The world continually remains in need of bright students looking to pursue medicine, and based on the Upper School career of Shreya Palakurthi '21, this lynx will not fall short of the demand.
The Lynx Senior's resume boasts a plethora of activities related to the medical field, including her time participating in the Le Bonheur Summer VolunTEEN Program, volunteering for Church Health in Memphis, an internship with West Cancer Center, and a stint as a Medical Observership for Raleigh Group Pediatrics. The senior also served as the Vice President of Lausanne's HOSA club, during which she placed as a Clinical Specialty State Finalist in 2018.
Although her passion for the field serves her well, Shreya has explored a vast array of endeavors beyond the medical realm. The Senior's engagement with Lausanne's robotics program led her to compete in the First Tech Challenge (FTC), where she earned a 1st Place Connect Award in 2018. She has also dedicated a significant amount of time to the First Lego League, a program that allows students to focus on STEM concepts. Through the league, Shreya hosted workshops, took on team leadership roles and placed in multiple championships, including a 1st Place Championship Award. She is also Vice President of the Multicultural and Diversity CAS Group and President of Animation Club here at Lausanne. Her skills span wide as she has also played Junior Varsity Cross Country during High School.
Through her extracurricular opportunities, Shreya has made many connections at Lausanne and within the community.
"Community engagement is important since it is beneficial for everyone involved," said Shreya. "The Lausanne community is truly welcoming and accepting. Teamwork is prioritized here, and students are always willing to help each other, even at their own expense.By engaging in my community, I feel compelled to take risks, whether it is planning robotics workshops or learning how to bake cookies at the FedEx Family House," says Shreya.
As for her academics, Shreya is a Full IB Diploma Candidate and takes on challenging courses.
"The IB helped me foster vital skills that will last a lifetime, including time management skills, the ability to collaborate and a willingness to draw your own conclusions and question the world around you," said Shreya.
The senior has continuously excelled in her courses, evident by her class IB awards in Atelier 4th Year (2019), HL Math (2018 and 2019), and HL French (2018).
As the school year approaches the end, Shreya is looking towards her future. She is currently waiting on decisions from a few schools but has been accepted to the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, Rose Hulman, Georgia Tech and John Hopkins. She will be majoring in Biomedical Engineering and plans to continue down the path she has successfully paved as a Lausanne Lynx.
This senior profile was written by Sophie Manis '21.