'09 SCHOLAR ATHLETE: Alisha Nanda, MP tennis/badminton

GPA: 3.97 (unweighted; 4.7 weighted)

Sports: tennis, badminton

Honors:
  Tennis: co-captain, sportsmanship award, MVP (11), co-MVP (12);
  Badminton: co-captain, MVP (11, 12)

Future college: Arizona State or University of Pennsylvania

Looking ahead, where will you be attending college, and how did you come to the decision to go there? Will you be competing athletically as well?

"I am still uncertain of where I will attend in the fall. I am all set to go to Arizona State, but am still waiting on whether I get off the wait list at UPenn. I chose Arizona State because it's close to home and has an honors college. My family wants me to stay close so I didn't even bother applying to the U of A. I've always wanted to go out of state, but my parents gave the condition that I could only go if it's an exceptional university. I do not plan on playing for the team, but am keen to play intramural and club. I can't imagine not playing at all."

What do you plan to study in college and why? How did you gain an interest in that field?

"Chemical engineering. I've always been a ‘math and science'-type person and chemistry was my favorite science in high school. My ultimate goal is to do medicine and I've learned that chemical engineering is a great start. I think this knowledge could be useful in creating technology to counter neurological disorders. I have always been fascinated with the functioning of the brain and spinal cord. My father also did his undergrad in chemical engineering and went on to do medicine at the University of Arizona.

ASU and Penn offer two pretty distinct opportunities. At ASU, you can stay close to home and enjoy the fruits of living near your parents. But moving across the country offers such a unique experience itself. If you could choose between the two what are the pros and cons?

"I should hear back from Penn by the end of this month. Otherwise, I'll be at ASU, which is fine, too. I would still live in a dorm, which is enough distance from my parents, but I could always go back for home-cooked food and laundry and some parental guidance. I received the President's Scholarship, so the money factor makes ASU all the more appealing. My sister is at ASU as well, so she could probably show me around. My friends will also be there. I've lived in Phoenix my entire life, so my concern with ASU is that it is just too much of the same. If I do end up going to Penn, I'll have to learn to live on my own. I just turned 17 so I do have some qualms about having to go across the country to Philadelphia. It seems like a challenge and an adventure. Of course, the academics are exceptional and I would love to be surrounded by talented students. I think I work the best that way. It would be an amazing opportunity for me to learn and become my own person. But, I admit, I would miss my parents, sister, dogs, friends, food, laundry and home... just a little. It's expensive, but I think, worth it. "

Your success as a student and an athlete would stand alone on its own. Yet you managed to earn the "scholar athlete" award because you could obviously balance both so well. What is the most difficult part of balancing school and sports?

"The most difficult part is just staying on task. After a long practice, the books aren't too tempting and procrastination becomes too easy. It turns into a vicious cycle of late nights, sleeping in class and inefficient practices. It's best just to get everything that needs to be done, done. The season gets pretty crazy with away matches, tournaments and the occasional team drama; it can be draining. There's very little time for TV or the computer. I think once you realize that you play the sport you play because you love it and you put the effort into school because you want to, everything fits into place and is a lot easier. The schedule starts to flow and you don't even notice how much time you're devoting to academics and athletics. I have made a lot of sacrifices, but I don't regret anything. I've made a lot of friends and had a lot of fun. "

What about your character do you think allowed you to be able to excel, balancing both simultaneously?

"I am a pretty calm individual. I don't expend too much energy being flustered by situations. I like to take things as they come and do my best. Being calm masks my competitiveness. I always want to win, do well in school, whatever it is, I want to be really good. Being competitive leaves me no choice but to figure out how to balance the two and make it work. I am also independent and driven. I firmly believe that if you want something, you can work hard enough to get it. It's just a question of staying focused and believing in yourself."

Can you describe in detail any one moment in particular as a high school athlete that stands out above the rest? Why that moment? Any others that are a close second?

"I clearly remember the state finals of team badminton. It was 4 all against Corona and Alisha Howe and I were playing doubles for the match, and season. We were up 10-9 in the third game and then we lost, 15-10. We ended up losing state too, after a 18-0 season. Words cannot describe how much that match hurt. Maybe I choked, maybe we were outplayed, whatever the case, I felt horrible beyond belief, but the team was so supportive. After summer practices and three months of 20 hour weeks of badminton, it came down to those five points and we couldn't pull through. We had beaten them before, but on that day it didn't fall into place. Needless to say, I am still slightly bitter. At the end of it though, it was one of the most intense experiences of my life and even though it didn't end up as I would have liked, I cherish it nonetheless.

In tennis, Kathryn Cantrill and I made it to the semis of the state doubles tournament. The match leading up to it was also three sets. We lost the first, but came back in the second and had a strong third set to make it to the next day. It was a sweet way to end our four years of varsity tennis and just high school sports in general. Although we weren't as successful the next day, we were pleased to make it that far and I was so glad to have a close friend nearby for the end of our high school athletic career."

How about off the field - be it in the classroom, or anything else? What moments stick out most in your mind as you look back on high school?

"I remember the first day of school. I walked in at 5 feet 2 inches and I knew a total of two people from before. I came from Horizon and very few kids end up going to Mountain Pointe for high school. Everyone was so tall and appeared very comfortable with their surroundings. High school was intimidating to say the least, but quickly everything was familiar. I also remember getting a B in one of my classes. It was my first B of my entire school life. I started crying. Looking back, I've realized that a B is insignificant compared to everything in my life and the world. I feel foolish for getting so emotional. It's a nice story to have and an interesting learning experience, I guess, and laugh at yourself.

I'm also going to remember our bus rides, especially to our tennis matches. Coach Carter's big on food and so was the entire team. We went to QuikTrip for every away match and Chipotle after tournaments and IHOP before tournaments and Peter Piper for the end of the season. We had designated food locations that became a tradition after four years on the team. Those were some pretty good times and some pretty good food."

What will you remember the most about attending Mountain Pointe? What will you miss the most?

"More than just learning in high school, I have met amazing people. I am going to miss my talented and supportive friends and hilarious teachers. We have such a bond and now that everyone is going off to college I want to make sure we stay friends. I'm going to miss the ‘Hans' chant in math class, our massive physics project, the lunch table, ‘Asian Invasion' sleepovers, last minute studying, and meeting new people in the tutoring center. Math and Spanish were two of my favorite classes probably because I had the most spectacular teachers, Mr. Heiser and Ms. Boatright. Mr. Heiser had the best stories and never hesitated getting into one and Ms. Boatright is the kindest, sweetest human being, probably on the face of the earth. I look back on high school with a smile. I have so many fond memories of school and I can see how much I have changed over the years, for better and worse."

Through your time at Mountain Pointe, was there a teacher, coach or teammate who you would say was most influential on your success as an athlete, a student, or both? Why that person(s)?

"My badminton coach, Pom Brown has been incredibly influential in my high school life. Apart from being an exceptionally talented badminton player and equally impressive coach, her dedication has been inspiring. She was early to practice every day, made the team motivational and often entertaining cards, formulated points that suited our playing style and our opponent, made us delicious Thai food frequently, brought snacks for the entire team for every practice, fought with us when we needed it, and comforted us when things were not going our way. She assumed that everyone was giving the sport their all at all times. That's the way it should be. If you aren't going to be fully dedicated there is no point doing it at all. The aspect of Pom that I personally find most appealing is her competitive spirit. At the end of the day, we're practicing as hard as we do to win and nothing was going to get in the way of that. Somehow she channeled the entire team's intense desire to win into success, but also made it fun. Even though Pom never commented on my school work, I tried to emulate her dedication to badminton in my studies. Pom is a combination of laughs and work and she knows how to do both well."

You excelled at both tennis and badminton during your time at Mountain Pointe, being named most valuable player of both squads this past year, as well as earning countless other honors, including sportsmanship awards. But it's no secret that badminton sometimes gets a snicker from people who hear it talked about in the same breath as volleyball, football or even tennis. Do you think it's fair that people see it so differently than other sports?

"The fact that people laugh at badminton is not that upsetting. If you have played a sport or even watched it in person and believe that it should be laughed at, that is acceptable. It's just frustrating when the person has never even seen competitive badminton and just assumes it to be the recreational, pansy activity. Especially when our team and I am sure many of the other badminton teams in the state are spending countless hours of their lives trying to master the sport. It kind of degrades our effort. I think badminton is one of the most physically exerting sports out there, not including the finesse required to hit the bird. I sweat more in five minutes in an air-conditioned gym playing badminton than I do playing five minutes of tennis in 110 degrees. 

I am so fortunate to be into sports that are life long. I plan on playing both sports in the future, college and beyond. Both of the schools I am looking at have tennis and badminton programs. I am hoping I can somehow find the time to play both sports, but if I have to end up choosing between the two...  They will continue to be a big part of my life; I love to play and they're a good way to not gain the freshmen 15."