This year’s graduating seniors have had a high school experience that no one before them has ever had.
They were freshmen in 2020, during the early stages of the coronavirus pandemic. In the ensuing years, the Class of 2023 endured more Covid-19-related disruptions and inconveniences than any other class. School closures, remote learning, mask mandates — they saw it all.
They could be forgiven if they ever worried that nothing would ever be normal for them again. This was true for seniors at Bordentown Regional High School, same as it was for most of their counterparts throughout the State of New Jersey.
Fortunately for them, school and life has gradually settled into something closer to normal. On June 20, when grads celebrated their commencement on the BRHS football field, they never had to worry that it might be canceled or indefinitely postponed because of a virus.
Only time will tell how the pandemic experience will define them. No student in the state, from 12th grade down to kindergarten, can say that they were unfazed by Covid-19, and the aftereffects can be expected to linger for a decade more.
This year’s seniors will be the first, though, to complete all four years of high school in a post-pandemic world. How that experience shapes them is something we — and they — will look forward to seeing.
As it does every year, the Bordentown Current has collaborated with the high school to present this year’s Top 10 graduating seniors from a standpoint of academics. We offer special thanks to Kamilla Milewski, who helps us distribute questionnaires and gather photographs of these students.
Every year, the Current is contacted by one or several readers who believe that the media honor sporting achievements above scholastic accomplishments. Although we always strive to celebrate both, and believe that we do a pretty good job, we still sympathize with both parents and students who feel like academic all-stars deserve their due.
This annual feature is just one of many ways that we look to do this. So please turn to page 6 to see what this year’s top graduating seniors have planned for the future. And please join us in congratulating them, and all Class of 2023 graduates, on their many fantastic achievements.
Kush Pranav Gandhi
Georgia Institute of Technology / Applied Physics/Computer Science
Rank: 1 GPA: 113.85
Career plans: Research director; quantum computer scientist; investor.
Clubs: BEST Tutoring (founder), Varsity Debate (affirmative captain), Mock Trial strategist, National Honor Society.
Schools attended: Peter Muschal Elementary, Bordentown Regional Middle School.
Favorite memory of school: When the Van De Graaff generator caught on fire while testing physics equipment with Mr. Springel.
Suchete Mididoddi
The University of Texas at Austin / Business Honors/Molecular Bioscience
Rank: 2 GPA: 111.25
Career plans: Pharmaceutical product management.
Clubs: Mock Trial (defense captain), Varsity Debate (negative co-captain), Model UN/Congress Co-Captain/Chair, FBLA (treasurer), Student Council, TSA.
Sports: Track and Field.
Schools attended: Peter Muschal, MacFarland Intermediate School, Bordentown Regional Middle School.
Favorite memory of school: Turning up at RUMUN with Ajay, Aaron, and Jerry.
Aaron Vedaraj
University of Texas at Austin / Canfield Business Honors/Finance
Rank: 3 GPA: 110.95
Career plans: Venture capitalist.
Clubs: BEST (co-founder/co-president), Student Council (vice president); Mock Trial (co-captain), FBLA (vice president), TSA (president); Model UN/Congress (co-captain), Debate (co-captain), STEM Club (site leader).
Sports: Spring track
Schools attended: Faith Christian Academy, MacFarland Intermediate School, Bordentown Regional Middle School.
Favorite memory of school: Definitely this year’s mock trial season! The hours of laughter, joy and comedy my team had building our case is something I know I will never forget! (Where Was Sam?)
Aayush Banavali
Stevens Institute of Technology / Business and Technology
Rank: 4 GPA: 110.3
Career plans: Data consultant.
Clubs: NHS, chess club, BEST tutoring club.
Schools attended: Peter Muschal, Bordentown Regional Middle School.
Favorite memory of school: Accidentally falling asleep in calculus class.
Ryan Kaufman
University of Central Florida / Industrial Engineering
Rank: 5 GPA: 109.46
Career plans: Industrial engineer with hopes of becoming an Imagineer.
Clubs: Bordentown Regional High School Jazz Ensemble; Sustainability Club president; Students Against Violence Everywhere Club vice president; Newspaper Club vice president, lead editor; Biology Club; Interact Club; National Honor Society.
Sports: Golf.
Schools attended: Peter Muschal, MacFarland Intermediate, Bordentown Regional Middle School.
Favorite memory of school: My favorite memory of high school has been helping out in any way I can and truly making an impact on the high school whether that be doing the announcements throughout my high school career or helping run tours for incoming freshmen in the summer. A specific achievement that was my favorite was earning a Superior Medal in the Duet Acting category at the New Jersey Thespian Festival and being asked to perform the scene at the closing ceremony!
Michael Poinsett
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical U. / Aerospace Engineering
Rank: 6 GPA: 108.8
Career plans: I hope to work at a company like NASA, SpaceX, or Lockheed Martin as an engineer.
Varsity Sports: Four years of varsity football (captain, all time leading tackler, NFF team of distinction member).
Schools attended: Peter Muschal, Bordentown Regional Middle School.
Favorite memory of school: Beating Maple Shade sophomore year by one point on their muddy and foggy field.
Sean McWhirk
North Carolina State University / Civil Engineering
Rank: 7 GPA: 108.19
Career plans: I hope to pursue a career in civil engineering or construction management.
Clubs: National Honor Society, Student Council (president).
Sports: cross country (captain), track and field.
Schools attended: Peter Muschal, Bordentown Regional Middle School.
Favorite memory of school: My favorite memory of high school was winning prom king this year.
Jaden Baer
Skidmore College / Biology
Rank: 8
GPA: 107.69
Career Plans: N/A
Clubs: N/A
Sports: N/A
Schools attended: N/A
Favorite memory of school: N/A
Prabhjit Sandhu
Rutgers University / Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy / PharmD.
Rank: 9
Career plans: Pharmaceutical research.
Clubs: STEM Club, Debate Club, Faith Hope and Charity (president).
Schools attended: Peter Muschal, Bordentown Regional Middle School.
Favorite memory of school: All the laughs we had during senior year.
Chris Packard
Maine Maritime Academy / Coast Guard Officer School
Marine Transportation
Rank: 10 GPA: 106.93
Career plans: Captain in the Coast Guard.
Clubs: National Honor Society, Biology Club, Chess Club.
Sports: Football, track.
Schools attended: Peter Muschal, MacFarland Intermediate School.
Favorite memory of school: 67 yard touchdown in my last football game.
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