“Ni hui shuo zhong wen ma?” Sana Pandey (12) asks in a perfectly smooth Chinese accent, her eyes shining. The words flow together seamlessly as if she’s been speaking the language her whole life. “Do you speak Chinese?” she says again, translating the phrase into English. While Sana is already familiar with Mandarin, her love for linguistics has led her to explore deeper and strive to understand the culture that these languages come from. 

“She’s a very passionate student of Mandarin. She’s doing extra studies outside of school … and then of course, she’s president of the National Chinese Honor Society and has been very active in that … and a whole lot of events, activities and cultural things,” upper school Mandarin teacher Dr. Shaun Jahshan said.

This past summer, Sana attended an intensive eight-week language immersion program in Taiwan, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State. Each day was filled with Mandarin classes and cultural excursions devoted to exploring the city. Her unconventional dedication to the language as a non-Chinese individual led her to many warm and friendly experiences with the locals.

“People are so surprised when I speak Mandarin. When I went to Taiwan, I remember they gave me free food so many times because I would speak Chinese. They were so happy to see that,” Sana said.

While she plans on pursuing her Chinese studies in the future, Sana’s interest in linguistics has pushed her to continue dedicating herself to other languages as well. Stemming from the culture of the household that she was raised in, Hindi has also played a significant role in Sana’s life, and she speaks it fluently. Growing up watching Bollywood movies from an early age, Sana discovered another one of her interests: dance.

“I’ve grown up being exposed to that aspect of Indian culture, and I’ve loved it. Afterwards I think my mom’s always been super supportive of me dancing because she thinks it’s a really great form of expression, and I agree,” Sana said.

The freedom and levity of dance balance perfectly with Sana’s other sport, fencing. While dance allows her creative liberty, fencing pushes her to strict discipline and critical thinking.

“[Fencing is] this beautiful blend between fluid physicality but also structured form, because you have to keep the same positions and parries and your en garde has to be this angle, everything has to be precise, but also you have to be able to think on your feet and react quickly to whatever your opponent is doing. So it’s like chess, but dancing at the same time,” Sana said.

As there are many other accomplished fencers at Harker as well, Sana realized last year that Harker lacked a program dedicated to strengthening and polishing fencing skills. Along with her friend Nerine Uyanik (12), she started Harker’s very own Fencing Club, which is now a class that students can take as a P.E. credit option. 

“How she invests herself into her interests and passions is very similar to how I would approach what I like, so we can both dive really deep into what we like and share that interest together, and it’s very comforting to have someone like that around,” Nerine said.

Sana’s exuberance is one of the defining characteristics that make her so unique. Whether it’s pursuing science, which is another field that she loves, or exploring language, she always brings an optimism that is refreshing and exciting to be around.

“She just has a sense of fun, and infectious energy, and excitement about things. Everybody who stands next to her ends up smiling at one point,” Dr. Jahshan said.

Sana applies that same enthusiasm to her study of neuroscience and genetics. Last year, she attended the Stanford Science Circle program and did an internship exploring CRISPR equipment. These experiences helped her to discover her boundless curiosity for the field, allowing her an inside glimpse into the world of research.

“In the same way that language might shape our perceptions, our biology shapes who we become, and that’s so fascinating to me,” Sana said.

While she is a dedicated scientist, dancer, fencer and xenolinguist hopeful, Sana also devotes herself to being a supportive friend for others to lean on. She brings the same passion she has for neuroscience to her friendships as well.

“She’s honestly just a genuinely great person. I don’t think I could imagine myself going through Harker without her … She made me a more energetic person, just from being around her. It just radiates off her,” friend Sofie Kassaras (12) said.