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Math, music are passions for home-schooled Intel finalist 0ALO !LTO S 3AHANA 6ASUDEVAN ATTENDED PUBLIC SCHOOL UNTIL SCHEDULE SNAFU PREVENTED IT HE WORLD IS A CLASSROOM FOR YEAR OLD 0ALO !LTO RESIDENT 3AHANA 6ASUDEVAN /N A GIVEN DAY THE HOME SCHOOLED TEEN RECENTLY NAMED A FINALIST IN THE )NTEL 3CIENCE 4ALENT 3EARCH MIGHT STUDY &RENCH AND CHEMISTRY AT HOME ATTEND A MATH CLASS OR TWO AT 3TANFORD 5NIVERSITY THEN HEAD OVER TO 0ALO !LTO (IGH 3CHOOL FOR AFTER SCHOOL MATH TEAM ACTIVITIES 3HE MAY ALSO SPEND TIME SINGING OR PLAYING VIOLIN WITH FELLOW DEVO TEES OF )NDIAN CLASSICAL MUSIC 6ASUDEVAN ATTENDED PUBLIC SCHOOLS UNTIL THE AGE OF WHEN HER UNUSUAL SCHEDULE OF ADVANCED MATH CLASSES BECAME TOO DIFFICULT TO RECONCILE WITH A REGULAR HIGH SCHOOL DAY h)NSTEAD OF BEING IN ONE PLACE FOR ME SCHOOL IS A LOT OF DIFFERENT PLAC ES v SHE SAID IN AN INTERVIEW WITH THE 7EEKLY h) MEET A LOT OF PEOPLE SO ) DON T REALLY FEEL ) VE MISSED OUT ON THE SO CIAL ASPECT OF ANYTHING v 0ALY MATH TEACHER 3UZ !NTINK CALLED 6ASUDEVAN AN hENTHUSIASTICv AND hINNOVATIVEv MEMBER OF THE SCHOOL S !DVANCED 0ROBLEM 3OLV
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ING TEAM h3HE LOVES TO DISCUSS HOW TO SOLVE THE PROBLEMS AS MUCH AS SHE ENJOYS FINDING THE SOLUTION v !NTINK SAID h$ISCUSSIONS WITH 3AHANA ARE ANIMATED AND LIVELY 3HE SMILES EASILY AND APPRECIATES THE INSIGHTS OF OTHERS 3HE S GREAT ON TEAM CON TESTS TOO v "ORN IN -OUNTAIN 6IEW 6ASUDE VAN WENT TO PRESCHOOL IN "ANGA LORE )NDIA 3HE BEGAN KINDERGAR TEN AT A PUBLIC SCHOOL IN "UFFALO . 9 #OUNTRY 0ARKWAY %LEMENTARY 3CHOOL 7HEN HER PARENTS BOTH SOFT WARE ENGINEERS RETURNED TO THE "AY !REA SHE TRANSFERRED TO 6ARGAS %LEMENTARY 3CHOOL IN 3UNNYVALE IN THIRD GRADE (ER MATHEMATICS WAS SO ADVANCED THAT SHE ALREADY WAS TAKING CLASSES AT 3TANFORD BY THE TIME SHE GRADU ATED FROM *OAQUIN -ILLER -IDDLE 3CHOOL IN 3AN *OSE !T THAT POINT THE FAMILY MOVED TO 0ALO !LTO PARTLY TO BE CLOSER TO 3TANFORD AND 6ASUDEVAN COM PLETED HER FRESHMAN YEAR AT 0ALY h0ALY WAS AWESOME v SHE SAID h)T WAS REALLY NICE ) WISH ) COULD HAVE
CONTINUED THERE BUT THE REASON ) M HOME SCHOOLED IS THAT ) WANTED TO TAKE MULTIPLE MATH COURSES AT 3TAN FORD IN THE SAME QUARTER v 6ASUDEVAN AND HER PARENTS CHOSE THE NAME h'NYANAM !CADEMYv hGNYANAMv IS 3ANSKRIT FOR KNOWL EDGE FOR THEIR HOME SCHOOL h-Y PARENTS ARE MORE MY SUPER VISORS THAN MY TEACHERS v SHE SAID h4HEY MAKE SURE ) DO WHAT ) M SUPPOSED TO BE DOING AND ) USUALLY TEACH MYSELF STUFF h-Y PARENTS OCCASIONALLY ADMIN ISTER TESTS AND STUFF LIKE THAT AND AT THE END OF THE YEAR ) TAKE !0 EX AMS v 4HOUGH SHE HASN T YET BEEN TO &RANCE 6ASUDEVAN HAS STUDIED &RENCH SINCE MIDDLE SCHOOL !T HOME THE FAMILY SPEAKS 4AMIL 3HE S CURRENTLY TAKING &UNCTIONAL !NALYSIS AND -ATHEMATICAL -ETH ODS OF #LASSICAL -ECHANICS IN THE 3TANFORD -ATH $EPARTMENT h)T S HARD TO QUANTIFY THE AMOUNT OF TIME ) SPEND ON MATH BUT ) DO SPEND A LOT OF TIME DOING MATH AND ON MUSIC v SHE SAID h3INCE ) WAS YOUNG ) WAS INTER ESTED IN MATH AND ) DON T EVER RE
Veronica Weber
by Chris Kenrick
3AHANA 6ASUDEVAN IS AMONG FINALISTS OUT OF CONTESTANTS NATIONWIDE IN THE )NTEL 3CIENCE 4ALENT 3EARCH COMPETITION 3AHANA IS HOME SCHOOLED BUT TAKES SOME MATH CLASSES AT 3TANFORD 5NIVERSITY AND PARTICIPATES IN 0ALO !LTO (IGH 3CHOOL MATH TEAM MEMBER NOT LIKING IT v 6ASUDEVAN ALSO BEGAN LEARNING VOCAL MUSIC AND VIOLIN BEFORE THE AGE OF AND TRAVELS TO )NDIA TWICE A YEAR TO STUDY AND PERFORM AND TO VISIT RELATIVES %ARLY IN HER MUSICAL STUDY SHE BEGAN FOCUSING ON #AR NATIC MUSIC A GENRE FROM SOUTHERN )NDIA h7HEN ) GO TO )NDIA ) FOCUS ON MUSIC v SHE SAID h*UST LIKE MATH ) VE BEEN INTERESTED IN MUSIC SINCE ) WAS REALLY YOUNG v 6ASUDEVAN SAID SHE EMBARKED ON THE )NTEL CONTEST AFTER MAKING PROGRESS ON A PROBLEM GIVEN TO HER BY 3TANFORD MATH PROFESSOR 0ERSI $IACONIS
(ER PROJECT h-INIMIZING THE .UMBER OF #ARRIES IN THE 3ET OF #OSET 2EPRESENTATIVES OF A .ORMAL 3UBGROUP v WAS CHOSEN TO BE ONE OF FINALISTS IN A CONTEST THAT INITIALLY DREW ENTRIES .EXT MONTH SHE AND THE OTHER FINALISTS WILL PRESENT THEIR PROJ ECTS TO JUDGES IN 7ASHINGTON $ # FOR A CRACK AT THE TOP PRIZE OF h) M KIND OF NERVOUS AND KIND OF EXCITED v SHE SAID h)T WILL BE REALLY NICE MEETING THE OTHER FINALISTS v N 3TAFF 7RITER #HRIS +ENRICK CAN BE EMAILED AT CKENRICK PAWEEKLY COM
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