Sonika Gajagowni is involved in a variety of academics like the Center for Advanced Professional Studies (CAPS) as well as being the president for Student Council. As a senior finishing her last year of high school, she has left a lasting impact on both her fellow seniors and underclassmen alike.

“She’s an amazing friend,” junior Kaylee Schnieders said. “She’s smart and funny. She cares about other people. She is very outgoing and probably one of my very best friends. She’s super sweet and one of the best people I know. She’s super supportive when I’m having a hard time or if I’m having a problem she makes sure that I know I’m not alone. She has helped me to persevere through tough times. She has helped to make me into the person I am today and I care for her so much.”

Gajagowni has inspired her peers with her can-do attitude and her determination to never give up.

“She’s impacted me by teaching me to be myself and go for what I want,” Vice President of Student Council Alexandria Diefenbach said. “I mean she’s taught me to never be afraid to put myself out there. She has inspired me to be more of myself and not be afraid of what others think. She’s taught me to be bold and I’m forever grateful for that. She’s just always there and I can’t explain how much that means.”

Gajagowni’s older brother left an impact on the school through his grades which inspires her to put in the extra mile to make her parents proud.

“I think her family is one of her motivators in life,” Diefenbach said. “I mean her brother was incredibly smart. I feel like that alone motivates her to be the best she can. [It is] not like sibling competition. [It] pushes her toward her goals like it’s a factor, like she knows she can. I know she’s really bright minded and does a lot for everyone and her family [although] she doesn’t need to prove anything to anyone but herself.”

Her love for business is what motivated her to join the business portion of CAPS to further her job experience and love for it outside of school.

“She’s definitely an achiever,” Secretary of Student Council Rachel Heitman said. “If she sets her mind to a goal, she’ll do everything she can to reach it. She decided she wanted to be part of the global business CAPS program. I remember there being issues with her application getting lost, but she knew it was an opportunity she couldn’t miss and she made sure the issue was resolved. Now that she’s in CAPS, she puts full effort into all of her projects and has been really successful. I’m crazy proud of her.”

Gajagowni has a lot to look forward to in her future as a possible business major and continuing her love for it into college. She will take her skill that she learned in school to help her take her forward in life.

“She wants to be a successful student at Indiana university,” Heitman said. “That [not only] involves good grades but also getting involved in that community and growing as a leader. After that, she’ll go into a career in business. Career and school aside, I’m sure her main goals [in life] are to be happy and be a good friend.”