sunny dharod What was the most important lesson you learned in high school? First day of high school my freshman year — I was a transfer from SM West — and I will never forget that first day because I had zero friends. I remember sitting all by myself at lunch thinking, “Man, why did I come to Northwest? These people are never going to talk to me.” At night, I went home crying because of this. The lesson that I have learned is that when you don’t know anyone, you have to go up to them and talk to them. Because of my experiences my freshmen year, I feel like I have the ability to be friends with anybody I meet. What did you gain from your experience in the International Baccalaureate program? I was one of the students who
struggled a lot in the program. I am not the smartest, but I learned that if you work hard and are extremely determined, you will succeed. I dedicated most of my life to IB. I woke up at 5 every morning to get that extra chance to study just for survival, and it paid off. I know that my work ethic will carry me to success. What did you learn from running cross country and track? I started running to stay in shape for soccer, but I quit soccer because I fell in love with running. It is not about how naturally talented you are; it’s all about the hard work you put in. It is all about the extra miles. It’s all about running through the winter days and the hot summer days. I am really happy I came to Northwest. Had I gone to SM West, I would not have found this
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN / BUSINESS
passion that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. What legacy do you hope to leave at Northwest? When I came here freshman year, I had no confidence, no social skills, no determination. But standing here today, I see that I have come a long way. I had the drive to walk up to strangers and make funny faces to become their friends. I had the drive to put countless hours into school, sports and other activities to show that success is achieved by nothing except work ethic. I had the drive to meet incredible goals, even if it meant waking up at 5 every day. That is the legacy that I want to leave behind. I want to inspire everyone to be fearless and be smart by constantly pushing themselves, even after they’ve reached their goals.
KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY / BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING What did you get out of high school? I got so much out of high school. I think I’ve grown up so much since freshman year. I’ve learned how to respect people. The biggest thing I learned is how to become responsible for what I do. I have learned that to work hard to get what I want. I also learned that it’s important to be able to establish a friendship and trust in someone. You never know where those relationships can take you. What was your greatest success in high school? I think my greatest success in high school was winning the state track championship in the 4x4 relay race. It was a great group of guys. But we couldn’t
have done it without Coach Mike Cooper. He doesn’t get enough credit for how much he does for all of us and how much he has pushed us. I think it was such a great accomplishment, coming together to create one of the best track teams Northwest has ever had. What did you gain from all your athletic experiences? I definitely gained a sense of trust and also sense of companionship and friendship. It seemed like whenever I was in a sport, that’s who I hung out with on the weekends, who I was really close with and who I was with all the time. Especially this year, it seems like all the NW teams have come together. We joke around
and make fun of each other, but we would back each other up anytime. It’s important to have tight-knit friendships on teams. No matter what sport you’re playing, you’ve got to be able to trust one another. What was the most important lesson you learned in high school? I think the most important lesson is life is what you make it. If you’re always smiling, have the right attitude and are always working hard, you’re going to get great results. High school is a time for change and for trying new things. If you always have a positive attitude, then you’ll find out who you truly are.
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