Q. Is there anything you always carry in your backpack?
A: I always have a camera with me. You never know when something’s about to happen or some defining moment’s going to come by, so I feel if I have a camera with me and I can take a shot of it, it will live with me for a long time.
Q. You’ve been to India several times to visit your grandparents. What do you think of the country?
A: It’s great. You get to experience something totally different from what you’re used to here in terms of education, in terms of people’s values, in terms of daily activities. It’s very different. Just to see that opens my eyes. This is a big world. You’re not really significant in it when you get to see everything that’s going on.
Q. Am I right in saying you’re a first- generation American?
A: Yeah. It’s pretty good. I get a taste of both cultures. I get to balance Indian culture with American culture. And I’ve got to make my parents realize this is part of American culture, it’s the society I’m growing up in, but then understand their values as well.
Q. If you could change one thing about school, what would it be?
A: I’d like to increase student participation outside of school. I think it would make the campus a lot more friendly to everybody who’s in it, because people would know each other a lot more. Somebody who goes home every day after school won’t get to know or experience high school to its max. They’re just going home and doing their homework.
Q. What is “participation” to you?
A: Getting yourself out there, basically. Doing different activities, getting to know people, just establishing yourself as a person.
Q. Are you thinking about college yet?
A: Absolutely. I’m interested in the University of Washington mostly. It’s closer to home. It makes the family feel comfortable. But I’ve gotten letters from MIT, and they’re holding a seminar this week, so I’m going to attend it and see if it’s a good school for me.
Q. What field do you see yourself going into?
A: Engineering. I want to do aeronautical or astronautical engineering.
Q. What drew you to that?
A: I did this program over the summer, Washington Aerospace Scholars. It was a week’s residency experience where they take us to the Museum of Flight and have us do all these activities. We had to plan a mission to Mars.
Q. Have you been interested in outer space since you were a kid?
A: It’s kind of a new thing. My dad always bought space books so it was pretty interesting learning about the planets and solar systems.
Q. Are you involved in sports?
A: I’m doing cross-country right now. I used to do tennis; I did tennis for the past two years. But I did track last year for the first time, and everybody’s telling me I’m pretty good at it, so I thought I’d stick with running.
Q. What do you get out of a sport like that?
A: I stay healthy, first off, and I meet a whole bunch of people. In cross-country, there’s a smaller group of kids, so you get to know them a lot better.
Q. If you could be anything — president, rock star, NBA MVP — what would it be?
A: President sounds really nice. I think it’s a lot of responsibility and a lot of people depend on you. I like people depending on me, because I feel like I can bring results and change things for the better.
Know a super kid? Contact Andy Rathbun at 425-339-3455 or arathbun@heraldnet.com.
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