Warm sunlight beats down on the faded red track as Pranav Mullappalli (12) places his foot on the starting block, crouching down into a ready position. The stands go silent, and parents and teammates alike lean on the edge of their seats in anticipation. “Bang!” Pranav lunges forward in a powerful stride and dashes down his lane. “8…9…10…11” With every last ounce of energy in his legs, he firmly digs his foot into the rubber with every stride and crosses the finish line. Glancing up at the electronic time display, triumph and excitement wash over him. Pranav had just set a new personal best.

Pranav’s journey in track began in fourth grade, when he, along with a few friends, experimented with various sports. Among the bunch, track stuck out to him as relaxing but also competitive when necessary. Since then, Pranav has pursued the sport for many seasons leading up to his senior year. In addition to the satisfaction of running, he also cherishes the close bonds formed through years of practices and meets.

“The camaraderie definitely [stands out],” Pranav said. “With other sports, there’s that, but with track and field, watching your teammates run and competing with them in practice and during the meets is something else that you can’t get in any other sport.”

Zain Vakath (12), who has known Pranav since preschool, appreciates his contagious energy whenever they hang out, describing him as a dependable individual. While people usually have good days and bad days, Pranav always knows how to cheer people up, regardless of the circumstances.

“Whenever we’re hanging out and the group needs a little more energy, he’ll be the one to do that,” Zain said. “He’s the constant one in the group, always bringing a certain type of energy. During track, he’s always the one bringing the humor to make it more fun for everyone.”

Within daily practices, Pranav aspires to improve his own running through friendly competition with his peers. When his teammates surpass him in speed, he pushes himself to catch up by working even harder. Although he may not be the fastest runner on the track, he always strives to be the best version of himself.

For Pranav, fulfillment in track arises from one major source — breaking a personal record. While winning a meet may provide him with delight and contentment, he describes reaching a new best time as one of the best experiences in sports, as it represents the fruits of his labor and a reward for his hours of training and hard work.

“[Something that I accomplished] is breaking a time that I thought I would be stuck on forever,” Pranav said. “I was always above 12.5 for the 100 meter, and I thought that was pretty bad. But then, when I finally broke it and got 12.4, I was super proud of that.”

He also recalls the time when he got the opportunity to run a leg with the record-breaking 4×100 relay team because one of the members couldn’t make it. Despite falling a bit short in his previous events, Pranav gave his all, as this was the final race that he would share with the relay group. They ended up breaking the school record.

Outside of track and field, Pranav carries his growth mindset to the world of art as well. In lower school, his mom signed him up for various art classes, none of which he enjoyed due to the stringent teaching methods. However, after attending the San Jose Art Academy in sixth grade, Pranav decided to take another shot at art. While other art schools confined him within a rigid mold, this academy provided him with space and freedom to shape his own pieces. Experimenting with various different mediums, he gradually developed a particular knack for colored pencil sketches and has since created numerous original works.

Although art can take the form of any imagination, Pranav constantly feels the pressure to do better than before. Despite the discouraging pangs cast off by minute mistakes, he has learned to accept that errors are inevitable.

“[A constant challenge is] struggling to make each painting better than the last one,” Pranav said. “When something starts going bad at the beginning, I’m often demotivated to do it because it’s not coming out how I want it to, and it doesn’t look as good as I think it should be. But, in the end, I feel like it still looks decent. Making it through that stage where it looks bad at first is always hard.”

Through his years of artistic experience from lower school through high school, Pranav has garnered greater assurance in his own abilities. Close friend Rigo Gonzales (12), who has known him since kindergarten, remembers his creative projects in middle school and admires his commitment and self-motivation. 

“He’s not afraid to be himself, and he’s very confident,” Rigo said. “I remember [Pranav] made this pokemon banner, a project he started in sixth grade, with every single pokemon in the game. He’s still working on it now and super dedicated. Obviously an amazing artist as well. He does what he thinks is right for him and doesn’t really conform. He’s very self-driven.”

Through his classes, Pranav combines his passion for art with literary storytelling. Upper school English teacher Brigid Miller, who taught Pranav in her Graphic Narratives class, recalls Pranav’s “even-keeled” nature and calming presence within the classroom. She commended his valuable perspectives and adeptness for visual literature, as well as his audacious attitude toward assignments. 

“He could deliver these insights that were really profound, but in this low key sort of way,” Miller said. “He would just slip it in there, where I’d have to replay it in my head. Then, I’d think, ‘Oh my gosh, that’s amazing.’ One moment that stands out is the work he did on his research paper. He chose an interesting and difficult narrative, and he was really connected with it right from the start. That part is critical. He found something that really worked for him.”

Whether it be in art or track, Pranav constantly chases self-improvement, so he can look back and feel proud of his efforts, and ultimately, his accomplishments. Difficult situations only fuel his unwavering determination to break limits. When things seem impossible, Pranav forges ahead.

“Be the best you. I always think about that every now and then,” Pranav said. “That’s what inspires me to go back — to another day of track, another day of the gym or another art class.”