And Let it Begin! by Vikas Rana

Hello everyone! My name is Vikas Rana, and I am going to be a rising junior at Garnet Valley High School, a relatively big high school right on the border of Delaware. In school, I participate in a variety of clubs and activities. Alongside a couple AP classes, I am apart of a multitude of clubs, including Model UN, Student Council, and Interact. What I love most about these clubs are their variety; all deal with different aspects of life, like public speaking, debate, and volunteer service, through competitions (Model UN) and voluntary community service (Student Council, Interact). For a profession, I hope to go into the field of medicine and become a doctor, as chemistry and biology are my passions when it comes to school.

​Outside the classroom, one of my proudest activities is my job at the Maris Grove Retirement home, located just 5 minutes away from my house. I got the job two and a half years ago, and since then I have become a trainer.  My main task is training new staff members to successfully wait tables on their own. Despite what may come to mind, I continue working because of the relationships I have formed with the residents. If I could, I would no doubt spend shift after shift listening to them talk about their former lives and give me advice about my future life. Also, I would love to travel when I get the opportunity.  I just recently got back from Iceland, and all I can say is “wow.” The pictures were amazing, but the experience was even better.

I first heard of TRIP through a teacher at my school, one whom I had not had in over a year. I'm glad she reached out to me; without her, I would not have even heard about this program, let alone actually participate in a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Although we have only had two sessions, I know there is so much more to come, and I am looking forward to every minute of it. 

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