Julia Kim
Staff Writer
Senior Mitu Bhattatiry entered Coppell High School with three concerns: getting lost, getting injured in the hallways and tackling AP exams. She never expected to be valedictorian, much less maintain the very prestigious standing for four years.
“My parents and the support of the school and counselors in allowing for a ton of flexibility in my classes highly contributed to my success,” Bhattatiry said. “Everyone, despite the fact that I was a tiny girl who seemed to be getting into something in over my head, was super accommodating, and I will always appreciate that.”
Entering her senior year, Mitu had not only taken 18 AP exams but also managed to get the highest scores of 4s or 5s. This year, she is adding six more tests to her long standing list, making her total test count twenty-four.
In addition to taking courses at the high school, Bhattatiry has also enrolled in online classes offered by the University of California, Berkeley, the University of Iowa and Johns Hopkins University. Her resume boasts research throughout her high school career at SMU and the NanoTech Institute at the University of Texas at Dallas.
In the fall, Bhattarity will be attending a school tantamount to her intelligence: Columbia University. There, she will continue to pursue her interests by majoring in biomedical engineering or financial engineering.
Needless to say, her academic achievements are coupled by her involvement in noteworthy organizations on campus including Academic Decathlon, Model United Nations, Business Professionals of America (BPA), Teen Leadership Coppell, Red Jackets, National Honor Society and National Spanish Honor Soceity.
“BPA is a great program because not only has it provided me with real life application of everything I learn in school, but also because we get to travel to so many different places including Anaheim and Washington D.C.,” Bhattatiry said.
As the vice-president of BPA, Bhattatiry has experienced much success, placing both on the state level and nationally. She also plays a vital and pronounced role on the Academic Decathlon team.
“Everyone thinks that AcDec is a class that is a bunch of hard work and learning a bunch of trivia – and it is,” Bhattatiry said. “Buts it’s exactly those characteristics that makes it so fun. AcDec combines competition, studying, delicious food (thanks to Ms. A) and a great group of people in the perfect competition.”
Not everyone is musically adept, but then again, not everyone is exceptionally knowledgeable. During her spare time, Bhattatiry enjoys playing the violin, a hobby that cultivated in fourth grade; since then, she has been a part of the Young Performers Orchestra and the New Conservatory of Dallas of which she is still a member of.
Her teachers at Coppell consider her with the highest regards.
“Mitu is and has always been very dedicated,” Academic Decathlon coach and AP/IB Economics teacher Donnette Alexander said. “She’s always prepared and interested in what’s being taught. She has a great sense of humor (you have to listen for it), and although she’s very quiet, she is a lot of fun. Mitu was a wonderful competitor for the AcDec team, and everyone could always count on her so the team could be successful.”
Columbia University will meet her in three months where she will face her biggest fears – the lack of vegetarian food and the deficiency of a full nights sleep.
