Krisha Pakala (‘26) was heavily involved around school as a leader in large clubs like HOSA and Key Club, was on the girls soccer team, and was also this year’s valedictorian. She will be attending Brown University this fall to study medicine. Krisha is a highly ambitious and well-organized student who is always willing to lend a hand or help others. She has been a valuable part of TYRO for the last four years, especially this year as an online editor.
Krisha explained that she originally joined TYRO freshman year because she “always enjoyed writing, wanted to get involved with school events, and thought that it is generally a good practice to improve a skill as essential as writing.” Krisha pointed to increased use of AI in writing as a reason that being able to write well on your own is a desirable skill. Additionally, she said: “writing outside of class consistently through TYRO has helped me be able to think on my own instead of outsourcing to AI. Also, knowing that other people are going to see my writing and this is going to be published publicly made me want to rely on my knowledge to make sure my writing felt authentic.”
Our valedictorian’s advice to incoming high school students is to explore your opportunities. She says, “try clubs that you think will help you develop skills that you need. For me, I joined TYRO to write and HOSA for presentation skills. Consider what actually interests you and also what soft skills you need to work on.” Krisha reflected on her senior year fall when she was applying to colleges and described it as a difficult time without much sleep. For other students struggling to balance school, extracurriculars, work, and personal time including proper sleep, Krisha advises students to understand priorities. She says, “know what your priorities are now but also know that your priorities throughout the year will change. At certain times you should focus on school coursework over extracurriculars. You might sometimes need to sacrifice personal time for academics, and other times prioritize spending time with family and friends.”
Krisha’s valedictorian address began with a lighthearted joke about the podium height, transitioned into some introspection about the growth of the senior class, and even included a throwback to watching the World Cup as freshmen. It was no surprise that Krisha mentioned the World Cup in her address, given that she is both a soccer fan and a player. Shortly after graduation, BC Girls Soccer competed in and won the Division 2 Championship against Wauwatosa East. The final score was 5-0 including two goals from Alexandra Rossi (‘26).
We wish our graduating TYRO members and all other graduated Lancers the best of luck in their future chapters!
