but the best for you guys. <3
To Pranav Patel, I will you a comb. Please, for your own good, fix your hair so you don’t look like a wet rat. All jokes aside, I’ve appreciated all the conversations we’ve had in 03 commons and you’ve given us a lot of help and insight, so thank you. <3
To Erin Yoo, I will you some rest. I admire your passion and hard work, but please get some rest, you deserve it. You have led SCRJ with so much passion and you have truly been an inspiration. Thank you so much for all that you’ve done. I can’t wait to see all the amazing things I know you’ll accomplish. <3
To Gabe Delgado, I will you an upperclassman who is as hardworking as you. You have led the Immigration Reform with so much passion and working alongside you has been incredible. I hope I can be half as good a head as you were. I loved having you as a choreo for Cumbia, it was so much fun and I couldn’t imagine anyone who could’ve done it better. I know you’ll do amazing things. <3
Yoanna Georgieva
To my sister, Gabriela Georgieva, I will you good luck managing the metro system in Spain. You’re kinda strange buddy, but it’s ok, I’ll still always do your hair for fancy occasions and let you borrow my bleached shirt. I hope for you to become as independent as you have always wanted, and maybe even to get a fluffy white cat in the future. I’ll visit you once in a while so we can go back to Saint Micheal Market and try out the fancy toast, and eat churros.
To Niyati Kapadia, I will you years full of boba and memories. I admire how hard you work for the things you are passionate about without giving up. During Clash, you lifted everyone’s spirit up and brought so much energy. You’re such an inspiration, and as you move on to college I hope you continue to spread happiness and your really sick dance moves ;) Also, make sure to give me life updates from Duke!
To Samantha Gong, I will you healthy hair so you can dye it more fun colors! I’ll never forget your kindness and acceptance that helped us grow closer together. I’ll always be thankful for the invites to dinner and the hugs during Clash practices. Make sure to keep in touch and have fun in college :).
To Jai Raval, I will you a successful future and a continuous passion for dance. Thank you so much for helping me throughout my first dance competitions and for the incredible choreo that won us a trophy :) Also, thank you for trusting me with the dance team, I hope to make you proud and I’ll always make sure everyone checks their bags as we eat breakfast. Have an amazing time with your future endeavors!
To Rujuta Durwas, I will you all the laughs and giggles. Thank you for making my clash experience so amazing, and for being a great choreographer! Have so much fun in college.
To the seniors on the dance team (Jai, Emilia, Abi, Karrick, and Krysta), I will you the ability to keep your amazing facial expressions while dancing. Thank you for all the competition memories and the motivation you guys gave to the rest of the team.
Zander Tamez
To Kian De Guzman, I will you good essays no matter how late you turn them in (like legit you were pushing it with your college essays lol). You were both me and Theo’s day one, lost wind of you after 5th grade PROMISE but finally reunited 6 years later for a time full of shenanigans and ping pong. I’m really glad I got to talk to you again and I can’t wait to see what you’ll do in the future. :)
To Oliver Ni, I will you the power to be able to pull off a tight, red dress for casa (like legit that caught me completely off guard lol). Choreos have played a big role in my time here at IMSA, and I’m really glad to have met you through them (even though I’d always show up to practices like 15 mins late lol). You’ll do great things in life, I guarantee it. Just keep being you :)
To Karrick McGinty, I will you all of the cool dance moves you can think of, as well as super cool Smash Bros skills (I think Chrom is kinda silly but you’re great :)). But for real, smash bros has played a pivotal role in my life in terms of making friends and memories and I look up to you as a role model and senpai. Keep playing games and doing the wave, you’re doing great man. AND NO I’M NEVER SWITCHING TO PIKACHU, PICHU GANG FOR LIFE >:((((((((((
To Advait Patel, I will you endless dancing vibes and the ability to look good in whatever hairstyle you choose (I thought you looked super cool with the long hair but short hair’s good on you too). A. D. V. A. I. T. HELLO AAAAAAAAA. I looked up to you as someone to practice choreos and someone to have a good time with. I had a lot of fun in stunion just dancing to random stuff with you and Alice, thanks for being you :)
To Alice Li, I will you the power to dance and choreograph better every time you tell someone “Oh, I don’t dance.” NO WAY YOU DON’T DANCE YOU LEGIT PLANNED ALMOST (If not) ALL THE CHOREO FOR LUNAR. But for real, you helped me a lot this year and I definitely look up to you as a role model. All from picking my first starbucks drink to teaching me choreos last minute, I’m really grateful that you were around. You were a great upperclassmen and teacher, go do great things :).
To Sameer Komoravolu, I will you the power to be better than me in ping pong (which isn’t hard but you’re like REALLY good so it means a lot). I didn’t join the ping pong team but I always hung around stunion playing whenever I got the chance. I’m really grateful that you were here to teach me things about spinning and angles and all that stuff. You’re really smart and talented, I can’t wait to see the things you’ll do in life :).
To Christo Ekimov, I will you the ability to pull your weight in Planetary Science (lowkey as I’m writing this we still gotta finish that presentation so yk). Ok being real, I don’t actually know you that well but I know you well enough to say that you’re a really cool dude. Even though I waited till the very LAST minute to turn things in, you always finished your stuff long before me. Keep being punctual and take pride in being “Bigger Dean”. Good luck out there man.
To Gerardo Peramo, I will you the ability to look over essays at 3 in the morning and still return them before the deadline (no seriously thanks for that). Ayo is that Gerry??? Gerry, you were the link between both me and my brother’s IMSA career and I’m so happy that you were here to tell me about my brother’s high school life. AND not to mention you’re super good at ultimate frisbee, like it’s not even fair how good you are. Keep going, you’ll have the Tamez brothers’ support along the way.
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