Meet Lakeland H.S. Salutatorian Nikhil Neti

Nikhil Neti is one of Lakeland High School's top students. He has served as a chapter secretary on Future Leaders of America, treasurer for the Yorktown Leos, completed original research as part of the Science Research Program for Columbia University on partial physics, and has been on the school's varsity golf team for the past three years. Nikhil will study electrical engineering at the University of California, Berkeley, along with his twin brother Akhil, Lakeland's valedictorian. We caught up with him during the last few days of school to ask him about leaving Lakeland. 

How does it feel to be the salutatorian of your class?

Each time somebody mentions if I am or my brother is the valedictorian or salutatorian, I feel a sense of accomplishment in high school. Essentially, I have used my four years of high school in a positive way that has lead to a beneficial outcome.

What did you have to go through to accomplish that task?

Since 9th grade, I needed to consistently work hard and make the right decisions regarding coursework and the courses that I chose. There was rarely a time when I slept before midnight or two o'clock in the morning during weekdays.

What was the toughest part?

I believe that all of high school has been equally tough, when it comes to getting the grades and doing well overall. Competition among my fellow classmates was definitely one of the more challenging aspects of high school, especially because there were so many excellent students in my class. 

Was there any competition between you and your brother?

My brother and I were very competitive, but not in the usual sense. As we like to call it, we experienced "mutual competition," where I hoped that my brother would do as well as me in anything that we laid hands on, and vice versa. In the end, the competition was beneficial because both of us did equally well.

What's your favorite subject and why?

Calculus or any math-related subject has always been my favorite. Math in general isn't exactly 'open to interpretation,' like other core subjects offered in most high schools. There is usually only one answer, but a multitude of ways to get to that one answer.

Are there any teachers that especially influenced you?

Every teacher, in his or her own way, served a different purpose in shaping who I became in high school. In different ways, each teacher has excelled in his or her classroom and as a result there was a little something to learn every step of the way. As a graduating senior, I feel that I have an excellent foundation for my future at Berkeley.

How do you balance school and a social life with everything else you're involved in?

I managed school, extra-curricular activities, and social life through prioritization where school remained at the top of the list and then other activities came below that based upon significance and my interests.

What do you like about Lakeland?

The two best aspects of Lakeland are: (1) the freedom to make a significant number of decisions regarding coursework, like AP courses and (2) the simplicity with which the high school allows students to ease though transitions between schools and grade levels.

What's one thing you'd change?

Lakeland High School has been a great experience overall and there is nothing in particular that I would like to change about it.

Share a funny or embarrassing story about your high school experience?

The most memorable, yet embarrassing story would have to be the period in ninth grade, when I used to sprint through the hallways of Lakeland to get to my classes in time. I used to think that three minutes in between periods wasn't enough, so I took to running as fast as I could to be punctual to each class in my schedule. The day I stopped running was when I was caught in a hallway by four or five LHS students whose names I did not know.

What advice do you have for your graduating schoolmates?

I would like my fellow graduating classmates to pursue perfection in whatever direction life takes them. It is important for them to follow their passions to success and satisfaction in the future.

Any advice for the incoming high school freshmen?

It is important for incoming freshmen to know that high school is just the very beginning for understanding one's interests, skills, and talents. Additionally, high school brings them one step closer to adulthood and increasing freedom, so it is important for incoming freshmen to enter high school with an open and careful attitude.

What do you want to do at University of California, Berkeley?

At UC Berkeley, I hope to study electrical engineering and begin to understand modern automobiles and the technology that powers them.

You and your twin brother are both attending the same college and majoring in electrical engineering, what are the disadvantages and advantages to that?

There are numerous advantages to attending the same college as my brother, one being that I can always have somebody to "fallback" on in Berkeley. If something goes wrong with coursework or anything else pertaining to college, I can always talk to my brother for help. The disadvantage to this scenario is that there is not much room for my brother and me to really differentiate from each other and develop a different personal identity.

Where will you be in ten years?

I hope to be in the process of obtaining a Ph.D. in a field related to engineering and on a path to starting a career in automotive design/engineering.

Here are five quick questions you don't have to think about. Ready?

Most played song or band on your iPod?

Simon and Garfunkel.

Favorite snack for late night studying?

Chocolate-chip cookies.

Favorite book?

Angels & Demons by Dan Brown.

Comfort item you'll bring from home to college?

A picture of my family.  

What will you miss most about Lakeland?