Mount Madonna School (MMS) is pleased to announce Preethi Balagani and Talia Speaker as the 2014 senior class co-valedictorians and Roger Hooker as salutatorian. These three students earned these distinctions through hard work and focused effort, edging out their peers at the small Central Coast school known for strong academics, environmental education, performing arts and a competitive volleyball program. The 2014 high school graduation ceremony will commence at 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, June 12 at the school’s upper campus.
Balagani, who lives in Gilroy, will attend the University of California, San Diego this fall. She plans to major in Molecular Biology and minor in Psychology, and pursue a medical research career focusing on genetics and pediatrics.
“The best advice I have received in high school was repeated to me by nearly all my teachers,” commented Balagani. “They urged me to ‘do what you love and make a difference.’ I plan to take this advice and carry it with me in college and life. I chose UCSD because of the vast possibilities and tremendous research opportunities it offers in the field of medicine and science.
“As an MMS student, Melissa Sanders-Self is the teacher who inspires me the most, because she works hard, doing something she loves to do. She is constantly dealing with so many different things personally and professionally, yet she continues to have a smile on her face and a glow of positivity.”
Speaker, a resident of Santa Cruz, will attend Scripps College, an institution she selected because of the shared resources of the other four campuses in the Claremont College consortium, its community atmosphere, school values and location.
“I actually found a lot of similarities between Scripps and Mount Madonna in their supportive, tight knit communities and in terms of what they value and strive for in the educations they provide,” observed Speaker. “I also know that the Scripps network, both on campus and with alumni, will be invaluable. I think partially because it is an all women’s school, everyone in every part of the network is very dedicated and passionate about getting Scripps students and graduates out in the world to be successful, to follow their dreams and to make positive change, and that will definitely be useful to me in the future.
“I am not sure yet what I will study, though I do have some ideas, the latest being a major in Psychology with a focus on Law and a minor in Women’s Studies. Whatever I go on to do as a career will be focused on service and empowering and improving the lives of others. Whether that will be men, women, children or animals or all of the above, I don’t know yet.
“One of the best pieces of advice I received in high school was from a boy my age named Zimvo, whom I met when our class visited Mfuleni High School in South Africa [in 2013]. As we were saying our goodbyes he stopped me and said, ‘Look. We both know you have a good life. You have resources, support, and the opportunity to follow your dreams. Don’t feel guilty about that. Use it for the benefit of all of us.’ Earlier in the day in our small groups I had shared some of my dreams and the challenges I would face to achieve them. I had ended up feeling guilty and ashamed for even mentioning my problems when I realized that this boy had no parents, lived in a tin shack, and most likely would never get the opportunity to leave his township to fulfill his own dreams. But when he said this to me, something clicked; I promised him that I would, and I meant it. That promise is something that I will continue to hold on to as a source of motivation and courage, and helps me keep my own life in perspective.”
Speaker acknowledges high school history and government studies teacher Matt Meachen as a key faculty mentor.
“He’s been a teacher, friend and inspiration to me since my first day of classes freshman year,” shared Speaker. ”He has a way with students, of finding out exactly what they need; what buttons he needs to push at which times to get them to be their best. He pushed me to my limits, and sometimes to what felt beyond them, teaching me to redefine what I thought my capacity for success was, in school and in life. He reliably called me out when I was cutting corners and played the devil’s advocate when I approached an issue with a bias. He helped me see the fascination and relevance of history, changing it from my least favorite subject by a long shot to the class I looked forward to the most in my day. I may have cursed his name a few times through the years, when I was struggling to finish an eight-page paper at 1 a.m. or taking a nine-hour final, but I think I can honestly say that I am a better student, person and citizen because of what I’ve learned from him. In and out of the classroom Matt has been, and will continue to be, someone I look to for advice, motivation and inspiration.”
Hooker lives in Santa Cruz and will attend Tufts University and study political science.
“I want to learn more about the way that our country operates,” said Hooker, “and use that knowledge to impact the system in a way that will positively affect as many people as possible. I chose Tufts because I like the size, location (on a hill right above Boston, a city with a lot of culture and historical significance), and program strength. It has a great international program, and I plan to go abroad at some point while I’m there.
“As for advice, I can’t say I’ve gotten much that’s really stuck with me, but I have learned from experience that the secret to success is making a connection with other people, especially in the ability to deal with people you might not like.”
Hooker acknowledges MMS teacher and coach Nate Rockhold as both a mentor and inspiration.
“Nate Rockhold is the man,” commented Hooker. “He cares more about other people than anyone else I’ve ever met. He’s a great coach, and an even better friend. Who else would stick with our basketball team for so long without winning a single game? He sees people at their best and at their worst, and he’s the right guy to have around in either situation.”
In addition to Balagani, Speaker and Hooker, Mount Madonna School’s Class of 2014 includes 15 other students. They are listed below with their college choices:
Ali Alhomaidi, Cabrillo College; Ashley Mayou, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo; Brianna Heldt, University of Redlands; Curtis Clausen, Sonoma State University; Daniel Clifton, Seattle University; Jay Ward, San Jose State University; Jenny Turk, University of California, Irvine; Luciano Jimenez, University of California, Merced; Martin Wenzel, University of Colorado, Boulder; Olorin Etemad-Lehmer, Bard College; Rosino LeGan, Santa Clara University; Ruby Nink, Cabrillo College; Sally Katherine Shields, Whittier College; Sophie Kamkar, Chapman University; and Soul Kerr, Menlo College.
