As graduates across Round Rock ISD prepare to begin the next chapter of their lives, we take a moment to recognize the Top 10 students from each campus. The Top 10 students were asked to answer a series of questions about their journey through Round Rock ISD and their next steps.
Conner Mullen
Valedictorian
What college will you be attending next year? What do you hope to pursue after college?
I will be attending Texas A&M University to study electrical engineering. I hope to pursue an engineering career after college.
What campuses in Round Rock ISD did you attend?
Teravista Elementary School, 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 memories of my time in Round Rock ISD are the cross country district meets because it was exciting to see how my running improved throughout each season. Also, after the meet, we would have a picnic to celebrate the season.
Who has been your most influential teacher in Round Rock ISD?
My most influential teacher has been Coach Moon because he helped me realize the importance of always giving 100 percent effort in running and school.
Aarushi Gupta
Salutatorian
What college will you be attending next year? What do you hope to pursue after college?
I will be joining the Canfield Business Honors Program at the University of Texas at Austin McCombs School of Business and intend to study finance. After college, I plan to pursue a career in consulting and hope to use my knowledge and abilities to have a meaningful impact on my community.
What campuses in Round Rock ISD did you attend?
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 memories in Round Rock ISD are undoubtedly from my experiences in DECA these past four years. Participating in DECA competitions helped me discover my interest in pursuing a career in finance and allowed me to spend time with some of my best friends. I fondly remember strolling around downtown together, playing fun games, and laughing together late at night in our hotel rooms. Since there were no in-person events this year, my DECA friends and I organized our lakeside picnic to reminisce and have some fun. I will cherish these DECA memories as I head off to college next year.
Who has been your most influential teacher in Round Rock ISD?
While I’ve had many wonderful teachers while in Round Rock ISD, Ms. Getz, Mr. Linder, Mr. Oliver, Ms. Olson, Mr. Boylan, Ms. Elander, and Mr. Janssens, among many others, I believe Mr. Johnson has had the most significant impact on me. Mr. Johnson is incredibly knowledgeable, passionate about teaching, and dedicated to instilling a core set of values that will guide us throughout our personal and professional lives. I am immensely grateful to him for being such a great mentor.
Anthony Faulkner
No. 3
What college will you be attending next year? What do you hope to pursue after college?
I will be attending The University of Texas at Dallas as a Terry Scholar on a full-ride scholarship to study mechanical engineering. After college, I hope to start my own company that deals with something I’m passionate about as well as be a mentor for younger individuals and pay forward the impact others had on my life.
What campuses in Round Rock ISD did you attend?
Old Town 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 throwing a ring onto a two-liter coke bottle at the Old Town Spring Carnival. I never won throughout the previous three or four years, so once I finally did, I was ecstatic.
Who has been your most influential teacher in Round Rock ISD?
My most influential teacher was Ms. Silvestry, my sixth-grade math teacher. The way she encouraged me had one of the greatest impacts on my character and where I am today.
Savannah Paetzel
No. 4
What college will you be attending next year? What do you hope to pursue after college?
I will be attending the University of Texas at Austin. I’ll be studying business through the Canfield Business Honors Program! I hope to pursue a career in sales, finance, or writing.
What campuses in Round Rock ISD did you attend?
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 memory was Friday Night Lights at Dragon Stadium! I love the energy in the stands — being immersed in Dragon pride and excitement for the game — and performing at halftime with the Dragonettes.
Who has been your most influential teacher in Round Rock ISD?
My most influential teacher was Mrs. Esparza. From the beginning, Mrs. Esparza supported my writing — academic and creative — inspiring me to pursue my passion for English in college and beyond.
Pranav Venkatesh
No. 5
What college will you be attending next year? What do you hope to pursue after college?
I will be attending the University of Texas at Austin as a computer science major. After college, I hope to pursue a career in the ML and finance space while keeping up with my passion for chess and music.
What campuses in Round Rock ISD did you attend?
Canyon Vista Middle School, Walsh Middle School, and Round Rock High School.
What is your favorite memory of your time in Round Rock ISD?
My favorite memory would have to be my involvement in the Round Rock High School Origami Club. Crafting origami was seamlessly intertwined with boisterous laughter, interesting conversations with the other members and our sponsor, Ms. Mayhugh, and intense moments of silence during complicated folds. My time in the Origami Club was always a nice break from the tumultuous yet monotonous buzz of homework, tests, and quizzes.
Who has been your most influential teacher in Round Rock ISD?
Mr. May and Ms. Nguyen have been influential for my personal and academic growth these past four years. Mr. May constantly challenged me to be intellectually curious, whether when writing and deciphering complicated algorithms for CS UIL or simply learning new topics in other classes. Ms. Nguyen, on the other hand, helped me develop my unique voice by encouraging me to move past my comfort zone by channeling and encapsulating my ideas through poetry.
Tanya Pawawongsak
No. 6
What college will you be attending next year? What do you hope to pursue after college?
I will be attending Rice University next year to study chemistry or EEPS (geology). After college, I hope to go on to medical school and pursue a career as a forensic pathologist.
What campuses in Round Rock ISD did you attend?
Pond Springs Elementary School, Deerpark Middle School, Cedar Valley Middle School, and Round Rock High School.
What is your favorite memory of your time in Round Rock ISD?
My best memory was probably the orchestra trip to the Midwest Clinic in Chicago my sophomore year. I met a real-life composer who wrote one of our pieces, and to this day, I still have a plastic water bottle featuring his face on it. I am thankful for the opportunity to play several beautiful pieces of music at the concert and connect with my friends through our collective experience exploring museums and playing dozens of card games.
Who has been your most influential teacher in Round Rock ISD?
My most influential teachers are probably Ms. Lestik and Mrs. Vandertulip. Ms. Lestik cemented my love for chemistry through her interactive classes and passion for science. She has become one of my role models with her positive attitude on life, commitment to making learning fun, and ability to live her life authentically. Mrs. V has been my orchestra director for the past four years and has helped me grow both as a musician and a person. I am grateful for her support in my numerous musical endeavors, from ensembles to solo works.
Brenda Tu
No. 7
What college will you be attending next year? What do you hope to pursue after college?
I will be studying biochemistry at the University of Texas at Austin. I hope to go to medical school and slowly make my way to becoming a pediatrician!
What campuses in Round Rock ISD did you attend?
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 memories were all the trips we took in orchestra; whether it was to Round Top or to Chicago, I always looked forward to hanging out with everyone outside of school and making memories!
Who has been your most influential teacher in Round Rock ISD?
My fourth-grade teacher, Ms. Dunegan, is most easily one of my most powerful influences growing up. Her life lessons and stories were impactful to me to this day on who I am and who I will always strive to be.
Faleha Quadri
No. 8
What college will you be attending next year? What do you hope to pursue after college?
I will be attending the University of Texas at Austin next year and will be double majoring in business and plan II honors! I hope to attend law school in the near future and someday work in politics.
What campuses in Round Rock ISD did you attend?
Great Oaks Elementary School, Cedar Valley Middle School, and Round Rock High School.
What is your favorite memory of your time in Round Rock ISD?
During my time in Round Rock ISD, the best memories I’ve had are from the Student Council class period and DECA trips! I’ve met many interesting people from these experiences and believe that they have helped shape me into who I am today!
Who has been your most influential teacher in Round Rock ISD?
My most influential teachers in Round Rock ISD have to be Ms. Solis, Ms. Daly, and Ms. Renfroe! My love for all things history-related started in Ms. Solis’ classroom and continued through World History with Ms. Daly. Ms. Renfroe has also been a guiding light throughout high school and has encouraged me to seek new opportunities and experiences.
Kimberly Brown
No. 9
What college will you be attending next year? What do you hope to pursue after college?
This fall, I’ll be majoring in biochemistry at the University of Texas at Austin. I plan on pursuing forensic science, but I’m still figuring it out.
What campuses in Round Rock ISD did you attend?
Great Oaks Elementary School, Cedar Valley Middle School, and Round Rock High School.
What is your favorite memory of your time in Round Rock ISD?
My favorite memories come from Model United Nations San Antonio (MUNSA). That was my first conference, and it was pretty daunting. At the opening ceremony, I realized that I wrote my position paper for UNHRC instead of UNHCR. Although that was unfortunate, the trip was pretty fun. Ten out of 10 would attend again.
Who has been your most influential teacher in Round Rock ISD?
From taking law classes and participating in mock trials, I can gladly say that Ms. Stradtner has been my most influential teacher. What I admire about Ms. Stradtner is her patience, sincerity, understanding, and dedication. She genuinely respects and cares about her students beyond the scope of deadlines and grades. Ten out of 10 would recommend taking a class with Ms. Stradtner or doing a mock trial.
Anjali Siby
No. 10
What college will you be attending next year? What do you hope to pursue after college?
I will be attending the University of Texas at Austin to pursue a biology major. I hope to pursue a career in the healthcare field, possibly optometry. However, I am still open to other options.
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 best memory is spending time after school with my friends for Student Council. We would make posters for different events, decorate the hallways for homecoming, and joke around in the meetings. I met so many of my friends here and had a lot of fun hanging out with them.
Who has been your most influential teacher in Round Rock ISD?
My most influential teacher in Round Rock ISD was my Chemistry teacher, Ms. Lestik. I would spend early mornings in her classroom attending chemistry tutorials, and she would patiently answer my questions until I understood the topic thoroughly. Her passion for science inspired me to pursue a major in science.
