My involvement in various extra curricular activities has played a vital role in shaping my overall academic experience over these last years. I have actively participated in school and college-level events, career-specific clubs, and outside organizations that have allowed me to apply my classroom knowledge in more engaging and challenging ways. Whether it’s contributing to group projects, presenting at Irvine Talks, or taking part in MUN conferences, I always strive to push my boundaries and develop a deeper understanding of the subjects I study.
These experiences have overall helped strengthen my skills in teamwork, leadership, time management, and creative thinking. Being involved in a range of activities has also expanded my perspective and helped me appreciate the value of interdisciplinary learning. I have not only improved my academic abilities but also gained confidence in expressing ideas, working under pressure, and thinking critically in collaborative settings.
- Girl’s State 1st Alternate
- This past year, I was chosen as the 1st Alternate Delegate for the ALA California Girls State, earning the opportunity to step in to represent my school and community in a mock government setting in Sacramento. The nomination encouraged my commitment to civic leadership and has inspired me to continue to strive to build inclusive and thoughtful policy perspectives, and remain an active member of my community.
- Elected Student Council
- I have been elected to my class’s student council for four years in a row. From planning my class’s murals and structures for our school’s annual Spirit Night (a yearly class competition), participating in meetings and other class competitions such as Unilympics, to representing the students in the school management, each experience has been highly rewarding. Serving on council has taught me the value of human connection with my peers, the significance of fostering school spirit, being accountable and leading with a purpose.
- Blog: Everything Words
- Over the past years, I have nurtured my love for writing through my blog to amplify my perspectives on issues that impact our communities. Being able to express my viewpoints, has been strangely cathartic and has made me realize the importance of speaking up instead of complaining and feeling helpless. Whether that has been through writing personal essays, creative fiction stories, or sharing my commentary on political issues I have been following, publishing my voice has helped me grow as an individual and has allowed me to develop a voice rooted in curiosity, passion, and advocacy.
- As Events Chair for my city’s student-led riff on Ted Talks, I helped bring to life one of Irvine’s most meaningful youth-led storytelling events. Every year, our event showcases a range of different students’ stories based on a theme, highlighting the endless horizons of vulnerability. This experience has taught me how powerful it can be to create a space where people my age can be as raw, vulnerable, and unfiltered as they want it sharing what moments or stories have shaped who they are now. From coordinating logistics for our opening event and fundraisers throughout the year, to supporting our speakers behind the scenes on the day-of, I saw first-hand how much courage it takes to put your step forward and be honest in front of your peers, and how deeply those stories can resonate, even when you least expect it.
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After a year of growing alongside my board and really understanding what Irvine Talks truly stands for, I was selected to serve as Chapter IX’s President this upcoming year. My goal is to continue to expand our outreach across Irvine while continuing to foster a tight-knit and supportive environment for my board, one that stays true to this spirit of Irvine Talks, and works to celebrate and uphold the human connection that is the foundation of this beautiful event.
Recently, we found out abruptly that our organization would be defunded and essentially left on its own, requiring my board and I to raise around $2000 in order to put on our final event next spring. In light of this development, I have worked tirelessly and diligently to lead my board in connecting with our community to ask for their support and generous donations, as well as to raise awareness for our organization and event through our social media pages, to continue to uphold the Irvine Talks legacy.
- 48SIA
- MUN
- This has been my favorite platform to understand global issues and their possible solutions. I have won accolades for both my research papers and diplomacy skills within the room. MUN has allowed me to sharpen my public speaking abilities, while allowing me the opportunity to understand divergent perspectives on global issues.
- Vice President of Halo Club
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Halo Club's main goal is to spread awareness and create funding for early-intervention therapies for autism. We sell tickets for an annual show, which is put on to educate the audience on autism by featuring videos, highlighting new and effective therapies for autistic children, as well as answers to common questions about autism. All proceeds go directly to families with autistic children in need. Throughout the year, we will also make and donate care packages for special-educatioon departments of local elementary schools!
In this manner, I work indirectly with autistic children and have further participated in activities to keep them more inspired and engaged. My experiences through this club has furthered my understanding of the importance of creating inclusive spaces and expressive outlets for all children/students. It has also made me more aware of the systemic gaps in educational structure that we need to rework.
- Publicist of Best Buddies
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Best Buddies is a club at University High School that branches out from a larger non-profit organization, Best Buddies International.
Our club connects with the special needs program at our school, doing weekly lunches and activities with the students to develop meaningful connections and to foster a more inclusive environment at UHS. As publicist, I restarted our club's social media account, and have been working with other board members to raise awareness about our club, recruiting many new members over the last few weeks.
- Piano CM Pathway
- After more than a decade of classical piano training, I’ve completed the Certificate of Merit pathway, passing preparatory levels to reach the advanced. My learning curve has made me develop a strong musical ear, discipline, and the ability to commit long-term to consistent practice and excellence.
- Aquazot Swim Club / University High School's Varsity Swim Team
- Competitive swimming for over a decade, at the club and high school level has been a hugely rewarding experience. It has taught me self-discipline, the nuances of multi-tasking, better time management, the value of putting in consistent effort, and also how to take care of myself physically.
Popping the Bubble: A Journey Through Change, Challenge, and Growth
Change often arrives uninvited, bursting the comfort bubbles we’ve built around ourselves. In this heartfelt speech for her 8th grade graduation, Deea Gandotra reflects on a middle school journey that unfolded in unexpected ways. Whether that was through virtual classrooms, unexpected midnight classes in India, and bonds forged through screens. What began as disappointment for her, evolved into discovery, resilience, and self-growth. The challenges of online learning during a global pandemic, personal loss, and disconnection taught her to embrace discomfort and redefine strength. Most importantly, she honors the teachers who guided students through uncertainty, comparing their efforts to building a plane mid-air. Her powerful message is clear: growth lies just beyond the edges of our comfort zones- our bubbles, as she calls them. We are all unprecedented in our perseverance, and now is the time to step forward, let go of the bubble, and face the world empowered and unafraid.