Suraj Swaminathan, Rocklin High School’s 2023 valedictorian, is currently at UC San Diego (UCSD) and pursuing the pre-med track. He opened up about his RHS life and current college experience.

“College is great. I live five minutes from the beach, so I have been taking surfing lessons and try to hit the waves whenever the tide is right,” said Swaminathan. 

Now a pre-med student, Swaminathan is preparing to take the MCAT in the coming year. Despite the demands of his major, he remains unfazed. “I have always known I wanted to be a doctor,” said Swaminathan. “I am not someone who can sit behind a desk for long, I need to be up, moving, and interacting with people. Medicine, especially neurology, ties my love for biology and psychology together, and that’s why I am drawn to it.”

Swaminathan recalled his memories from RHS, particularly in his favorite classes such as AP Biology and AP Chemistry. “With my buddies I got in trouble a lot because we’d messed up the experiments,” he said. “Either intentionally or unintentionally because we were having a good time. I remember we used to burn different salts in the Bunsen burners because they’d turned different colors and then we got yelled at a little. Those were some of my favorite memories, messing around in class.”

Outside of academics, Swaminathan was active in tennis and made close friendships with peers like Kirajit Singh and Rishit Sharma. Whether they were practicing on the tennis court or spending time at rallies and carnivals, Swaminathan emphasized the importance of community. “The people you surround yourself with truly shape your experience,” he said.

Reflecting on his growth since high school, Swaminathan noted that graduation marked a pivotal moment for his life. “It hit me then that life is short, and many of the people I saw every day, I might never see again. It made me realize how important it is to live in the moment and cherish the present,” he said. 

In college, Swaminathan said he had time to reassess his priorities. “Rocklin was rigorous, and in some ways, college feels easier. The freedom to manage your schedule and time is refreshing.” He added that being exposed to a more diverse student body at UCSD has broadened his perspectives, allowing him to form friendships with people from different backgrounds.

Swaminathan said his outlook on life continues to change, but he strives for balance and happiness in all that he does. “Success in life is measured by how much happiness you bring to yourselves and those around you,” he said. “At the end of the day, life is temporary and we don’t carry anything on whether that be the wealth, your fame, or anything for that matter. So you got to maximize the happiness that you feel in your entire lifetime.”

Rishit Sharma, a Rocklin High School alum, talked about his high school experience and shared how it shaped him as he transitioned through college life at UC Irvine.

“High school was fun,” Sharma said. “I felt like I met my group of people. The highlights were definitely being in class with your friends, messing around, and going to football games. The energy at those games was crazy.”

When asked about the academic side of high school, Sharma admitted to struggling with maintaining a strong work ethic. 

“Academics were definitely a grind, but I just knocked it out. I can’t lie, compared to most people I have a terrible work ethic,” Sharma said. “I’d say don’t ask me for study tips because I don’t have any. But I got the work done when I needed to.”

As he reflected on his transition to college, Sharma said his perspective has shifted, especially in terms of responsibility. “In college, no one hovers over you to make sure you get things done. You have to learn self-reliance and accountability. It’s all about having your own vision and making the most of your time because you’re only young for so long,” he said.

Joining a fraternity helped Sharma break out of his shell and connect with more people. “It’s like socialization on steroids,” he said. “You meet so many new people, and you just have to balance that with academics and your career goals.”

When reflecting on any regrets or lessons he learned from RHS, Sharma admitted he wished he had been more organized. “Looking back, I wish my work ethic had been better. I spent a lot of time on my phone and doing things for the plot instead of being more focused,” said Sharma. 

One aspect of high school that Sharma cherishes is the influence of his teachers and friends. “You are who you surround yourself with,” he said. “My friends were focused academically, which pushed me to be my best and brought out my best,” said Sharma.

As for his teachers, Sharma fondly remembered Mr. Warner and Mr. Clarion for their support during his time at Rocklin High.

Despite the challenges, Sharma has a positive outlook on his future. He said he is determined to continue pursuing his degrees in computer science and engineering. “It’s not something I’m super passionate about, but I’m good at it, so I’m sticking it out to see where it goes,” he said.

For those still navigating high school, Sharma had one message. “Just live life. You’re only young once, so make the most of it,” he said.

Tyler Lin, a graduate of Rocklin High School and current student at New York University (NYU), opened up about his transition to college life, sharing the challenges he faced and offering advice for current high school students. 

“The biggest challenge I faced when transitioning to college was living independently,” Lin said. “All of a sudden, I didn’t have my parents to wake me up, cook me food, or guide me through life anymore.”

For Lin, moving away from home and taking on responsibilities by himself was a difficult adjustment. To manage this new independence, he started planning out his schedule using tools like Google Calendar and Notion, which allowed him to organize his classes and club activities. “Doing things with friends helps a lot too. It’s a lot easier to go to the gym or cook a meal when you have someone to do it with,” said Lin. 

Despite initial worries about making friends at a large university, Lin found that putting himself out there was key. “I’m a pretty introverted person, so I worried about making friends. But it really is true that so many others have the same worries and are also looking to make friends,” said Lin. 

By attending orientation events and joining clubs, Lin was able to overcome his fears and build a social circle. “The biggest hurdle is making those first few friends. Once you have those they’ll introduce you to their friends, and it’s much easier to grow your circle,” he said. 

“Mr. Werner was definitely the RHS teacher who impacted me the most,” Lin said. Mr. Werner’s dedication to Thunder Esports, as well as other clubs like Coding Club and CSHS, left a lasting impression on him. 

“Our trips to national championships in Los Angeles and Orlando, as well as the construction of our Esports Lab, would not have been possible without his diligence and dedication, ” said Lin. 

When asked about the most important skills high school students should develop, Lin said to keep an open mind. “At a large college, you’ll meet a huge variety of people, all with different personalities, viewpoints, and backgrounds,” he said. “Those different perspectives can be a huge help in developing yourself, both academically and morally, but that growth won’t happen if you aren’t willing to listen and talk to people who are different from you.”

“Nobody’s perfect, and I definitely made my fair share of mistakes during my freshman year of college, but it always ended up being not as bad as I initially thought it would be,” said Lin. 

Balancing academics with social life has been another aspect of Lin’s college experience. “Scheduling is key,” he said. “Knowing which days are my busy days and which days I’ll have more free time helps a ton when I’m planning which assignments to do or when I have time to spend with friends,” Lin said.

Lin makes an effort to keep his weekends free for social activities, using his free time during the week to complete assignments in advance. “Everyone wants to go out on weekends, so I try to get as much work done as possible during the week,” he said.

Sunny Liu, a Rocklin High School graduate now at Harvard, reflected on her journey from high school to college, emphasizing the importance of balance, hard work, and fun along the way.

“My high school experience provided me with a lot of opportunities to learn about multiple fields in diverse contexts, which definitely helped me prepare to explore in college,” Liu said. She said the variety of classes and extracurriculars at Rocklin High broadened her perspective and readied her for the rigor of university.

However, the transition to college wasn’t without its challenges. “The biggest challenge I faced was definitely transitioning to a more rigorous college schedule and workload,” she said. “Everyone here is very academically talented and ambitious, so it was difficult adjusting to that culture.” 

Despite the academic pressure, Liu was able to overcome these challenges by maintaining a balance between work and enjoyment. “I just worked hard and made sure I also had fun while in college,” said Liu. 

A defining moment for Sunny in high school was her participation in cybersecurity competitions with her team. “They were really hard and challenging because they lasted six hours, but I had so much fun working with my team on these challenges,” she said. “It really taught me good teamwork and communication, and the value of having fun while working hard.”

“I balanced my academics well in both high school and college,” she said. “I made sure to stay on top of my schoolwork, but I also prioritized time for myself to recharge and hang out with friends, which is really important.”

Reflecting on her college experience so far, Liu shared how the people she’s met have changed her understanding of the world. “Those who had the biggest impact on me in college are those from different backgrounds than mine,” she said. 

“One of my closest friends is from a rural area in Arkansas, and her background really shaped my understanding of others,” Liu said. “It puts life into perspective and shaped how I view the world now.”

Liu also learned some valuable lessons about herself throughout her academic journey. “Something unexpected I learned about myself during high school and college was that it’s okay to not know everything and to ask for help when needed,” Liu said. “You’re not alone, and there are so many people out there who support you and want to watch you succeed.”

For current high school seniors preparing for college applications, Liu said to, “Be authentic and true to yourself in your applications, essays, or activities. Make sure that you are representing the best parts of you that make you unique, and you’ll be totally fine. Don’t stress too much about college and take it easy on yourself.”