North Cobb Magnet’s STAR!
Throughout one’s high school career, the SAT and ACT creep up quickly around junior or senior year. In certain cases, individuals, like magnet senior Suhana Gupta, take the exams with ease and score exceptionally high. In addition to Gupta’s academic achievements in the classroom, she received the STAR student award for scoring the highest single test date SAT score at NC, respectively, a 1510. Her high test score allowed Gupta and her STAR teacher, Deepa Stephen, to receive the chance to attend the statewide ceremony to celebrate the young woman. Although her SAT shines bright, this number does not stand alone in her pool of academic successes.
“The banquet was like three hours long, and they gave us inspirational speeches. They had teachers come, and they introduced every one of us and asked us what we wanted to pursue and where we are committed. And then our STAR teacher came up and we gave a speech about them,” Gupta said.
Gupta moved to Georgia the week before her freshman year at NC from Hoover, Alabama, but she quickly found her place and friendships, which she now guards closely. As a woman of various talents, Gupta also participates in a cultural dance program, the Nritya Natya Kala Bharti Dance and Music Academy, where she receives the opportunity to express herself artistically. With nine years of dance under her belt, Gupta has found sweet relationships, and she will earn college credit for her experience. Badminton and her piano skills also keep her busy, becoming an outlet for her during her limited free time.
When looking at her academic resume, Gupta involves herself in numerous clubs and rigorous classes, with her Georgia Institute of Technology calculus courses showcasing her genius-like mind. Calculus teacher Deepa Stephen encouraged Gupta to move outside her comfort zone and take on challenging courses because of her vast belief in the young teen’s ability to succeed; throughout high school, Gupta took a total of eight math classes. Gupta grew close to Stephen and ultimately chose to select Stephen as her STAR teacher for the STAR student recognition initiative.
Adding to her list of feats, Gupta’s love of research has motivated her to work outside of school with professors on new topics that intrigue her. She first began her study in the Advanced Placement (AP) Research course, where she looked into cryptocurrency sustainability and continued her investigation through her junior year summer. The research paper she wrote during her study with a Harvard University mentor remains in process to eventually become published. In addition to studying currency, she also scored the opportunity to research with a University of Cambridge professor on international sanctions. The mound of research she has completed has launched her forward and allowed her to stand out against thousands of other college applicants.
“I am taking hard classes [senior year], but since some of them are online, it is not as stressful. It feels like this year is just the final of everything, like I took AP Microeconomics last year, and this year I am taking AP Macroeconomics and the same with my calculus classes. I feel like I am just exploring for the last time before I go to college,” Gupta said.
As Gupta began her senior year and exceeded her SAT score expectation, she realized the competitiveness of her scholastic achievements. This realization led her to apply and receive acceptance letters to a myriad of highly selective colleges; these institutions include all the University of California schools, the University of Georgia Morehead Honors College with the presidential scholarship, Georgia Institute of Technology and various others. Currently, Gupta still waits to commit to ensure she can confidently decide on an academically and financially responsible college. Amongst all her outstanding extracurriculars and academics, Gupta continues to strive for excellence in all aspects of her life.
North Cobb Magnet wishes Gupta the best of luck as she continues to succeed!