Penn announces Valedictorians, Salutatorians for Class of 2022

Penn High School Principal Sean Galiher announced the Valedictorians and Salutatorians for the Class of 2022.

Click here for information Penn’s Commencement Ceremony, 7 p.m., Monday, June 6, 2022, at Notre Dame’s Purcell Pavilion.

Hala Ansari, Parnasi Bandyopadhyay, Manaal Buchh, Alexander Du, Salem Fitwi, Arthur Haines, Jedidiah Kim, Amrita Kulkarni, Jason Kwok, Luca Nijim, Nadia Ranginwala, Jeremiah (J.R.) Roach, Shelley Shen, Gurkirat Singh, Aisha Sirajuddin, Saniya Zackariya and Matthew Zhang were named Valedictorians.

Nikita Amin, Marin Chester, Kennedy Chester, Evan Nayee and Claire Shive were named Salutatorians.

“I am very proud of the accomplishments of our 2022 Valedictorians,” Galiher said. “Their commitment to excellence in the classroom and with their extracurricular endeavors is impressive, and I am excited to see what they will accomplish as they move forward with their future plans.”

CLASS OF 2022 VALEDICTORIANS 

HALA ANSARI

• Parents: Adeela Alizai and Asad Ansari
• Elementary School: Northpoint
• Middle School: Discovery
• College/career plans: Indiana University; Accounting/Finance
• Honors/activities: NHS, Key Club, MSA, TEAMS, Math Academic Superbowl, Freshmen Mentoring, Chess Club

 

PARNASI BANDYOPADHYAY

• Parents: Moumita Bandyopadhyay and Piyas Bandyopadhyay
• Elementary School: Northpoint
• Middle School: Discovery
• College/career plans: Indiana University; Biology Professor
• Honors/activities: Marching Band (Saxophone Section Leader), French Club (Club Officer), Freshmen Mentoring (Executive), Girl Up (Treasurer), National Honor Society, Kingsmen Court, 2022 Rising Star of Indiana, AP Scholar with Distinction

 

MANAAL BUCHH

• Parents: Asima Rashid and Basharat Buchh
• Elementary School: Stanley Clark
• Middle School: Stanley Clark
• College/career plans: University of Notre Dame; physician
• Honors/activities: Activities/Memberships: Executive Board for Kingsmen Court, Captain of Speech and Debate Team, Executive Board for Muslim Student Association, Student Representative on Superintendent’s Advisory Council, Student Ambassador to the School Board, National Honors Society member, Key Club Member, PEAC member, TEAMS member, and Kingsmen Tutor Leader, Recipient of the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship, Recipient of the Wells Scholarship, National Merit Finalist, AP Scholar with Distinction

 

ALEXANDER DU

• Parents: Hui Liu and Wenhui Du
• Elementary School: Northpoint
• Middle School: Discovery
• College/career plans: Purdue University; Aerospace Engineering
• Honors/activities: Model UN, National Honor Society, TEAMS, Key Club, Symphonic Orchestra, National Merit Scholarship Finalist

 

SALEM FITWI

• Parents: Neima Mohammed and Abrar Fitwi
• Elementary School: Prairie Vista
• Middle School: Schmucker
• College/career plans: Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania to study finance; Hedge Fund/Investment Banking/Asset Management; Hedge Fund/Investment Banking/Asset Management
• Honors/activities: Coca-Cola Scholar Semifinalist, Lilly Endowment Scholar, National Merit Scholar Finalist, Indiana Rising Star, AP Scholar with Distinction, Schmucker Middle School MathCounts Head Coach, MSA Executive, MUN Executive, DECA Public Relations & Fundraising Officer, TEAMS Captain, Financial Research at the University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame QuarkNet Internship, Notre Dame Leadership Seminar

 

ARTHUR HAINES

• Parents: Sandy Smith and Mark Haines
• Elementary School: Horizon
• Middle School: Discovery
• College/career plans: The Ohio State University, Double Major in Finance and Economics; Investment Banking/Private Equity
• Honors/activities: DECA PR/Fundraising Officer, Kingsmen Tutoring Leader, Model UN, TEAMS, National Merit Scholarship Finalist, DECA District and State Champion and International Finalist, TEAMS State Champion

 

JEDIDIAH KIM

• Parents: Kyungphil Kim and Hansol Kim
• Elementary School: Town Center
• Middle School: Discovery
• College/career plans: Northwestern University; Financial Economics; Investment Banking
• Honors/activities: TEAMS, DECA, Economics and Investments Club

 

AMRITA KULKARNI

• Parents: Alakananda Kulkarni and Gurudutt Kulkarni
• Elementary School: Stanley Clark
• Middle School: Stanley Clark
• College/career plans: Washington University in St. Louis for a 4-year bachelor degree in Economics and Political Science; interested in pursuing a career as an economics and policy analyst for government or independent agencies
• Honors/activities: Speech and Debate Team for all four years of high school and for the last two years, team captain; 2021 and 2022 National Qualifier in Lincoln-Douglas (LD) Debate, the 2021 Indiana State Runner-Up in LD debate; placed in the top 50 out 450 competitors at the 2021 National Debate Tournament, 2022 District Champion in LD debate; involved in Kingsmen Court, National Honor Society (NHS), and Quiz Bowl (two-year captain); part of Dr. Don Westerhausen’s campaign team, interacted with more than 400 voters in the district, volunteer at St. Margaret’s House for the last four years, providing educational, technological, and job search assistance for women in South Bend

 

JASON KWOK

• Parents: Christina Kwok and Chu Kwok
• Elementary School: Hums
• Middle School: Discovery
• College/career plans: Indiana University; Optometrist
• Honors/activities: Executive on Kingsmen Court, the Co-President of Chinese Club, a freshmen mentor, and a member of Quiz Bowl, Key Club, and Medical Club

 

LUCA NIJIM

• Parents: Allison Nijim and Sharif Nijim
• Elementary School: Home-schooled
• Middle School: Discovery
• College/career plans: University of Notre Dame, majoring in Mathematics with a concentration in Computing
• Honors/activities: Marching band section leader, FRC Robotics, Lilly Scholarship honoree, TEAMS National Champion, Eagle Scout, All-State Band, South Bend Youth Symphony Orchestras

 

NADIA RANGINWALA

• Parents: Mubashira Ranginwala and Amjad Ranginwala
• Elementary School: Northpoint
• Middle School: Discovery
• College/career plans: Indiana University; Neuroscience
• Honors/activities: Penn Environmental Awareness Club Co-Founder, Penn Advocates for Thinking Health President, Quiz Bowl Varsity Member, Chess Club, Model United Nations, Muslim Student Association, TEAMS, Medical Club, Volunteering at St. Joseph Medical Hospital, AP Scholar with Distinction, Indiana University Provost Academic Scholarship

 

JEREMIAH (J.R.) ROACH

• Parents: Clare Roach and Brandon Roach
• Elementary School: Prairie Vista
• Middle School: Schmucker
• College/career plans: Stanford; Engineering/Computer Science
• Honors/activities: NHS, Jazz Band, Jazz Combo, Robotics, Teams Captain and National Champion, Spell Bowl, Quarknet, Math ASB, Chinese Club Vice-President, National Merit Scholar, MathCon national qualifier

 

SHELLY SHEN

• Parents: Qing Li and Dengke Shen
• Elementary School: Northpoint
• Middle School: Discovery
• College/career plans: Northwestern; Biology and Computer Science
• Honors/activities: Rising Stars of Indiana Class of 2022, AP Scholar with Distinction; Key Club President, Science Academic Super Bowl Captain, National Honor Society Blood Drive Chair, Quiz Bowl, Kingsmen Tutor, Freshmen Mentor, Kingsmen Court

 

GURKIRAT SINGH

• Parents: Arvinder Kaur and Satinder Pal Singh
• Elementary School: Prairie Vista
• Middle School: Discovery
• College/career plans: Villanova University/Finance
• Honors/activities: Mathnasium math instructor, brand ambassador of WeGoal, Mathcon finalist, Quarknet, TEAMS captain, Indiana Math League competitor, Spell Bowl State Champion, AP Scholar with distinction

 

AISHA SIRAJUDDIN

• Parents: Atiyakhanam Sirajuddin and Mohammad Sirajuddin
• Elementary School: Northpoint
• Middle School: Discovery
• College/career plans: Indiana University; Neuroscience
• Honors/activities: National Honors Society, Freshman Mentoring, Key Club, Model U.N., Kingsmen Court.

 

SANIYA ZACKARIYA

• Parents: Mehafareed Zackariya and Khaleelus Zackariya
• Elementary School: Northpoint
• Middle School: Discovery
• College/career plans: Purdue University; Engineering, Psychology
• Honors/activities: Kingsmen Court Executive, Penn’s Environmental Awareness Executive, National Honors Society, Key Club, English Academic Super Bowl, Model UN, English Super Bowl State Champion 2021, AP scholar with distinction

 

MATTHEW ZHANG

• Parents: Na Qi and Wenhui Zhang
• Elementary School: Northpoint
• Middle School: Discovery
• College/career plans: Princeton; Computer Science; Software Entrepreneur
• Honors/activities: Football Kicker/Punter, WHME-46 Student Athlete of the Week, Academic All-State, DECA President, Robotics, Key Club, Chinese Club, Model U.N., Spell Bowl, Math ASB, TEAMS, NHS, Kingsmen Tutor, Freshmen Mentor, QuarkNet, Presidential Scholars Semifinalist, National Merit Finalist, National AP Scholar with Distinction, Rising Star, DECA ICDC Finalist.

 

CLASS OF 2022 SALUTATORIANS

 

NIKITA AMIN

• Parents: Ekta Amin and Nikesh Amin
• Elementary School: Northpoint
• Middle School: Discovery
• College/career plans: Purdue University; Actuarial Science
• Honors/activities: National Honor Society Tutoring Chair, Key Club, Med Club social media manager, Penn Environmental Awareness Club, Posse Foundation Scholar, Freshman Mentor, Model United Nations

 

KENNEDY CHESTER

• Parents: Kristal Chester and Chad Chester
• Elementary School: Prairie Vista
• Middle School: Discovery
• College/career plans: University of Florida; Genetic Counselor or Doctor in the field of pediatrics or Neonatology.
• Honors/activities: Penn Competition Poms for 4 years, team captain as a senior; Key Club for four years, NHS for two years, Girl Up for two years as a public relations executive, Freshman Mentoring for three years, Freshmen Mentor  executive senior year; dancer at Legacy Dance Studio; received Silver Key Scholastic Art Award, AP Scholar with Distinction award, accepted into the National Honor Society, and four in the state for AAA Poms competitions three years, high school honor roll for all four years.

 

MARIN CHESTER

• Parents: Kristal Chester and Chad Chester
• Elementary School: Prairie Vista
• Middle School: Discovery
• College/career plans: University of Florida Honors Program Majoring in Zoology; Zoologist/Wildlife Biologist
• Honors/activities: Vice President of Animal Outreach Club, Co-Officer of French Club, Member of National Honors Society, Member of Key Club, Member of Quiz Bowl, Penn Orchestra Leadership Team, 1st Violinist in Symphonic Orchestra, Employed as a Lead Instructor at Mathnasium: The Math Learning Center since October 2019, Went to ISSMA State with Violin Quartet 2022, Performed with the Penn Symphonic Orchestra during the 75th Annual Midwest Clinic in Chicago in December 2021, performed at the 2022 National Orchestra Festival/American String Teachers Association in Atlanta, performed at Disney Performing Arts OnStage, Orlando, in April, 2022; earned 1st Place in Hunter/Jumper Equestrian Competitions hosted at Cedar Lodge and Willowbrooke Stables, 2020 Interscholastic Equestrian Association Regional qualifier

 

EVAN NAYEE

• Parents: Laura Nayee and Anish Nayee
• Elementary School: Northpoint
• Middle School: Discovery
• College/career plans: Indiana University; physician
• Honors/activities: Boy Scouts (Eagle Scout), FIRST Tech Challenge Robotics, FIRST Dean’s List Finalist, FIRST Indiana Robotics Student Board of Directors, Key Club, National Honor Society, Tri-M Music Honor Society, Freshman Mentor, Symphonic Orchestra, Penn High School Orchestra Leadership Team, Medical Club, Mathnasium Instructor, Chinese Club, AP Scholar with Honor, National Merit Finalist

 

CLAIRE SHIVE

• Parent: Sophie Shive
• Elementary School: Stanley Clark
• Middle School: Discovery
• College/career plans: Cornell University; study biology and chemistry, veterinary science
• Honors/activities: Dressage w/ Grainger Dressage, 1st violinist in Penn symphonic orchestra, solo violin and viola.