Student of the Month
As part of our commitment to support local youth, our club has "adopted" nearby Granada High School. We provide mentorship for the GHS Interact Club, we sponsor students attending the Rotary Youth Leadership Academy (RYLA), we hold an annual speech contest, and, each month, we honor an outstanding senior.
From September through June, Granada Principal Clark Conover visits our club meetings and introduces us to an outstanding senior. In choosing these top students, Mr. Conover considers the values we hold dear as Rotarians. Each month, we are excited to meet students who are already on the path of leading and serving others.
Senior portraits are provided courtesy of Creative Imaging for website use only.
May 2023 Student of the Month
Congratulations to Shunsuke Sakagami, our May Student of the Month!
Shunsuke is an outstanding senior who has both enjoyed and excelled in high school. With a 4.48 GPA, Shun has mastered Advanced Placement Curriculum and is well prepared for college.
Shun is active in the Biology Club, Math Club, Chess Club and the National Academy of Future Physicians and Medical Scientists. He is a member of the National Society of High School Scholars, the National Honor Society, the California Scholastic Federation, and he has been active on the Granada Varsity Tennis Team as well as in the Jazz Band.
Off campus, Shun has participated in the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Biotech Program. He has volunteered at Fertile Groundworks. And, he is trilingual, speaking and writing English, Japanese, and Spanish!
Shun has been awarded many honors that attest to his academic excellence: the Brown University Book Award, National Merit Scholarship Program Finalist, AP Scholar with Distinction, Top Scholar Honor Roll, and Congress of Future Medical Leaders Award of Excellence.
Shun will attend Brown University in the Fall, where he will study molecular biology. He hopes to enter the field of medical research to find cures for diseases that do not yet have a cure.
April 2023 Student of the Month
Congratulations to Nyah Lopez our April Student of the Month!
Nyah is preparing for her future in public health by excelling in rigorous science courses at Granada and by gaining practical experience at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL).
Principal Clark Conover described Nyah as an outstanding student: her 4.11 Grade Point Average reflects her mastery of all of her courses, including Physiology, Biotechnology 1 and 2, Honors Physics, Health, and Advanced Placement Biology. Nyah has also participated in the Regional Occupational Program (ROP) Medical Occupations course, which allowed her to work as an intern in a local medical office.
Nyah has enjoyed being part of the LLNL Biotech Summer Experience, which allowed her to perform research in a laboratory. After participating the first summer, Nyah returned to the program to serve as an instructor and mentor for younger students.
She plans to attend the University of Iowa this fall, where she has been accepted at their direct entry nursing program. Nyah plans to be an ER nurse in the future.
March 2023 Student of the Month
Congratulations to Andrew McKeever, our March Student of the Month!
Andrew McKeever made us all stand a little taller when he entered our meeting on March 21. As the center of the Granada High School Boys Basketball Team, Andrew helped lead the team to attaining Granada’s best season ever! GHS Boys competed in the Division 1 State Basketball Finals on March 10. Individually, Andrew earned the honor of being First Team All League in the East Bay Athletic League.
Principal Clark Conover shared that Andrew is a leader on and off the court. He is respected by his teammates and by his fellow students at Granada. An excellent student, Andrew is on the Granada High Honor Roll.
Andrew will be attending St. Mary’s College after graduating from Granada. He will study business while playing basketball for the Gaels.
February 2023 Student of the Month
Congratulations to Ria Mathew, our February Student of the Month!
Ria is an outstanding student who successfully balances academics, community involvement, and artistic endeavors. She excels in rigorous Honors, Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) courses, earning a spot on the Principal’s Honor Roll or as a Granada Top Scholar each trimester throughout high school.
Outside of the classroom, Ria serves as the publicist for the Interact Club. She founded and is president of the Creative Services Club. She serves as an officer in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes club. Ria also volunteers in our community, serving children at her church and participating in Kids Against Hunger packing events.
We were amazed at Ria’s artistic talents. She is a pianist who has attained Music Level 8 through the Royal Conservatory of Music; she plays guitar; and she has her own YouTube channel to showcase her vocal talents. Ria also enjoys painting and has shared her work by selling her art for others to enjoy.
Ria plans to attend UC Irvine where she will major in marketing and eventually pursue a career in data analysis.
January 2023 Student of the Month
Congratulations to Dheeraj Gurusamy, our January Student of the Month!
We were excited to meet Dheeraj, the Captain of the Granada High School Cross Country Team. His leadership helped motivate his team members to achieve excellence this season, earning the East Bay Athletic League (EBAL) and the North Coast Section (NCS) Championship titles. The team ranked second in the California State Finals, and earned national honors as #16 in the Nike National Invitational competition. Dheeraj runs a 4 minute, 15 second mile!
In addition to his leadership on the Cross Country team, Dheeraj excels academically, earning Top Scholar honors while pursuing a rigorous courseload of Advanced Placement (AP) and Honors courses. Also a musician, Dheeraj has played piano for ten years and enjoys playing the bass. He also has fun on the badminton court.
Dheeraj looks forward to attending Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in the fall, where he has signed a National Letter of Intent to participate in Cross Country and where he will study Computer Science.
December 2022 Student of the Month
Congratulations to Lexi Neubauer, our December Student of the Month!
Lexi makes Granada High School a better place. Throughout her 4 years at GHS, she has been active in the Leadership Program and the GHS Stunt Team. She founded the GHS Pickleball Club. She has been on the Granada High Honor Roll each trimester of her high school career. And she is the 2022-23 Homecoming Queen.
Lexi has applied to universities on the West Coast and plans to study Business Hospitality. She hopes to open her own business one day.
November 2022 Student of the Month
Congratulations to Jacob Roach, our November Student of the Month!
Jacob is an outstanding student who is on track to earn an International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma in June. While engaging in the rigorous IB program, Jacob has maintained a 4.3 grade point average. Outside of academics, Jacob participates in Granada’s Me to We Club and the GHS National Honor Society. He is currently organizing a fundraiser to help the math department purchase new classroom calculators. Jacob tutors younger students in math, and he has served as an assistant coach for a Livermore Little League team.
Jacob participated in the FBI Teen Academy, and then organized a presentation for Granada students. He is interested in studying criminology at UC Irvine, or possibly psychology if he is accepted at alternate universities in southern California. Jacob hopes to pursue a career with the FBI.
October 2022 Student of the Month
Congratulations to Elle Bowman, our October Student of the Month!
Elle is Granada High School’s Senior Class President. She has served her class as secretary and has been active in the Leadership program throughout high school. Elle puts her leadership skills into action by serving as the GHS Cheer Captain and as President of the Shooting Stars. She is a member of the Women in Business Club and the Pickleball Club. Outside of school, Elle has logged over 130 hours of community service through her volunteering with the National Charity League.
Principal Conover praised Elle for her leadership. He credited her for organizing the 2022 Granada Homecoming, moving to an outdoor venue for class presentations and creating Granada’s biggest homecoming rally yet.
Elle enjoys her ROP Developmental Psychology of Children class and plans to major in psychology where she can develop personal connections and help others. She has applied to colleges throughout the country.
September 2022 Student of the Month
Congratulations to Ian Quindipan, our September Student of the Month!
Ian is the Associated Student Body (ASB) President at Granada High School. An outstanding student, he has an overall grade point average (GPA) of 4.08. Ian is also very active in extracurricular activities.
In addition to his participation in student government and the Leadership class, Ian is secretary of the GHS Gender and Sexuality Alliance club and co-founder and president of the Students for Social Change club.
Outside of school, Ian is a black belt in Kajukenbo; an Etsy store owner who creates metal and wood decor through his blacksmith and woodworking skills; a tea barista; a hockey player; and shift lead at Hawaiian Poke.
Principal Conover praised Ian for his “can do” attitude. “If a challenge arises, Ian doesn’t quit or give up, but figures out a way to solve the problem,” said Conover.
Ian plans to attend a college in California next fall and wants to study in the medical engineering field.
2021-2022 Students of the Month
June 2022 Student of the Month
Congratulations to Anusri Saraf, our June Student of the Month!
Anusri is the Granada High School Class of 2022 Valedictorian. Her cumulative high school GPA of 4.74, earned while completing numerous Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate courses, exemplifies her academic excellence.
In addition to academics, Anusri has embraced opportunities to get involved at Granada. She plays violin in the GHS orchestra and has served as class officer. She’s in Granada’s chess club and music club, and she tutors other students in math, English, science, and social studies. She competes in pole vaulting with the GHS track and field team. Anusri is president of GHS UNICEF and has been president of the Cybersecurity club for 3 years. She has built websites that have sets of lessons to increase digital safety awareness, and to spread positivity during the pandemic. She worked on developing a global cybersecurity competition called RiceTeaCatPanda.
Anusri uses her knowledge to serve others. She teaches coding to underprivileged children around the world through the company Geeklama. She volunteers at the library and at blood drives. She belongs to Toastmasters International, and has earned their Advanced Communication Gold award. She’s a Bharatnatyam dancer, and she writes poetry and short stories.
This fall, Anusri will begin studying cybersecurity at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
May 2022 Student of the Month
Congratulations to Ciara Terry, our May Student of the Month!
Principal Matthew Hart introduced Ciara to us as the friendliest, most inquisitive student at Granada. Her scholastic endeavors speak to her love of learning. Ciara is an International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Student, whose overall 4.64 Grade Point Average indicates her excellence as a scholar. She has earned A’s in all of her rigorous IB courses, including Biology, Language & Literature, Math Analysis & Approaches, Psychology, French, History of the Americas, and Theory of Knowledge.
Outside of the classroom, Ciara participates in the Granada Soccer and Track & Field teams. She excels in the 200 meter track and field event. She is also active in the Human Rights Club.
Ciara plans to attend UCLA where she will major in International Development Studies. She plans to pursue law or writing to investigate international inequities.
April 2022 Student of the Month
Congratulations to Adam Sahn, our April Student of the Month!We enjoyed meeting Adam at our April 26th club meeting. Mr. Hart introduced Adam as “the epitome of the unassuming, humble Clark Kent to the Superman that he is academically.” We understood the comparison when we learned that Adam’s 4.6 Grade Point Average reflects his success in such advanced courses as Advanced Placement (AP) Calculus, AP Computer Science, AP US History, AP Language & Composition, AP Literature & Composition, AP Government, and AP Environmental Science. He has earned the honor of being a National Merit Commended Scholar.
In addition to his outstanding academic record, Adam is involved in extracurricular activities. He plays on the Granada Tennis Team and serves as co-captain. He is co-president of the Chess Club. And he has served as a Little League Baseball Umpire since 2016.
Adam plans to major in Computer Science at UC Santa Barbara.
March 2022 Student of the Month
Congratulations to Pallavi Badri, our March Student of the Month!
We were happy to welcome Pallavi to our club in person and hear of her exceptional contributions as a student at Granada High School. She excels academically, having earned a 4.59 Grade Point Average, as a result of doing outstanding work in college preparatory, honors, and Advanced Placement courses. Principal Matthew Hart praised her abilities, noting that “she will probably be on the Supreme Court one day.”
Pallavi shows her leadership skills as president of the Granada Mock Trial club, co-president and co-founder of the GHS Gender Equality Society, and as secretary of the Model United Nations Club. Pallavi shared that getting involved in clubs helped her feel more connected to Granada and her fellow students.
Pallavi plans to major in cognitive science or psychology. She hopes to attend UCLA or UC San Diego in the fall.
February 2022 Student of the Month
Congratulations to Will Taggart, our February Student of the Month!
Will is an outstanding student, with a 4.37 Grade Point Average, reflecting a rigorous list of courses including Honors and Advanced Placement. Will has been instrumental as a leader and activist, campaigning in support of anti-tobacco legislation. A member of the Peer Educators Group at Granada, Will has been presenting information on the health hazards and addictive nature of vaping to middle and high school students as well as to parent and community groups. Will spoke to the Livermore City Council and was instrumental in encouraging our City leaders to pass anti-tobacco legislation that helps protect youth health and safety, and he has worked with the Alameda County Office of Education to support anti-vaping.
Will is active in student clubs, serving as secretary of both the Interact Club and the Medical Professionals Club. He was a key member of the Livermore team that presented to and helped win the All America City Award in 2021.
Will hopes to attend college on the East Coast, where he will study public health or global health, with a minor in biology.
January 2022 Student of the Month
Congratulations to Madison Braswell, our January Student of the Month!
We were excited to meet Madison Braswell, a true scholar athlete! An excellent student with a GPA over 4.0, Madison is also a three-sport athlete. She plays volleyball, basketball, and lacrosse. Principal Matthew Hart introduced us to her this month because Madison is captain of the Granada girls basketball team, and the team boasts an outstanding record of 14-1 so far this season! Madison has played on the varsity team for all four years of high school and has served as captain for the past three years. She has earned All League and All North Coast Section (NCS) honors.
Madison plans to attend a 4-year college, majoring in sports medicine or environmental science. She shared that she will treasure the friendships she’s made in high school long after graduation.
December 2021 Student of the Month
Congratulations to Jacob Bauman, our December Student of the Month!
Jacob is a star athlete and outstanding student at Granada High School. Principal Matthew Hart introduced Jacob to us in December, immediately following the GHS Cross Country team's second place finish at the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) State Finals. Jacob is captain of the GHS Cross Country team and is an incredibly fast runner. We also learned that Jacob enjoys competitive sailboat racing. On land or sea, he's fast!
Academically, Jacob is preparing for a career in STEM (nursing or engineering) by excelling in Advanced Placement courses including AP Calculus, AP Physics, AP Chemistry, AP Biology, AP Environmental Science, AP Language, AP US History, and AP Government. Jacob has earned an overall Grade Point Average (GPA) of 4.33 while at Granada!
Jacob has applied to universities this fall and is hoping to be accepted to UCLA or UC San Diego to fulfill his academic and career goals.
November 2021 Student of the Month
Congratulations to Ben Wiggington, our November Student of the Month!
Ben is a top scholar at Granada High School, excelling in Advanced Placement courses such as Calculus and Physics, and earning a 4.24 GPA. He is a member of the Matador Baseball Team, and worked with the GHS Gardening Club to develop a garden at GHS. Principal Matthew Hart shared that Ben, as class officer, is a “quiet leader” who organizes, implements, and then can be found helping out by cleaning up after an event. Ben organized events that kept his classmates connected during distance learning. He helps to develop empathy and unity through his involvement in Humans of Granada (check out humansofgranada on Instagram).
Ben has applied to several universities and plans to study mechanical engineering after graduation.
October 2021 Student of the Month
Congratulations to Jordan Knight, our October Student of the Month!
Principal Matthew Hart was proud to introduce Jordan as the Senior Class President, an outstanding student at Granada High School, and the 2021 Homecoming Queen. Jordan has been involved in Leadership, clubs, and the Granada soccer team. She looks forward to attending college and majoring in marketing or sociology. She loves creating and planning events! (We think she will be a great Rotary leader one day!)
September 2021 Student of the Month
Congratulations to Rachel Guerra, our September Student of the Month!
Principal Matthew Hart introduced Rachel as the Associated Student Body President and an outstanding senior at Granada High School. She is captain of the Cheer Team, and leads the Shooting Stars. Rachel excels as a student, enrolling in both honors and Advanced Placement courses.