Round Rock High School 2019 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.
Kevin Sheth
Valedictorian
What college will you be attending next year?
I will be attending The University of Texas at Austin to study neuroscience.
What campuses in Round Rock ISD did you attend?
I attended Old Town Elementary and Round Rock High School.
What is your favorite memory of your time in Round Rock ISD?
My best memory in Round Rock ISD would hands down be the spring carnivals at Old Town. They were a blast as we would go around our campus after hours and participate in many games, eat funnel cakes and other treats, and hopefully get a coveted prize from the raffle. My favorite part was the rock climbing wall and wondering whether I would make it up all the way that year. The carnival was also a way to compete with other classmates to see who was the best at what. Out of all of my Round Rock ISD experiences, this is one I wish I could have again.
Who has been your most influential teacher in Round Rock ISD?
This is a tough question as this would come down to a tie between Mr. Patrick Boylan and Mr. Patrick Horton. Mr. Boylan’s class was a great time as his labs made you want to go to class and see chemistry happen in front of your eyes. The flipped classroom was amazing, and the self learning combined with his teaching has helped me prep for the more independent college classes and understand chemistry long after I leave it. Mr. Boylan’s passion for chemistry is contagious, and he makes sure his students understand the material. Mr. Horton has been very influential in my personal growth as well as scientific. His guidance on labs has helped grow my lab writing skills and physics understanding. He is also extremely knowledgeable, and scintillating conversations are the norm in class. Lunchtime discussions in his classroom helped me learn a lot about the world and life moving forward. He also has a distinct darkish sense of humor that lightens up a hard day.
Cooper Ward
Salutatorian
What college will you be attending next year?
I will attend The University of Texas at Austin and major in computer science.
What campuses in Round Rock ISD did you attend?
I attended Deep Wood Elementary, Chisholm Trail Middle School, and Round Rock High School.
What is your favorite memory of your time in Round Rock ISD?
Being a part of my school’s musical productions for 4 years. There is simply no other experience as challenging and as enriching as being a part of such large scale theatre productions.
Who has been your most influential teacher in Round Rock ISD?
Mr. Justin May. He was my computer science teacher and mentor for 3 years and has been instrumental in guiding me and helping me to realize my love for computer science, which I hope to make a career out of. Additionally, he has always been an open ear and willing to listen to any and all of my high school woes and worries, which has been invaluable to me over the years.
Jason Wang
No. 3
What college will you be attending next year?
I’ll be attending The University of Texas at Austin to study electrical engineering.
What campuses in Round Rock ISD did you attend?
I attended Great Oaks Elementary, Cedar Valley Middle School, and Round Rock High School.
What is your favorite memory of your time in Round Rock ISD?
My best memory is going to Atlanta for DECA ICDC because we had a lot of freedom to go where we pleased and the competition was very exciting.
Who has been your most influential teacher in Round Rock ISD?
My most influential teacher is Mr. Mark Stoetzer because he made physics interesting and I always looked forward to going to his class.
Matthew Esquell
No. 4
What college will you be attending next year?
I will be attending Texas A&M to study Business Honors and finance.
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?
My favorite memory was the first day of freshmen year and being able to meet all of the new people from different school in my classes and sports.
Who has been your most influential teacher in Round Rock ISD?
My accounting teacher, Eric Chaverria, was the most influential teacher to me because he was the person who helped me realize that I wanted to pursue a degree in business, mainly the financial side.
Andrew Yin
No. 5
What college will you be attending next year?
I will be attending computer science at The University of Texas at Austin.
What campuses in Round Rock ISD did you attend?
Round Rock High School.
What is your favorite memory of your time in Round Rock ISD?
Performing at the Midwest clinic with our high school orchestra. I really enjoyed the music that we played and getting to explore Chicago with friends was an entirely new experience for me since I don’t travel very often.
Who has been your most influential teacher in Round Rock ISD?
Although I never played for his team, I’ve always respected and admired Coach Ryan Brown. You could always see how much he cared about the soccer program and the students who were part of it, and he was a strong figure who taught me a thing or two about perseverance and responsibility.
Shayla Heaton
No. 6
What college will you be attending next year?
I will be attending Brigham Young University where I plan to be a pre dental major, as well as study the art of videography and cosmetology.
What campuses in Round Rock ISD did you attend?
Round Rock High School.
What is your favorite memory of your time in Round Rock ISD?
I absolutely loved volunteering at the Special Olympics hosted by Round Rock ISD. It was so fun to interact with the athletes and watch them all compete. Everyone was so positive and it was just so much fun!
Who has been your most influential teacher in Round Rock ISD?
Ms. Olson was incredibly influential. She always had a smile, a kind word, and some heartfelt advice. She was there not just for her job, but for the students she was teaching. I hope to be like Ms. Olson some day!
Arya Saksena
No. 7
What college will you be attending next year?
I will be attending the University of Texas at Austin as a Forty Acres Scholar and Chemical Engineering Honors student.
What campuses in Round Rock ISD did you attend?
I attended Fern Bluff Elementary, Chisholm Trail Middle School, and Round Rock High School
What is your favorite memory of your time in Round Rock ISD?
One of my favorite memories in high school took place this year in Dallas for DECA State. I had such a wonderful time and formed deeper bonds with some of my closest friends. I will never forget the fun I had wandering the streets of downtown Dallas with those amazing girls and all of the inside jokes we share.
Who has been your most influential teacher in Round Rock ISD?
My most influential teacher in Round RockISD was Ms. Ann Nguyen, my Pre-AP English I teacher. She fostered my passion for advocating my beliefs and lent me her unwavering support when I asked her during my freshman year to help me start a club. I learned valuable lessons and skills through this founding of this club, an unforgettable experience which would have not been possible without the encouragement of Ms. Nguyen.
Melissa Bartlett
No. 8
What college will you be attending next year?
I will attend the University of Minnesota to study biochemistry.
What campuses in Round Rock ISD did you attend?
I have attended Sommer Elementary, Walsh Middle School, and Round Rock High School.
What is your favorite memory of your time in Round Rock ISD?
My favorite memory has to come from Mr. Boylan’s class where we were performing a titration experiment. Me and my table members titrated too far so the color rapidly changed to a hot pink and I exclaimed “wow, look at that fuchsia!” It gave me and my table members something to laugh at for the rest of the semester as the AP Chemistry test was coming up and we needed a stress reliever.
Who has been your most influential teacher in Round Rock ISD?
Instead of picking a single teacher, I will list a few because I am unable to choose just one amongst all of the great ones I have had through the years. Coach Thomas Arredondo has supported me the past four years through both my swimming and school career. Mrs. Veronica Barrera has made the medical field fascinating while providing us with opportunities to succeed in the professional world. Mrs. Mary Esparza and Mrs. Loren Renfroe both helped me excel in my weakest subject and gave me confidence in my writing skills. And finally, Mrs. Karen Sarlls taught me a lot about self-advocacy for the future. I am forever thankful to all of these amazing and positively influential teachers.
Maxwell Xu
No. 8
What college will you be attending next year?
I will be attending The University of Texas at Austin to study computer science.
What campuses in Round Rock ISD did you attend?
I attended Great Oaks Elementary, Cedar Valley Middle School, and Round Rock.
What is your favorite memory of your time in Round Rock ISD?
Going to prom and renting out a party bus with a big group. The whole day was expensive, but it was for sure a once in a lifetime experience. People were crazy hyped and fun and outgoing. Left me with a lot of stories to tell.
Who has been your most influential teacher in Round Rock ISD?
Ashima Saksena, cause she creates a chill environment in her classes that lets people goof around while still being productive. She’s a person I can joke around with but still learn a lot from. I don’t enjoy the subject of her class, but I do enjoy her class.
Sophie Taus No. 10
What college will you be attending next year?
I will be attending Case Western Reserve University. I plan on pursuing an Integrated Graduate Studies program where I will get a Bachelor’s in international studies and a master’s in military ethics.
What campuses in Round Rock ISD did you attend?
I attended Walsh Middle School and Round Rock High School.
What is your favorite memory of your time in Round Rock ISD?
Competing in the Round Rock ISD Fit Games is one of my fondest school memories. Being able to do a team workout alongside one of my best friends, and ultimately win, made me feel empowered and grow even closer with my friend. Although I looked like a sweaty mess and felt like a blob of Jello after competing, I couldn’t have been happier.
Who has been your most influential teacher in Round Rock ISD?
Ms. Kameko Jacobs is one of the most knowledgeable people I know, and her fresh perspective made U.S. History one of my favorite classes. Our nerdy discussions and the thought provoking books she loaned me made me truly enjoy learning. I aspire to be as kind and fierce as her.
