By Katie Meredith, Assistant to Institutional Advancement

Students at Eastside Prep have many different passions, from fine and performing arts, to athletics, to STEM and robotics. As they pursue their passions, they find themselves solving problems, identifying themes, telling stories, and helping others. As they discover who they are, their passions naturally connect them to causes that are bigger than themselves. When students are connected to the bigger picture, there is no limit to what they can achieve.

Ansh (Class of 2031)

When Ansh was just eight months old, his father experienced cardiac arrest while the family was at home one day. By quickly calling 911 and providing CPR, Ansh’s mother was able to save his father’s life. Through this experience, Ansh has developed a passion for healthy eating, exercise, and educating others about heart health.

In February 2024, Ansh organized and promoted the American Heart Association’s Kids Heart Challenge for the student body at EPS. The Kids Heart Challenge consists of students competing in challenges like trivia games and scavenger hunts. They also learn about lifestyle choices that promote heart health and essential life-saving skills, including CPR. To educate his peers about the cause, Ansh presented at EPS assemblies for Middle and Upper School students, put up posters in the Middle School, and was featured in the EPS Student News weekly email. He said, “I do this because of my dad since he had a cardiac arrest when I was younger. I really want everybody to be CPR trained because CPR saves lives. It’s a really important skill to have.” Ansh is glad to have had this opportunity to educate his peers about heart health and hopes to continue sharing this knowledge with others in the future.

Cameron (Class of 2027)

It’s a shared experience at EPS to fumble with your ID card, trying to hold it at the perfect angle under the scanner in the Levinger-Poole Commons (LPC) when purchasing food. Scanning cards the traditional way can cause slow lines and backups at peak dining hours.

Cameron observed that many people, both students and faculty alike, were struggling to scan their cards quickly. He noticed tap receptacles for cards popping up at other stores and wondered if that could be a solution for EPS. Cameron started working on this idea in the spring of 2023 and continued into the fall. With support from Mr. Sudo and Mr. Briggs, he ordered a couple of different sensors for creating a card tap system. Mr. Nolan gave him a software system to simulate the technology used in the LPC so that he could run tests without damaging the main system. Cameron had an issue with an early version of the sensor, which had too many wires that were easy to bump out of place. He then experimented with a different kind of sensor and laser cut a container for the final version of his solution.

In the spring of 2024, Cameron took the class Physical Meets Digital with Mr. Sudo and was able to share his work on the card tap system for his final project. Regarding the impact of his work, Cameron said, “The card tap system not only helps the students, but it also helps the Dining Services Team by saving them time and making the checkout process more efficient.”

Laalitya (Class of 2027)

In everything she does, Laalitya’s passion for helping others is evident. When she learned about the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS) through a close friend, she was excited to support their cause. The organization’s commitment to research and discovering cures has yielded remarkable advancements in treatments, not only for blood cancer, but also for brain, colon, and breast cancers.

To support the work of LLS, Laalitya created a fundraising team of six students, including a friend who had been on a team before. They competed against sixteen other teams across the nation, all participating in the Patient Support category. Over seven weeks, the team worked hard to fundraise for LLS through various platforms, including email, social media, food drives, and school presentations. They even took orders for vada pav (a traditional Indian potato snack) and spent most of a Saturday cooking up the snacks and delivering them to donor’s homes.

In the spirit of youth leadership and philanthropy, Laalitya was selected as a Student Visionary of the Year. She said, “Helping others is my motivation—I know the money we raise is going to a good cause. It can be easy to feel frustrated when the fundraising is difficult, but it’s important to remember the ‘why.’ ” At the end of the season, Laalitya’s team successfully raised $10,000 for LLS, which earned them the State Award for Student Support. Next year, she hopes to serve as a mentor for a student team.

“We know blood cancer exists, and there are many people out there that are affected by it. As someone who has had a lot of privilege in their life, I thought it was time for me to use that to help others. That was the moment when I knew we were doing the right thing.”

Maya (Class of 2027)

Starting at a young age, Maya began learning art through classes at her school and from members of her community in Nevada. “I’ve been doing art for as long as I can remember, starting back in elementary school. Even as a sixth grader, I remember feeling that art could connect me to a bigger community,” she said.

When she was in tenth grade, Maya’s family moved from Nevada to Washington, and she enrolled at EPS. She was excited to try the art classes offered at EPS, including Portfolio Development, Drawing and Painting 2, and Vocal Rock Studio. Maya shared that EPS is a place where she feels comfortable experimenting and trying new things as an artist.

Through her desire to connect to the community through art, Maya learned about the Kirkland Arts Commission and was accepted as a youth member. In her role, she identifies locations for public art installations, such as murals and sculptures, throughout Kirkland and shares her research with the Commission at their meetings. Her volunteer position involves connecting with artists, the community, and local government to find spaces that highlight the city’s culture and diversity through art. Ultimately, her hope is to ensure that public art is accessible to all Kirkland residents.

In the future, Maya hopes to continue being involved with the arts in some capacity, and for now, she is proud of the work she is doing. “The Commission is a bridge between artists and the community. An important part of this process is thinking about who the art will be serving. This role has been great for me because I care a lot about the arts and their presence in society as a whole. I believe everyone should have access to public art.”