Student Standouts for March 31, 2023

Student Standouts: Anderson ’23, Gipson ’23, Marks ’23, Schlafly ’24, Gandhi ’25, Li ’24, Saini ’27, Bucci ’28, Li ’28, Chess Stars, Future Health Professionals/HOSA Club, Basketball Players & Coach

Congratulations to this week’s standouts below. Way to go #RamNation! And as always, if you have a story to share, please email weeklynews@micds.org.

Vote for Maya Anderson '23 on Top 20 High School Girls Hurdler List

Maya Anderson ’23 has been declared by Scorebook Live as one of the top 20 high school girl hurdlers in the entire country. Now is also the time to vote on who will be the best hurdler in high school girls track and field this year. Vote for Maya here!

Here is Maya’s mini bio from the publication site:

A Kentucky signee, Anderson owns impressive personal records in the 100 (13.59 seconds) and 300 (42.74) hurdles. She is also a 40-foot triple jumper who won Class 5A gold medals in the long hurdles and triple jump as a junior while placing second in the 100 hurdles.

We can’t wait to cheer on Maya this track & field season!

Senior Accepted into DePauw University's Management Fellows Program

Congratulations to Cole Gipson ’23 who has been accepted into the DePauw University Management Fellows Honors Program! The program weaves business and entrepreneurship with a liberal arts education, including classes in economics, accounting, ethics, and statistics, along with internships and lectures by business leaders from around the country.

Wrestlers Honored in High School All-American Awards Programs

The National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) recently announced the honorees of its High School All-American Awards programs. These programs include the Scholar AA Award and the Character & Leadership AA Award. Captains Grayson Marks ’23 and Brian Schlafly ’24 were both Scholar AAs, and Brian was named a Character & Leadership AA. Great job, Grayson and Brian!

Two Upper Schoolers Complete WashU's Saturday Scholars Program

After applying on their own and being accepted, Sanjana Gandhi ’25 and Diane Li ’24 attended the highly-selective Saturday Scholars Program through Washington University in February and March. Each week, they explored different body systems (respiratory, cardiovascular, digestive, renal, and reproductive systems) alongside peers from other high schools across the St. Louis area. According to the WashU website, they “learn about human anatomy both in a lecture and lab environment while interacting with Washington University medical students.” Gandhi and Li finished up on March 18 at the Saturday Scholars Pathogen Research Presentations and Awards Ceremony, and they gave a final presentation on cervical cancer with peers from Crossroads, Waterloo, and Westminster High Schools. “I am so proud of all they have accomplished,” shares Christine Pickett, Upper School Science Teacher and the sponsoring teacher.

Li reflected on her experience with this program. “Saturday Scholars, led by Will Ross, MD., was an eye-opening experience for me,” she said. “I learned so much valuable information and new skills in just five weeks from medical students at Washington University. Not only was I able to participate in multiple lectures led by these students, but I was also able to interact with cadavers and partake in clinical case studies. In addition, I often engaged with fellow students across different states for activities, including the creation of a presentation on cervical cancer. At the end of the program, we presented this to several faculty members, medical students, and families. I’m so thankful to Mrs. Pickett and all of the WashU faculty members and medical students for allowing me to participate in this opportunity.”

Way to go, Sanjana and Diane!

Eighth Grader in Upcoming Play

Cheer on our very own Ram Maahi Saini ’27 who will appear in a play with Max and Louie Productions called What the Constitution Means to Me on April 8, 16, 20, and 21 at The Marcelle. Student tickets are only $15 with a student ID presented.

Purchase tickets and learn more here! Break a leg, Maahi!

Seventh Grader Competes at Waterpolo Olympic Development Program Zone National Championship

Gio Bucci ’28 was selected for the second consecutive year to compete at the Waterpolo Olympic Development Program Zone National Championship representing the Midwest Zone Development. Bucci was the top scorer of the team with 12 goals in five games, and he won the Nick Johnson Inspiration Award for leadership and sportsmanship for the second consecutive year. Way to go, Gio!

Seventh Grader Represents MICDS at Regional Spelling Bee

Saint Louis University partnered with Scripps National Spelling Bee to host a regional event on March 25, bringing together 27 local elementary and middle school students to compete for a spot in the Scripps National Spelling Bee in May. “The Scripps regional spelling bee program gives students the opportunity to develop their skills and confidence,” said Ryan Wilson, Program Coordinator for the School of Education. “We value the school partners who enroll in the regional bee so that their students can participate in this exciting experience.”

MICDS was proud to have Andrew Li ’28 participate after he won our school spelling bee in January. “Before regionals, I had to take a qualifier written test of 25 words. Only around 30 people would go to the regional bee. One of the words I spelled for the qualifier was ‘chiasmus,'” said Li. “As for the regional bee, one of the words I spelled in the beginning was ‘bumptious.’ A little later, a word I spelled was ‘perspicacious.’ The word I got out on was ‘tapetum.’ Although I will not be moving on to nationals, I still feel that the regional bee was a great experience.”

The Scripps National Spelling Bee is the nation’s largest and longest-running educational program, having launched in 1925. By inspiring the exploration of words, the Bee illuminates pathways to lifelong curiosity, celebrates academic achievement, and enriches communities.

W-a-y t-o g-o, Andrew!

Chess Success from Lower to Upper School

The Missouri State Scholastic Chess Championship was held on Saturday, March 18, and MICDS brought home some bling! MICDS took 3rd place in the 5th & Under category with team members Mannan A. ’32, Jasmine M. ’31, Sal B. ’32, and Caleb M. ’31.

MICDS also took 3rd place in the 9th & Under category with team members Shreyas Kota ’26 and Ash Falk ’26. This win was especially impressive as the scores from the top four members of a team are counted, and we brought home a win with just two players! Shreyas also won 2nd place overall in the 9th & Under division, and Ash won 3rd.

Go Rams!

HOSA Team Competes at State Leadership Conference, Ram Elected President-Elect of Missouri HOSA

The HOSA State Leadership Conference is hosted in Rolla each year and this year was at Rolla High School. We had 19 students interested in the competition who started the process with an SLC Qualifier. Of these 19, 17 moved on to the SLC Competition in Rolla. Of the 17, 16 moved on for their event (from the qualifier) and one moved on because she was applying for a state officer position.

Here are the results:

Saivi Gadi ’25 earned the Barbara James Service Award – Bronze.
Both the Creative Problem-Solving team (Maya Ashley-Martin ’24, Ipsy Bhogaraju ’24, and Gadi) AND the Parliamentary Procedure Team (Anika Mulkanoor ’25, Yash Malhotra ’25, Sanjana Gandhi ’25, Ric Jain ’25, Diane Li ’24, Arjun Puri ’25, and Abhinav Katyal ’25) got 1st place!
Saivi Gadi and Amisha Poojari ’25 both applied through a long, arduous process of interviews, letters of recommendation, testing, speeches, poster boards, presentations, and campaigning for President-Elect of the State of Missouri HOSA. They BOTH made it to the final round and then found themselves running against each other! There could be only one winner, and Poojari is now our President-Elect for Missouri State HOSA. She will be President-Elect for one year and then move on to President her senior year of the state of Missouri HOSA!

This summer, from June 21-24, we will go to Dallas to root on our team at Internationals.

Congratulations to the entire HOSA/Future Health Professionals Club and to President-Elect Amisha Poojari!