Amav Khambete

What does it mean to you to be in the top 10? 

In my sophomore year, I wasn’t expecting that I’d be ranked second my senior year. It’s a culmination of everything I’ve been working towards, especially my academics. While I wasn’t fully expecting it, it was a rewarding feeling.

What is something you wish you could tell your freshman self? 

Speak out more in class. I started high school being very quiet, and I wish I spoke out more in class, especially with the questions I had and the connections I was making outside of class. Speaking up, asking more questions and talking more about the content could have furthered my understanding and might have helped others as well. As high school goes on, you get comfortable expressing yourself and ideas. If I had started out like that, it would have been more beneficial in the long term. 

What is your most memorable part of high school? 

Being a part of the Coppell High School swim team. Swimming is a team-oriented sport. I’ve learned this year and last year, being team captain, that you have to consider the competitiveness and rivalry, but also the team spirit and the team as a whole. Most of my memorable experiences track back to swimming. 

What are your thoughts on the current education system? 

I like our current education system because we have a lot of options and get to choose what we learn and keep diving into what we’re passionate about. I do think that we need to extend our options a little further. I know a lot of people who finish AP Calculus BC in their sophomore or junior year and go on in their high school experience to not have a math course to further their interest in math. I think CHS should incorporate some multivariable material or linear algebra to further that stream. 

What are your goals for the future? 

I want to study abroad in Japan for at least two semesters. I’ve been working on learning Japanese for the past four years and one of my biggest goals is studying abroad in Japan and researching there. Being able to communicate and immerse myself in Japanese culture and speaking fluent Japanese while also pursuing my passion for research is something that would be very stimulating for me. I’m also interested in pursuing neuroscience at Harvard, where I will be attending in the fall. This summer, I’m working on developing my own biotechnology company with the research I’m doing currently at UT Southwestern. One of my biggest goals is taking that company to the next level and building it up.

What is your secret to success? 

Not being afraid to start something new. It may feel like you’re the only one in your high school that’s interested in whatever you like to do. For me, I was learning Japanese by myself, but when you’re learning a language, the communicative part is the most important part. I started the Japanese Club here at CHS and it’s over 30 members strong. If you’re really passionate about something, don’t be afraid to step up as a leader and share that passion with others at school.

What is the hardest lesson you had to learn during high school?

Time management. Especially your junior year, it can be super stressful because of the coursework itself. For me, I was doing club swimming outside of school as well, which is two to three extra hours on top of school hours. I keep a priority list in the back of my mind of what I value the most and will spend my time doing what will help me in the future. With all my commitments, it was hard to manage everything, but keeping a priority list really helped me.

What was your motivation throughout high school?

My friends, rivals in the perspective of swimming and competitors. I surround myself with people better than me and they constantly motivate me to improve in different aspects of my life. In swimming, there are tons of people faster than me on the swim team. Knowing that and being able to compete with them at meets is very motivating. In relation to academics, I always try to surround myself with people who are passionate about certain areas of science, technology, engineering and math. Learning from them, I get inspired by how much other people know about and keep learning more in high school. 

How much effort did you put into studying after school?

I don’t do too much studying in the sense of memorizing. Throughout high school, I tried to stay excited about what I was learning. I know that if you get a ton of assignments and homework, it might become boring and tedious, but if you trick your mind to think that what you’re studying is super interesting and that it applies to different aspects of your life, it becomes meaningful to you and has another depth of value. 

What is your advice for younger students?

You don’t need to know exactly what career you’re going to pursue after high school. Try out different things and see where your interests converge. At that intersection, you can play with different things you want to do and your passions is where you will be able to decide what you want to do with your life. 

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