Hi everyone! My name is Ria Parikh and I am so excited to start off my junior year as Deputy Photo Editor and Opinion Chief. I joined journalism during my first year of high school and I could not have made a better decision. Room 115 is truly a magical place with amazing people, all putting their creative minds together to put out our best work in The Leaf. I am so incredibly lucky to have a community of writers and artists who inspire me every single day.

Both writing and photography are a key part of who I am, which is why I am absolutely in love with my new roles this year. Getting to capture moments of time with my pen or my camera is what makes me the most fulfilled and, ultimately, is the reason I joined the journalism program. Aside from journalistic work though, I also enjoy creative writing—specifically poetry. I have been published in about ten magazines while also working on the editorial side of the craft as a board member of a literary journal. I am also honored to have received recognition for my work with about 15 keys and mentions from the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards and the 1st Place Writing Our Roots award. Yet, while I love the thrill of submitting to all the contests and competitions I can get my hands on, the greatest joys of writing for me are personally often found in the little things. Whether that be scribbling down thoughts in my journal at 4 in the morning or ranting to my friends over text, it comforts me to know that not a single day goes by without me writing.

Aside from the journalism program, my after-school life can be quite chaotic and ranges from playing varsity tennis for the SHS team to joining late-night Zoom meetings for clubs, to just getting pizza and hanging out with friends when I have some downtime. My motto for high school is to try to do as many activities and meet as many people as I possibly can while still maintaining somewhat of a sleep schedule.

Any other time I may have is usually spent pursuing one or the other of my too-long list of interests— one is dancing. I have been learning Kathak, an Indian classical dance, ever since I was around five, and am working towards getting my degree in it hopefully this year! Another interest of mine is volunteering and I am humbled to be serving as Vice President of an international non-profit this year. Academic-wise, I really love biology and am looking to pursue a career in medicine in the future. I have gotten experience conducting some research recently and it has made me even more interested in the field.

As I take on my second-to-last year of high school (crazy to even be thinking about it), I am excited about new opportunities and making memories with the people I love. Thank you so much for taking the time to learn a bit about me, and I hope you look forward to reading The Leaf!