Round Rock High School 2018 Top Ten
As seniors across Round Rock ISD prepare to celebrate graduation, we take a moment to recognize the top ten students from each campus by asking them about their journey through Round Rock ISD and their next steps after graduation.
David Tang
Valedictorian
What college will you be attending next year?
I will be attending the University of Chicago to study math and computer science.
What campuses in Round Rock ISD did you attend?
I attended Fern Bluff Elementary School, Chisholm Trail Middle School and Round Rock High School.
What is your favorite memory of your time in Round Rock ISD?
My favorite memory is marching in the 2015 Tournament of Roses Parade as a member of Round Rock High School’s band. The opportunity was truly something unique and the experience was incredible. Additionally, during this trip I got to bond with members in the band, forming friendships that lasted through all four years of high school.
Who has been your most influential teacher in Round Rock ISD?
My english teacher Mrs. Esparza has influenced me the most. She taught me to be confident in my abilities as a writer and thinker, encouraging me to trust my judgements and explore my ideas. Her commitment to helping me develop critical thinking skills changed how I think about the humanities and my perspectives on various issues.
Jonathan Hui
Salutatorian
What college will you be attending next year?
I will be attending the UCLA and majoring in chemical engineering.
What campuses in Round Rock ISD did you attend?
I attended Old Town Elementary, Walsh Middle School and Round Rock High School.
What is your favorite memory of your time in Round Rock ISD?
Time really flies, so the memory that comes to mind is rather recent. As part of an outside program, the RRHS orchestra received the amazing opportunity to perform at THE Carnegie Hall in New York this year. Although the Monday rehearsals were sometimes a drag, they were absolutely worth it when we went over Spring Break this past March!
The first thing I remember is how cold it was when we arrived, and the cold was a constant from beginning to end. Although the temperature truly tested our packing foresight, we were gifted with light snowfall throughout the duration of our visit that made the experience complete for me as a native Texan. We had a few days to be tourists before performers, and visiting the hotspots was a blast, creating memories at New Amsterdam Theatre and Radio City Music Hall that I will treasure as highlights of my four years attending RRHS.
Although the performing hall was a bit smaller than I had anticipated, performing there maintained a breath-taking grandeur, and it only took a small lull in activity for me to step back and take it all in — it’s Carnegie Hall, after all. With a unique surprise performance by a middle school band, the trip became immortalized in all of our memories. Lastly, this trip facilitated a socialization that just isn’t found in class; there was a certain contentedness to simply sitting in the back of the bus with friends since freshman year, telling jokes, sharing stories, and playing pranks on those tired enough to fall asleep.
Who has been your most influential teacher in Round Rock ISD?
Mr. Boylan, the chemistry guru, himself defines the RRHS chemistry experience through his dedication to putting himself out there to make learning engaging as exemplified in his YouTube channel, which combines animated dancing and groovy music with the likes of a quality Khan Academy-style presentation to create memorable lessons for simple and complex topics alike.
Mr. Boylan has a passion for chemistry and especially for teaching it, a powerful combination that is hard to come across. With his exuberance, even the most uninterested student can’t help but to be enthusiastic right there along with him. I feel that he invested himself in me to be successful — as he does with all of his students — thoroughly answering our questions and devising clever demonstrations to illustrate difficult concepts. 6.022/6.022 would take his class again.
Matthew Harvill
No. 3
What college will you be attending next year?
I will be attending the University of Texas at Dallas for electrical engineering.
What campuses in Round Rock ISD did you attend?
I attended Wells Branch Elementary School, Chisholm Trail Middle School, and Round Rock High School.
What is your favorite memory of your time in Round Rock ISD?
My best memory in Round Rock ISD was playing in the Rose Parade. On the trip to Pasadena, California I made three new friends who I am still very close with. Overall, the experience was very unique and such a fun way to start high school.
Who has been your most influential teacher in Round Rock ISD?
Mr. Roeder has been my most influential teacher. He has been my percussion teacher since sixth grade. Over the seven years that I’ve been his student he has taught me much more than how to play a snare drum.
Sriraman Iyengar
No. 4
What college will you be attending next year?
I will be studying electrical engineering at the University of Texas at Austin.
What campuses in Round Rock ISD did you attend?
I attended Fern Bluff Elementary, Chisholm Trail Middle School, Round Rock High School.
What is your favorite memory of your time in Round Rock ISD?
I loved having field day at Fern Bluff Elementary. It was a time when life was stress-free, and field day was a reminder that we all need some fun every now and then.
Who has been your most influential teacher in Round Rock ISD?
My social studies teacher Mr. Conrad. I only recently verified that his loud jump scares could be heard down the hallway. So much knowledge, passion, and entertainment packed into a single teacher. He always challenged me to think for myself rather than blindly believe in the words of people around me.
Zachary Driscoll
No. 5
What college will you be attending next year?
I will be attending Rice University next year to study mechanical engineering.
What campuses in Round Rock ISD did you attend?
I attended Cactus Ranch Elementary School, Walsh Middle School, and Round Rock High School.
What is your favorite memory of your time in Round Rock ISD?
My favorite Round Rock ISD memory would have to be traveling to regionals with the cross country team the last two years. It was really fun to travel with a team that I had grown so close to. It was also great to be able to compete against high level runners at the regionals meet.
Who has been your most influential teacher in Round Rock ISD?
Coach Moon, the Round Rock High School cross country coach, has been my most influential teacher. Between his many life stories, crazy athleticism (from 100 kilometer runs to insanely long bike rides) and constant support, Coach Moon has taught me about everything from discipline and work ethic to financial planning. Whether he’s using one of his classic Moon-isms (“it feels like Vietnam out here,” etc.) or recalling the several times that he was hit by a car, Coach Moon never fails to make me smile and has made my cross country/Round Rock experience infinitely better.
Isabelle Scott
No. 6
What college will you be attending next year?
I will be attending Rice University and studying computer science.
What campuses in Round Rock ISD did you attend?
I attended Fern Bluff Elementary School, Chisholm Trail Middle School and Round Rock High School.
What is your favorite memory of your time in Round Rock ISD?
My favorite memory of my time in Round Rock ISD is from lunch breaks during summer band camp. Getting to sit and relax with my friends, knowing that we’d worked hard in morning and had more work to come; but for now, we got to take a break. Those times remind me of both the effort I put into the band program, and the friends I made and bonded with through that work.
Who has been your most influential teacher in Round Rock ISD?
My most influential teacher in Round Rock ISD was my elementary TAG Math teacher Mrs. Sully. My time in her classes first started interesting me in math, and created an environment where I wasn’t any different for being a girl interested in math or engineering. This space gave me confidence to continue working hard in my math and science classes, leading to my plans to major in Computer Science.
Cassandra Thomas
No. 7
What college will you be attending next year?
I’ll be attending Dartmouth College and studying international relations.
What campuses in Round Rock ISD did you attend?
I attended Round Rock High School.
What is your favorite memory of your time in Round Rock ISD?
My favorite memory is being able to run cross country. Track introduced me to an incredibly supportive and loving team. I’m thankful I got the chance to train, compete, and travel with some of my best friends.
Who has been your most influential teacher in Round Rock ISD?
It would be impossible to choose just one. Mrs. Kubicek has been with me through all of high school, and in addition to sharpening my writing skills she has given me unconditional guidance and support whenever I need help. For their humor, wisdom, and devotion to their students, I am also extremely appreciative of Mr. Conrad, Mr. Smith, and Señora Jordan. Of course, these are just a few of many remarkable teachers I’ve had.
Alec Kennison
No.8
What college will you be attending next year?
I will be attending Harvard University and study either neuroscience or applied math.
What campuses in Round Rock ISD did you attend?
I went to Fern Bluff Elementary School, Deep Wood Elementary School, Chisholm Trail Middle School and Round Rock High School.
What is your favorite memory of your time in Round Rock ISD?
My favorite memory is dressing as a cowboy and advertising my Student Council campaign in a Texan accent.
Who has been your most influential teacher in Round Rock ISD?
My most influential teacher has been Mr. Jaramillo.
Luna Malloy
No.9
What college will you be attending next year?
I will be attending the University of Texas at Austin and double majoring in psychology and plan II honors.
What campuses in Round Rock ISD did you attend?
I attended Cedar Valley Middle School and Round Rock High School.
What is your favorite memory of your time in Round Rock ISD?
My best memory would be the late nights spent eating pizza and practicing with the Mock Trial Club here at school. I learned a lot from the people on that team about what it meant to practice law and be an attorney, but I also had such a fun time goofing around and forgetting about the stresses of the past school day.
Who has been your most influential teacher in Round Rock ISD?
I wouldn’t be able to choose between Mrs. Mary Esparza and Profesora Sheila Jordan. Both of them are insanely hard working teachers who have helped me grow as a writer, reader, and speaker in both English and Spanish, and I hope that one day I can be as selfless and compassionate as they are.
Haana Janmohamed
No.10
What college will you be attending next year?
I will be attending the University of Texas at Austin and plan to internally transfer into computer science.
What campuses in Round Rock ISD did you attend?
I went to Cactus Ranch Elementary School, Walsh Middle School and Round Rock High School.
What is your favorite memory of your time in Round Rock ISD?
My best memory is my AP Computer Science class in junior year. Every time Mr. May would come in, he would say “Computer Science!” and we would all clap for him. It was such an enthusiastic class, and small moments like those really made the class memorable.
Who has been your most influential teacher in Round Rock ISD?
Mr. May, Mr. Pham, and Mr. Conrad have been the three most influential teachers during my time at RRHS. Mr. May’s passion for Computer Science fostered my love for that field (thanks to him, that’s what I want to major in!), Mr. Pham has been a role model for me in terms of leadership and his humor never failed to crack me up, and Mr. Conrad had an entertaining approach to teaching and always inspired me to believe in myself.
