Sahil Kapur (12) doesn’t quite know how to describe himself, so he lets others do it for him. Sitting at their lunch table outside Manzanita, his friends clamored to share their own stories about him.

To Abha Patkar (12), he’s a trustworthy friend who helped her find her place in high school.

“My first impression of Sahil probably was when I saw him first in Bel Canto, and it was, ‘Who is this tall skinny Indian boy standing next to me who likes to sing?’” she said. “We ended up becoming good friends, and I also got to know Sahil’s friends better, who are all now my best friends today.”

To Ashna Chandra (12), Sahil is the “mediator” of their friend group, not to mention a hardworking entrepreneur.

“I remember when he first began selling StoveSensor,” Ashna said, referring to Sahil’s device that helps users monitor their stoves remotely. “He was super nervous but also really excited to see how people would respond to his product. I think that’s because he cares a lot. He truly wants to help people, even if it’s just fixing the small inconveniences in someone’s daily life. I can honestly say he motivates me to work harder. Besides work, his compassion even molds into his friendships. Sahil is really easy to talk to and I think that’s because he genuinely cares about other people. He’s pretty much one of the first people I come to when I have anything to share.”

To Meena Gudapati (12), he’s empathetic and kind and sometimes unintentionally funny.

“Sahil sometimes acts in a comically awkward manner, which makes him hilarious — he has a lot of strange mannerisms,” she said. “He always retracts his head into his neck and has these shivers — these are the quirks that make Sahil hilarious on top of being the kindest person.”

As the easygoing friend, Sahil approaches problems with a sense of humor.

“I try to make all serious situations a lot more friendly, and generally lighten the mood of everyone around me,” he said. “In general, I like to see the people around me happy.”

He brings this relaxed attitude to golf, his primary sport.

“I’ve become someone who plays more to spend time with my friends and for the actual fun of it rather than someone who does it for the pure competitive spirit,” he said. “I think things have changed a lot over time, because when I was younger, it used to be just for competition — my goal was to blow everyone else out of the water, but now it’s more something fun to do to get out of the house and get to spend time with my closest friends.”

Growing up near Pruneridge Golf Course, Sahil started swinging plastic golf clubs as soon as he could walk. Golf has also served as a bonding activity for Sahil and his father.

“A few years ago, [there was] a parent-junior tournament [that] my dad and I always prepare for every single year,” he said. “They have this one prize where if you get a hole-in-one, you get a year’s worth of free golf, which is quite a bit. The chances of [getting a hole in one] in your lifetime — you could probably get struck by lightning more than you would get a hole-in-one, and the chances of doing it that one day were even smaller, but I actually [did it.]”

He enjoys the spontaneity and problem-solving aspect of the sport.

“It’s those moments when everything doesn’t seem to go your way, where you hit the golf shot and it gets stuck behind the tree — [those are] the times when I’m able to get out of my comfort zone and just think,” he said. “There’s never been a golf round where every shot is perfect and where everything goes according to plan.”

His work ethic and sense of humor also have a symbiotic relationship in the classroom. Samuel Lepler, Sahil’s economics teacher, appreciates his work ethic and persistence.

“Sahil has two major strengths: the first one is his demeanor. He can make a joke and take a joke without taking things too seriously. The second thing is that he is a great worker. He’s able to have good unique perspectives that give depth to some of our topics,” Lepler said. ”He’s not a giver upper. I don’t think he takes a bad grade or constructive criticism badly. He always takes it as an opportunity to get better or make a joke.”