This year’s National Merit Semifinalists— Shaurya Kapoor, Sophia Shetty, and Samarth Mandani—shared their thoughts on what the honor means to them and how their experiences have shaped their outlook on learning and achievement.
Shaurya described the recognition as “truly an honor,” expressing gratitude to his parents, teachers, and peers “for creating an environment in which I was able to earn that award.” He emphasized that ability and intelligence are “significantly greater than simply a number,” and that they are better reflected through “the decisions and aspirations we choose to pursue on a day-to-day basis.” Shaurya leads weekly Model United Nations conference preparation sessions, facilitates debate practices, teaches the SAT weekly at his temple, organizes a free anatomy camp for young students, and plays varsity tennis. Reflecting on his experience at the Pennsylvania Governor’s School for the Sciences at Carnegie Mellon University, he said he learned that “learning is never about showing others how much you know, but instead about learning together and fostering a community in which everyone grows.” He believes that true satisfaction doesn’t come from purely materialistic results, but instead the journey that may or may not get us those results. His advice: “Set the bar high for yourself and chase those dreams; don’t sell yourself short.”
Sophia said that being a semifinalist represents a balance between passion and perseverance. “Outside of academics, I founded a nonprofit, serve as the outreach head of my robotics team, and am president of the speech and debate club,” she explained. Managing so many responsibilities has taught her the value of organization and focus: “Balancing my activities with academics has not been easy, but I’ve learned how to manage by organizing myself and pursuing my passions.” For Sophia, every commitment brings growth—“leadership through robotics, confidence through debate, and empathy through community service.” Together, she said, these lessons have helped her thrive on challenge and find meaning in helping others learn and succeed.
Samarth expressed gratitude for those who have supported him, saying he is thankful first and foremost for his family, close friends, teachers, coaches, and all those who helped shape him into who he is today.” Like his peers, he views the award as a reflection of effort and character rather than status. “The award by itself, though, does not mean much to me,” he said. “Rather, maintaining and continuing to maintain core values such as hard work and discipline through undertaking challenging coursework, being a year-round runner for cross country and track, and organizing clubs or tutoring peers is really what’s most important.” He believes success should be defined individually: “Most tend to associate success with attaining wealth and fame, but considering how everyone is inherently different, I believe that success is supposed to look different for every person.” To him, “success is just making the most out of what you got, or just staying true to your values to achieve what you are capable of.”
