“Hello from the outside…”

Adele’s voice reverberates throughout the quad, where dozens of students and teachers gather, their eyes fixated on Kailash Ranganathan (12) as he catches a bright blue yoga ball, jumping as he bounces the ball back to fellow performer Caden Lin (12), eliciting a wave of “Woah”s, followed by laughter and applause, from the sea of people in the audience.

One month later, Kailash laughs as he recalls his yoga ball dance performance in last fall’s Quadchella, which he regards as among his most memorable moments throughout high school.

“[Seeing] how everyone cheered and had so much energy and enthusiasm for some ridiculous thing that we were doing, I’ve never seen that concentrated school spirit and synergy from everyone,” Kailash said. “That made me really happy to see people having so much fun and cheering together.”

Kailash’s sense of humor presents itself throughout his day, extending to his role on student council. Having served as secretary in his sophomore and junior years and a class officer in his senior year, Kailash appreciates working with like-minded students to organize events, especially when seeing the engagement of his classmates. Close friend Caden acknowledges that when their class council discusses serious issues, Kailash often finds a way to lighten the mood with his humor.

“[Kailash is] always there to make a funny announcement to provide some comfort in an otherwise hard situation,” Caden said. “He also does that in everyday situations, where he’ll support you through something you’re going through, but also try to comfort you.”

Through serving his class through student council, Kailash has evolved into a more confident and easygoing person.

“Even though I do love clowning in public, I am, at the end of the day, quite awkward [and] shy,” Kailash said. “Student council has helped me to grow my comfort zone and be more willing to put myself out there.”

Close friend Mark Hu (12) has similarly observed Kailash’s reserved nature develop into his more outgoing personality.

“I always thought [Kailash] was really funny,” Mark said. “Sometimes he would hold back his humor, but as he’s gone into high school, he’s come out of his shell more. I appreciate [that] about him because he’s not afraid to say what he thinks about any situation.”

Kailash’s thoughtfulness toward his friends and community has had the opportunity to shine through even in everyday conversations.

“[As] a friend, [Kailash’s] really conscientious, cares a lot about how he can impact the people around him, always striving to define his role in the world around him in the most meaningful way that he can,” Caden said. “In an academic context, he’s a really visionary person who is always looking to think innovatively. He’s always willing to express those ideas to other people.”

Academically, science has always piqued Kailash’s interest. He used to visit his local observatory with his dad every week, viewing the sky through a telescope, and at the beginning of high school, he started to understand science through a more rigorous, systematic lens, taking an interest in physics.

“Physics appealed to me because at the end of the day, it’s the fundamental science,” Kailash said. “Everything else is built on physics, and physics is what explains the world around us. There [are] so many elegant theories and ways that different ideas weave into each other, and it’s been really cool to explore that.”

Through participating in physics olympiads — both individually and with friends — and conducting astrophysics research, Kailash has adopted a problem-solving mindset that he carries with him daily.

“Physics makes you think very logically about the world: not just seeing something happen and accepting it, but seeing something happen and wondering, ‘Oh, why did that happen?’” Kailash said. “[Physics has] helped me approach challenges and think systematically about the way I solve things in life.”

The mental fortitude that Kailash has developed through physics also manifests itself in cross country, which Kailash considers a “mental sport.” Although he admits that the race itself proves challenging and frustrating at times, the end result and the feeling of completion after crossing the finish line make running the race worth it.

“Honestly, [the race is] horrible,” Kailash said, laughing. “Every step you take, you feel like you want to stop and make up some excuse to say that you can’t run anymore. But the last 50 meters, [when] you finish the race, if it’s one of your fastest times, you’re exhausted, but it’s the best feeling. Every race is a test to yourself: ‘Can I push through this 20 minutes of pain to get that feeling of satisfaction and success?’”

Since joining Harker’s cross country team as a freshman, Kailash has become more willing to push himself, both in practice and in races, to improve. Yet, after the onset of the pandemic in his sophomore year, Kailash had stopped running and found his speed gradually decreasing. Looking back on his old personal records last summer, although discouraging at first, infused in him motivation to start running again.

“Every cross country race is a roller coaster of emotions, especially in the senior year season,” Kailash said. “The first race in this season was extremely hard, but I ran so much faster than I would have run in ninth or tenth grade. Going from that point in my 11th grade quarantine [to] now, [when] I’m breaking all of [my personal records], it felt so nice to have that validation.”

While long runs, physics problems and student council meetings often fill his day’s schedule, Kailash finds time at the end of each day to relax and reflect by playing the sitar, an Indian classical string instrument.

“Running and sitar are central to my life in a different way,” Kailash said. “They’re both very meditative, and they help me reflect on the day and be at peace with myself. That helps me recharge at the end of every day, so I can approach the next day.”

Attending a concert by renowned Indian sitarist Ravi Shankar in 2011 inspired Kailash to start playing the sitar. After learning to play with one teacher who taught him up until ninth grade, Kailash switched to a different teacher who at first would endlessly criticize his playing. Having to undergo a “whole relearning experience,” Kailash adopted a new style of playing.

“[Playing the sitar] is about taking my feelings from the day and my emotions and being able to translate that into music,” Kailash said. “My teacher always says a good musician needs to understand themselves. In that sense, sitar is introspective for me.”

Altogether, each piece of Kailash’s life unveils a different aspect of his personality that, when pieced together, reveals him as a whole person greater than the sum of its parts.

“On the surface, there’s his sense of humor, but what some people tend to miss about [Kailash] is [his] compassion,” close friend Brandon Park (12) said. “He’s one of the kindest people I’ve ever met.”

Ultimately, Kailash values his friends, his classmates and the people who have made his life better.

“My mom always tells me, ‘Always remember those who have served you,’” Kailash said. “Whenever I’m upset or frustrated with menial things throughout the day, I remember how good my life is. Recognizing on a whole how much fun it is to hang out with friends and be happy, that makes every day better. It’s always good to put things into perspective and remember all the people who have done so much for you.”