Kannappan Iyyappan

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

It’s a result of all the work I put in, a cherry on top. It wasn’t exactly the goal, I never aspired to be in the top 10 or anything like that. I knew I wanted to get into college and I knew I wanted to be a doctor. I put the work into courses and then it happened.

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

Honestly, I should have had more fun. I missed out on learning experiences. The one thing I regret is not getting involved in athletic activities. I started soccer this year and it’s been really fun. I thought it would distract me from my academics, but honestly, I would tell myself to just play a lot more soccer. Soccer has been really fun this year and I wish I played a little longer. 

What is your most memorable part of high school? 

Freshman year, when the Red Jackets first opened the doors, I knew I wanted to do it. I was always interested in it and when the junior year applications came in for Red Jackets, I worked hard to get in. I enjoyed caroling in the classrooms and being able to see my elementary teachers when we talk about Red Jackets at open houses.

What are your thoughts on the current education system? 

I like that it’s competitive, even though it can be a toxic culture, especially at Coppell High School. I thrive on competition personally, so I think it works perfectly fine. It pushes us to be better and motivates us. But I can also see that it’s a little toxic. The amount of pressure that’s being put on students is crazy. It’s good and bad, in my opinion.

What are your goals for the future? 

I want to be a surgeon and I always have for as long as I can remember. That’s the game plan. Having an AP course load is a blueprint for where you’re supposed to be in college and hopefully medical school. 

What is your secret to success? 

It’s the connections and the friendships I made along the way. I’ve had classes where my friends teach me most of the lessons. The relationships you make, the people that you hang out with and the group that you have allow you to be exposed to opportunities. It gives you access to an entirely different set of perspectives. It helped me become successful in high school.

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

Not to bite off more than you can chew. There’s been a lot of scenarios where I’ve wanted to do more, and I’m doing half of it and just giving up on the rest. I have set my limits and know how much I can handle, whether that be a course load or competitions or extracurriculars

What was your motivation throughout high school?

I always wanted to be successful. I had a constant thought of what the future could be, and how my actions right now could shape that. That motivated me.

How much effort did you put into studying after school?

I was a minimum-effort kind of guy, I focused on extracurriculars. Studying is mostly done in school and after school, maybe 30 minutes to an hour. Understanding is a lot more important than just going through textbooks. I sit down and take 10 minutes to really understand the topic. You can get as much as you can by reading a textbook for three hours. It’s a different perspective on learning. 

What is your advice for younger students?

High school flies by really fast. I’m going to miss Coppell a lot. Try to make the most out of your experiences and try to try to experience as much as possible, life is limitless. It’s only bound by our imagination.

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