Being named one of 141 Presidential Scholars in the nation is remarkable in itself.
Consider that Sammamish resident Monisha Gulabani is the second member of her family to achieve the rare distinction and, well, it’s virtually unheard of.
“The main common thread between both of us doing this is that we’ve both been fortunate enough to go to Eastlake and have the opportunity to learn from the teachers here and be inspired by them,” said a modest Gulabani.
Last Wednesday, May 2, the 18-year-old was notified by the United States Department of Education that she was the female selection from Washington state. Her sister, Anisha, who is preparing to graduate from Harvard this spring, won the award in 2008 while attending Eastlake.
“We are very grateful for the good education both the girls have had in the Lake Washington School District,” said mother, Kavita, noting that a good home environment and a focus on maintaining a hard work ethic were also crucial.
In all, one male and one female scholar are chosen per state, as well as the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico and from U.S. families living abroad.
Winners were picked based on outstanding academic achievements, artistic excellence, leadership, citizenship, service and contributions to school and community.
“I just feel very privileged to be able to have the opportunity to be a Presidential Scholar and meet the other students who received this award,” Monisha said. “I’m inspired by the determination of others, so I’m honored.”
It wasn’t hard for the Commission on Presidential Scholars to pick Eastlake’s academic star out of a crowd.
The 4.0 student, who will attend the University of Pennsylvania-Wharton School of Business next fall, stays plenty active inside and outside of school.
She’s a committee chair for Eastlake’s Science Honor Society, co-president of Eastlake’s Junior Orthopedic Guild for Seattle Children’s Hospital and a committee chair for the Eastlake Relay for Life.
Her involvement with the latter two organizations are personal.
At 12, Monisha was diagnosed with Synovial Cell Sarcoma — one of the most common pediatric soft tissue cancers. The aggressive disease resulted in the removal of her left leg by age 13.
The cancer has been in remission since, but Monisha’s involvement in the fight against the disease is still going strong. This past winter she helped organize Project Teen, a program at Children’s that help collect gifts for teens — an often forgotten group — during Christmas. She also participated in a coin drive, card making and will play a key role on May 19 during Eastlake’s Relay For Life.
All the projects certainly occupy a large portion of her time, but that doesn’t bother Monisha.
“Other people might see me and think that I don’t have time for ‘quote’ fun activities, but I see the activities that I’m involved in as fun, so it just kind of becomes one in the same,” she said.
Monisha said she still finds time for leisure activities. She downhill skis as a part of the Outdoors For All Foundation and plays in a recreational wheel chair tennis league.
Humanities teacher Rachelle Horner was selected by Monisha as her most inspiring teacher and will travel with her to the awards ceremony June 16-19 in Washington, D.C.
While the student selected the teacher as her most inspirational influence, Horner said it’s really the other way around.
“Quite frankly, with all she’s been through, I think any normal teenager would be very angry or upset, or just very drawn in,” she said. “Instead, she’s been so positive and so humble and so thankful. We see that so rarely as teachers that it really does stand out. She is one of a kind.”
Note: Fred S. Lu, of Skyview High School in Vancouver, was Washington’s 2012 male award winner.
