Whether it is preparing for college or a career, the seniors at SCHS have hopes and ambitions for what lies ahead of them. While each student’s path may be different, many are focused on setting goals and taking steps to reach them in the future.
For senior Preesha Vaswani, the importance of education was emphasized early on at home. Her parents’ experiences shaped the way she approached her own future, especially when it came to financial stability and long-term planning. Those early conversations played a significant role in how she began thinking about college and career goals.
“I knew I always wanted to work in the medical field, or something with kids like pediatrics, and take classes that align with that,” Vaswani said. “My goals stood on getting good grades and making sure that outside of high school I have a future that can set me up financially well.”
Similarly, senior Jaxton Chao’s parents played an important role in his education and athletic career. They inspired him to excel in not only academics but in baseball as well.
“My parents told me to make goals for this year, for baseball more specifically. They made me write them on a piece of paper and they made me put it on a board and just look at it,” Chao said. “Just looking at them every single day, seeing if I improved, looking in the mirror every day, seeing if I grew, like, ‘Am I better today than yesterday?’”
For senior Ashon Maharaj, his goal was to earn a special achievement for the SCHS band.
“Coming into my sophomore year, we were introduced to the CMEA (California Music Educators Association) competition, and ever since I went to my first one, I really wanted to get a Unanimous Superior (the highest rating), and by my senior year, I made a goal for the class that we wanted to get a Unanimous Superior,” Maharaj said.
Senior Satveka Salgaocar approached her final year of high school with a focus on balance. After a demanding junior year and a packed schedule of Advanced Placement courses, she prioritized staying organized, managing her workload and avoiding stress while preparing for college applications.
“I did not want to burn out quickly because I’m taking a lot of AP’s. On top of that, I was already feeling so tired from junior year, so I was like, ‘Whatever happens, I need to make sure I stay on top of my stuff,’” Salgaocar said. “I wanted to make sure my college apps were done early, so just keep up with those and just be able to also take care of myself and my education at the same time.”
Maharaj’s determination to prove what the band was capable of led to long hours of practice and dedication. The experience was shaped not just by his own efforts but also by the influence of those around him.
“They really impacted me to drive and work harder for what I wanted,” Maharaj said. “For example, for CMEA this year, we did get Unanimous Superior, so I felt really accomplished and I felt like our work finally paid off.”
While Maharaj was looking to achieve goals related to high school extracurriculars, Salgaocar pushed herself academically.
“I feel like a lot of people also want to do bio or bio-related fields, so it’s pushing me to work harder,” Salgaocar said. “A lot of my schools I applied to had really impacted majors, but if I were to pick a random one, then it wouldn’t have pushed me to work as hard as I have.”
Vaswani believes that setting goals has always been more than just a way to stay organized, it is a method for measuring growth. She sees each milestone as a step toward larger ambitions, helping her stay focused and move forward with purpose.
“Goals are important for everybody – they establish markers in someone’s timeline of the things they want to get done,” Vaswani said. “I feel like when you accomplish these goals, you exceed the timeline of the small little markers you set for yourself, which can help you progress faster in the goals for the long term.”