2015 STUDENT PROFILE
NIKHIL RAVI 2400 In the early hours of a fall morning last year, an anxious Carroll Dragon sat at his computer checking the College Board website to find out his SAT score. Nikhil Ravi logged into his account and saw he had made a perfect score of 2400. At that moment, Ravi became the first Carroll ISD student to make a perfect score on the SAT. A perfect SAT score, while an incredible feat in itself, is not Nikhil Ravi’s only achievement. This student, like so many Dragons, is destined for greatness. A Carroll Dragon since kindergarten, Ravi attended all Carroll ISD schools, starting at Rockenbaugh Elementary, then Eubanks Intermediate, Dawson Middle, and finally Carroll High and Carroll Senior High School. 18 • VOL 1
“I love the sense of community both in Southlake as well as at Carroll ISD,” Nikhil said. “I think that the pride we share is the reason for the success of both our school as well as our city.” Nikhil, the only son of Ravi and Priya Venugopal, grew up with educational inspiration throughout his home. His father is an electrical and robotics engineer who works with companies throughout the aerospace industry including NASA. His mother is a radiologist and entrepreneur with her own practice located in Southlake. Both parents are active in Carroll ISD. Priya volunteers extensively at Carroll Senior High School and offers internships at her practice to students enrolled in the Carroll Medical Academy, while Ravi has been a mentor for the robotics team for the past six years. Nikhil says it’s that community connection that makes Carroll ISD so special. “Being a part of the Dragon community strengthens each and every one of us.” Adding his favorite reason for being a Dragon is, “the sense of community the school has.” Local businesses are also benefitting from the strength of Carroll students. Nikhil recently made a name for himself, following his internship at a local ophthalmologist’s office. After three years working as an intern, he saw a need and developed a computer algorithm to assist doctors when diagnosing Glaucoma. Medicine and computers often go hand in hand, and Nikhil certainly has experience with both. He volunteers with Special Olympics and organizes an annual Preemie Drive for families in need at Dallas’ Parkland Hospital. He is also a member of the Carroll Medical Academy, Head Captain of the Computer Science Club, and Captain of the Robotics Team. In the spring of 2014, Nikhil and his Robotics teammates represented Carroll ISD at the VEX Robotics World Championships in Kentucky. “It was an amazing experience,” Nikhil said. The team competed against 500 teams from around the world, and received multiple awards. Achieving excellence is a common goal in Carroll ISD. Nikhil says his teachers were the ones who inspired him and pushed him to always do his best. “I am fortunate to have had so many great teachers at Carroll, and the passion they have for the subjects they teach.” Computer Science/Robotics, Math, Physics, Biology and U.S. History are some of Nikhil’s favorite subjects. His interests will likely lead him to a career as a researcher and entrepreneur. He is looking forward to his senior year at Carroll, and the excitement that comes with starting the next chapter of his life. He plans to apply at universities in Texas, California, and the Northeast with the dream of developing computers to improve medical diagnosis and treatment. Nikhil says, “Being a Carroll Dragon means working hard while having fun and striving to protect the tradition of excellence that the district has fostered.” INSIDE CARROLL