This issue’s senior spotlight is all about Juhee Desai! While small in stature, she has a big presence in our grade. Outgoing and outspoken, she always takes initiative and acts as a leader within our grade. For instance, in honor of the late Dr. K, she started our school garden located behind the tennis courts in partnership with our EC program. In addition to taking on leadership roles, her outgoing personality allows Juhee to make friends with and have a conversation with most anyone. “She is so fun to talk to and easy to get along with,” exclaims Avery Cumpata, a friend and soccer teammate of Juhee’s.
Not only is Juhee a good friend, but she is also a driven student with big goals and a love of learning. Juhee describes herself as passionate, which is evident in her course load and many accolades. This year, Juhee is taking AP Calculus, AP English, AP Environmental Science, AP Psychology, and Spanish IV. She is especially enjoying her science class this year because Dr. Wells allows Juhee to “express [her] curiosity.” In acknowledgment of her strong work ethic, she has received the Turner Battle Scholarship and the Robert F. Sykes Scholarship. In addition to these, she has received the Headmaster’s award in grades 9 through 11 and is one of this year’s Morehead-Cain nominees. As Jessica Proctor, a fellow senior and one of Juhee’s good friends, confirms, “Juhee is a very determined and hard-working person.”
Outside of the classroom, Juhee is the president of Beta Club, the editor of our very own Eagle Examiner, and a member of the Key Club. She is a vital part of the Varsity Volleyball and Varsity Soccer teams as a right-back for both. Juhee has been playing both volleyball and soccer since seventh grade. Though she loves both sports, she has a preference for soccer, winning the MVP Award in ninth grade and the Coach’s Award in eleventh grade. Juhee definitely stays busy and always has something exciting happening!
When she leaves RMA as a lifer, Juhee plans to study pre-law at either Wake Forest, UNC-Chapel Hill, Davidson College, the University of South Carolina, ECU, or Duke. In college, she’s looking forward to “meeting new people, taking new classes, and going to football games.” She says she will miss RMA’s rare, close community and the relationships we share, as well as the way that there are so many people cheering her (and all of our students) on; there is always someone around to help if you need it! A piece of advice that she would give to incoming freshmen is to “be kind and wish the best for everyone.” We certainly wish Juhee, a vital part of our grade, the very best.
Get to Know Juhee:
Who is your role model?
My dad
What do you do in your free time?
Read, play piano, hang out with friends, and watch TV
What is a talent you have or something that nobody knows about you?
I’m good at badminton.
What is your favorite movie or go-to song?
“In Your Love” – Tyler Childers
What is your favorite place and why?
Olden, Norway, because it has the prettiest nature and waterfalls and lakes. It’s like going into a different world and I love it.
