You won’t find a bigger Miranda Sings fan anywhere. With her red “Haters Back Off” sweatpants, her purple kitten T-shirt, and her classic red lipstick exaggeratedly smothered all over her entire lip, Anika Banga (12) flawlessly embodies the characteristics of Miranda Sings’s signature look.

“She absolutely loves the Youtuber Miranda Sings and is so committed to watching her videos,” her close friend Akshaya Vemuri (12) said. “It’s really cool that she doesn’t care what other people might think about what she likes, and that she’s willing to stay true to herself and just be herself. She’s also not afraid to voice her opinions and stick up for what she believes in.”

Aside from her enthusiasm for Miranda Sings, however, Anika is heavily involved throughout the school, engaging in multiple activities and extracurriculars. It’s hard to imagine she still has time to catch up on the all the latest vlogs of her favorite Youtubers, especially with her busy schedule of directing “The Murderous Mansion of Mr. Uno” for this year’s Student Directed Showcase, leading the Green Team and Future Problem Solvers (FPS), singing in Downbeat and running in cross country.

“She’s genuine in what she does and does things because she truly wants to,” her Green Team co-president and castmate Satchi Thockchom (12) said. “Which is nice to know because I know she takes pride in what she’s doing and wants to be spending that time with me doing whatever it is we are doing, even if it’s just Miranda bathing in a slushy.”

From spearheading the Meatless Monday initiative to regularly attending community service trips, Anika has witnessed first-hand the consequences of our actions, primarily those that understate the value and importance of protecting the environment.

“I think climate change and the world around us affects absolutely everything,” she said. “Almost every year, I go to Delhi, and the pollution there has gotten to be so bad that schools are closed every winter for some days. You can’t even go outside because the air quality is so bad. If we don’t do something about climate change, the entire world will look like that, and that’s simply terrifying to me.”

Anika’s continuous desire to improve the environment’s conditions motivated her to join the Future Problem Solvers, even though that meant becoming a member relatively late in the game.

“I’ve always been kind of outspoken, but I used to be really afraid of trying new things before ninth grade,” Anika said. “I was always afraid that people would judge me, and I didn’t want to be a beginner, since being the least experienced person in the room terrified me. But then I had a conversation with a runner who was super fast, and I really admired her. I realized that she had started running a lot later than I thought she had, yet she was able to overcome the obstacle of losing that time. So, I decided that I was going to put myself out there more and be a beginner. And, prepping for 42nd Street auditions, I took a tap one class, and I was the oldest person in the class. I was sixteen years old, and all my other classmates were between the ages of seven and ten. They were all better than me because they’d all tapped before, and I was completely new and started the class late. Except, at that point in time, I didn’t care at all. And I think one of the ways I grew most in high school is that I’m willing to look stupid if that’s what’s going to help me learn. I’ve learned that putting yourself into situations where you’re not completely comfortable and when you’re the worst person in the room is when you learn the most.”

Anika’s comfort with herself is evident — whatever her mood or frame of mind, she still maintains a spirit of liveliness and optimism.

“She’s always so filled with energy,” her sister Anvi Banga (10) said. “Even right now, she scraped her knee, but she’s still bouncing up and down and doesn’t really let anything get in her way.”

Balancing her performing arts career and her Future Problem Solver’s competitions was a challenge, but she still, nevertheless, achieved both to the best of her abilities.

“They’re both different passions of mine. I love singing and being on stage, and being a part of the musical is a really central component of my life. It’s something I’ve done every year,” Anika said. “But, FPS is another interest of mine. It relates to the entrepreneurial part of my personality. Kind of technology, but also just looking at a problem that’s in the world and systematically attacking it, then developing different possible solutions and coming up with a plan of action to adjust it. That’s how you make positive change.”