Warm sunlight peaks through the leaves and shimmers across her face. A claw clip holds up her espresso-colored hair with streaks of bright, rosy pink in place, but, even then, a few stray wisps escape to frame her face. Beaded emerald green necklaces with gold accents and tiny flower pendants adorn her neck. Her eyes smile, and she gazes at nothing in particular as she details her most precious memories. Her voice echoes clear even with the shouts of laughter and the murmurs of conversation. Minali Kapadia (12), co-president of Make a Birthday Wish (MABW), a club that throws parties for underprivileged children, reminisces about a particular birthday girl she met in freshman year at a birthday party.

Settled on a bench, she recounts how after playing a game with her, Minali’s new friendship with the little girl strengthened and how at each subsequent party, Minali met and played with her again.

“Instantly, I was playing with her every time,” Minali said. “Every time I went back, I was with her, and she remembered me. One time, she jumped on my back [for a piggy-back ride] when we were all running around. That memory is special to me because it was such a beautiful interaction. I’m very grateful to have made that connection with her.”

At the beginning of quarantine, Minali wanted to contribute more to the well being of the younger, upcoming generation of people, so she started a new path in community service. She joined the nonprofit Protect Our Breasts, which aims to inform young women about the importance of being mindful of their health to prevent future diseases, such as cancer. When the pandemic started, Minali started working with Protect Our Breasts because of their research on safer alternatives to toxic products. One of the main initiatives of the nonprofit, giving girls makeup products that do not contain carcinogens, aims to help them experiment with makeup in a safer way.

In learning how to present herself to larger organizations that may not value the voices of younger people as much, Minali developed confidence in herself, learning to stand her own ground while discovering the true extent of the impact she had in giving back to others.

“I learned what community service is worth through my experiences with the nonprofit and being president of the MABW club,” Minali said. “When you see smiles on other peoples’ faces, that gratification is amazing because it means that you’ve truly helped someone else, which is such a special feeling. It’s shown me that the gift of service is priceless.”

While helping others is an honorable act, Minali also believes that emphasis should be placed on self care. In junior year, after struggling with online school and mental health, Minali applied to work at Dunkin’ Donuts一a place she has always loved一to take her mind off of other issues. Close friend Riyaa Randhawa (12) bonds with Minali over her job at Dunkin’.

“This year, after school on Fridays, I drop her off at work,” Riyaa said. “The drives to Dunkin’ are some of the most fun, entertaining and warm car rides ever. It’s me and Minali laughing the entire way, while I try to concentrate on driving as she distracts me with her humor. It’s a good experience.”

Whether it’s going to a Tame Impala concert together or being with someone through the highs and lows of life, Minali’s friends count on her as their genuine friend.

“Minali is always someone you can go to for advice, no matter the situation,” close friend Nikela Hulton (12) said. “She’s a fascinating person inside and out, and at the age of 17, she has had more life experiences than anybody I know, which she uses to help everyone else around her.”

Minali’s adviser and Modern and Classical Languages Department Chair Abel Olivas, who often engages in thoughtful conversations or light-hearted humor with Minali during advisory, reflects on how she has flourished throughout high school.

“I definitely saw her grow [during high school], become more mature and get tools to handle life situations,” Olivas said. “Through the years, [she] felt more grounded [and] her maturity level deepened. She’s a deeply reflective person and is somebody who perseveres and faces adversity head on [with] fortitude.”

Minali’s sense of the world around her comes not only from herself but also from her family and science. From a young age, Minali discovered the realm of research as she watched her mom go in and out of the hospital. Following her older sister’s footsteps, she participated in the science fair and research competition Synopsis (SRP) in eighth grade with a project about water cleanliness that she still continues to this day.

“Especially from my younger days, I adopted this mentality that science research saves lives,” Minali said. “In my first formal internship, I learned that PhD students are learning information that nobody else has. When I got that opportunity [to continue it], I was motivated to [pursue] it.”

After realizing the importance of research to her, Minali continued to strive to learn more about it and appreciated its ability to motivate her. She persisted in conducting research in high school with the aspiration to find a more complete understanding of what it truly is, and she attended a University of California Santa Cruz research program before sophomore year to further her interest.

As a person who values thinking of others and sharing the wealth of knowledge and resources with those who lack it, Minali wishes to share her dedication to giving back to anyone who may need it.

“Research is super valuable because you are gaining knowledge that hasn’t been written in any textbook,” Minali said. “That is so precious because whatever cause you are fighting for, whether it be saving someone’s life or humanities research, that information is going to be the textbook information of the future. It’s such a crazy concept to think about, which exhilarates me to continue to do it.”