3

/1023. 

That is what the email confirming final senior rankings read, bringing Coppell High School senior Shrihan Dasari’s long-running joke full circle. 

“I used to tell my parents that I wanted to be third in the class so I could still be at the top without having to give a speech,” Dasari said.

But as he continued reading through the email, he noticed a discrepancy — a discrepancy that reflected rumors claiming he was valedictorian. His GPA, meant to be 5.7167, instead read 5.7086.

A calculation error in the counselor’s office had etched Dasari into No. 3, burying his true standing under an oversight. When he took this issue to the counselors, the truth emerged. 

He was the CHS valedictorian.

This pinnacle was achieved while band — long considered one of the most time-consuming activities offered at CHS — demanded 20-30 hours of Dasari’s week. 

Hours marked by calloused fingertips on a vibraphone mallet.

Hours stretched into the flickering glow of a laptop at 4 a.m.

The friction between artist and scholar. 

Years of this grueling, dual-track journey had culminated in the highest academic honor. 

His mother Swapna Dasari reflects tearfully at his achievement, recalling the challenges that shaped his career.

“Being in band, I always thought it would be almost impossible for somebody to finish at the top. Even now, I don’t know how he managed it all,” Mrs. Dasari said. 

Dasari’s involvement in band precedes his high school career, but unlike academics, the vibraphone did not always come easy.

“In middle school, I wasn’t that good at band, and I didn’t have that much motivation,” Dasari said. “But after I got into high school, I found role models in band through upper classmen. So they also pushed me to go out, try new things and grow as a person.”

Dasari especially saw a role model in CHS Class of 2024 graduate Akanksha Subbarao, who served as a percussionist and student aide at Coppell Middle School West. Seeing her progress into high school while maintaining her work ethic, leadership and commitment to the program served as a source of inspiration.

Modeling that same transition into rigorous high school courses, Dasari developed a steady rhythm in time management.

”He was always determined — he uses every bit of time he has,” said sister Srithika Dasari, a sophomore member of The Sidekick newspaper. 

This dedication translated into results his junior year when he was ranked eighth in his class and named a percussion section leader. 

“He just did the work, took care of business and didn’t feel the need to brag about his rank,” AP U.S. History teacher Shawn Hudson said. “He would come to me for advice, feedback or support when he needed it, but he wasn’t someone chasing a grade.”

In his pursuit from ranked eight to valedictorian and average musician to band leadership, his journey reflects nothing short of sustained discipline. But to friends and family, his future is defined by his kindness beyond his academic success. 

“I think he’ll be an amazing father,” Srithika said. “He’s really nice and caring, and he always prioritizes us alongside his education.”

Shrihan will attend Rice University on the pre-medical track, and his next chapter will build on these same qualities.

“He did a camp where he had to help kids with different disabilities,” Mrs. Dasari said. “So his compassion and dedication will help him become a good doctor if he goes through with that route.”

In the final measure of his high school career, Shrihan stands to deliver the valedictorian speech — a task he once sought to avoid — leaving a legacy that models excellence in both band and academics.  

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