Schools
2 Novi Students Named Top AP Achievers in Michigan
Akhil Nistala and Krithika Swaminathan were named the state winners of the 2012-13 Siemens Awards for Advanced Placement.
Novi High School seniors Akhil Nistala and Krithika Swaminathan were today named the Michigan state winners of the 2012-13 Siemens Awards for Advanced Placement, a signature program of the Siemens Foundation administered by the College Board. Akhil and Krithika will receive a $2,000 scholarship.
Out of all the high school students in the country, only 101—93 seniors and 8 juniors—were honored with the Siemens AP Award and scholarship. Akhil and Krithika out performed all other students in Michigan to receive this award.
The awards recognize the nation’s top achievers in Advanced Placement Program (AP) courses in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) with a $2,000 college scholarship to one male and one female student in each state. Awards are given to students with the greatest number of scores of 5 (the highest score) on eight AP STEM exams.
The two national winners—one male and one female—are also recognized and each receive a $5,000 scholarship. Ashvin Swaminathan, a senior at The Harker School in San Jose, California, and Lilly Shen, a senior at William P. Clements High School in Sugar Land, Texas, were named the national winners.
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About Akhil Nistala
Total AP Courses Taken to Date (all disciplines including STEM): 12
Favorite AP Class: Physics
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Advice to other AP students: “Challenge yourself but also know your potential.”
Proudest Accomplishments: Qualified for USAMO in 2012; won State MathCounts in 2009; admitted to MIT Class of 2017
Plans for College Study: Math and Computer Science
Anticipated Career: Something encompassing math
Favorite nonacademic pursuits: President and varsity captain for Quiz Bowl; volunteer at Gleaners Food Bank; singing Carnatic music
About Krithika Swaminathan
Total AP Courses Taken to Date (all disciplines including STEM): 12
Favorite AP Class: Chemistry
Advice to other AP students: “AP courses mainly test one’s abilities to plan ahead and to seek out solutions for themselves.”
Proudest Accomplishments: 2011 Belgian Math Olympiad 13th rank; 2012 USA Biology Olympiad Semifinalist; first place in 2011 Royal Society of Belgium Chemistry Challenge
Plans for College Study: Biomedical Engineering or Biophysics
Anticipated Career: Possibly a professor/researcher
Favorite nonacademic pursuits: Quizbowl, tutoring math and science, and classical dance
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