A Student's Perspective

Student Body President Kiran Rao ’25 is passionate about the climate and hopes to leverage STEM to create environmental sustainability.

Kiran Rao ’25 manages a variety of roles with ease, including leading the STEM and Robotics clubs, captaining the soccer team, teaching snowboarding, and excelling academically. Here, he shares the skills he uses to excel and his plans to change the world for the better.

What are your hobbies or interests inside and outside of school?

My interests are STEM-focused, specifically engineering and physics. I am currently consumed with quantum physics and find myself going down YouTube rabbit holes, trying to deconstruct complex concepts. I lead the STEM and Robotics clubs, and I led the AAPI affinity group for the past two years.

Beyond academics, I play soccer and am hoping to compete in college. I also teach snowboarding at Mohawk Mountain. With the soccer team, I play a lead role in organizing the annual King Cares 5K, which fundraises for the Orphaned Starfish Foundation and Boys & Girls Club of Stamford. I also work on sustainability practices here at King. My dream is to solve the climate crisis. Nothing seems as important to me, and my career will likely focus on solving the issue.

How do you balance your academic pursuits, extracurricular activities, and responsibilities as Student Body President?

The busier I am, the better I manage my productivity. I have learned how to prioritize, which means I have learned to say “no.” There are so many opportunities that interest me. I have practiced identifying what is most meaningful, and I pursue those opportunities with purpose.

Did you know…?

Students across all school divisions — Lower, Middle, and Upper — can engage in leadership opportunities through student government. These programs cultivate leadership skills, empower students to voice their ideas, and foster a sense of community and collaboration as the student body works together to enhance the school experience.

To manage everything, I have developed habits. I have a complicated system of reminders, calendar events, and Post-it notes, and though it may not be pretty, it works for me. I love to journal before bed, and music helps me find a rhythm when I need to be productive. These small routines help me find my space and ground myself.

As a leader, how do you encourage your fellow students to explore their own interests and passions?

I love it when people show interest in my work because it allows me to share my excitement. Therefore, when I talk to a student about something they are passionate about, I listen, ask questions, and try to get them to share their excitement. Asking questions helps others feel their work is important and encourages them to go deeper into their exploration.

My King teachers have always encouraged me to pivot with my interests as I discover and grow and I try to follow their example. I encourage other students to say “no" to things if they realize it is not a fit for them. If they join a club and the club turns out not to interest them, it is OK to leave and try something new until they do find something that sparks their interest. Knowing when and how to make a change is so important.

What are your aspirations for the future, and how do you believe your experiences at King have prepared you for success?

My approach to collaboration and leadership has changed a lot during my time at King. As an extremely ambitious person, I used to lack patience and was intent on doing things autonomously. King taught me to take a step back and take time to create interest in others, that getting others involved in my work and interests is one of the most essential steps to getting things done. I have learned to balance my intense individualism with productive collaboration.

Where do you want to be in 10, 20, 30 years?

I will be a mechanical engineer building technology and robots that solve the climate issue. Robotics has three main components: electrical, computer science, and mechanical engineering. As a mechanical engineer, I will apply my knowledge to building a robot that will clean up dirty beaches, generate new forms of clean energy, or just make our daily lives greener.

When people ask me to define myself, the word “competitor” comes to mind first. So, in addition to robots, I will also be playing sports, running races, and training hard.