Moorestown High School seniors Keyan Vojdani and Raghav Akula have known each other for years, but they now share roles: Vojdani as valedictorian for the class of 2023 and Akula as salutatorian.
“I think it’s been a good transition for me in high school,” Akula said, “because I’ve learned to focus on more of the things outside of school or outside of academic work that I actually found fulfilling, and I actually found enjoyable.”
Much like Akula – who balances his studies with school clubs and projects – Vojdani values the importance of a high-school work ethic.
“What I’ve learned throughout these past four years – since you have more freedom in high school – is that taking initiative is very important,” Vojdani noted, “and the things that you do will also be as successful as the effort and work you’re willing to put forth into it.”
Akula is co-secretary general of the school’s Model United Nations and vice president of the Urban Challenge Club, a member of the boys track team and an executive of Model Congress. He recently committed to Georgetown School of Foreign Service.
“In the end, you’re going to accomplish things just because you’re doing what you want to do,” he said, “and if you’re doing what you genuinely enjoy, then I think that’s going to be most beneficial to you, because you’re going to see the most success.
“If you’re chasing happiness instead of success, I think that’s when success will come naturally.”
Vojdani is the senior class vice president, president of the science fair, a tennis player and an executive of Model Congress. He has also served for four years as chair of the high-school’s Soup for the Soul. He recently committed to Princeton University.
“Putting your best work forward is what you ultimately should be trying to do,” Vojdani observed, “and whatever your best is, you can’t do more than that.
“I think it’s more important to focus on the things that you can do, not focusing on everybody else.”
Akula and Vojdani agree that relationships between students are what make high school impactful, something missed during COVID.
“When you think about high school, you think about the bonds that you can make, the connections that you can have, the classes that you can take,” Vojdani said, “and it’s all those interactions with people that are the most meaningful part.”
“The most important parts are all of the interactions that you have every day, so if you’re depriving everyone a year-and-a-half of it because of a global pandemic, then it felt like all of the grades progressively lost two years of maturity,” Akula pointed out.
Although the two seniors advise underclassmen to maintain their grades and take advantage of the school’s resources, they also want them to simply live in the moment.
“Don’t keep eyeing that end goal of, ‘I need to be first in this, or I need to accomplish this and be better than him in this,’ because in the end, it’s just not worth it,” Akula explained.
“Everything that you remember, all the memories that amass during that time, that’s what’s worth it.”
“What I often hear from my parents is that your childhood is the best time of your life, and that we should really relish these moments,” Vojdani said. “And I really think it’s important for people to realize that you are only in a certain point of your life at one time.”
“ … Really take the opportunity to understand the situation that you’re in at the time and try to make it the best that it can be for yourself.”
