The screech of skateboard wheels against asphalt echoes through the secluded skatepark as Sathvik Chundru (12) propels himself toward the half-pipe. He launches into the air, effortlessly executing a kickflip before landing back on the board, a radiant smile illuminating his face.

After picking up skateboarding as an alternative hobby to biking during his junior year, Sathvik was quickly drawn to the sport’s distinct blend of freedom and discipline. From hitting casual kickflips in his backyard to spending hours attempting a pop shuvit, Sathvik began to view skateboarding as a challenging yet exhilarating pastime, a balance that he cherishes.

“In skateboarding, there’s that relaxed half where you’re just listening to music and coasting around,” Sathvik said. “But there’s also the other half where you’re trying to land tricks and your entire shirt will be drenched with sweat and you have to be dead focused.”

Drawing inspiration from renowned skateboarders like Yuto Horigome, Sathvik uses skateboarding as a means to step outside his comfort zone, combining tricks and techniques he sees online to explore his own capabilities. He cherishes the creative freedom skateboarding gives him to create and execute new tricks, reflecting on how this habit affects his mindset overall.

“I’m just learning at this point in my life,” Sathvik said. “I want to be like a sponge, taking in a lot of people’s different experiences and then putting my foot out into different ventures to try to get a little bit of experience myself.”

Sathvik applies his approach to skateboarding in every aspect of his life, most notably through participating in DECA and launching his own startup business outside of school. In DECA, he discovered the limitless possibilities of entrepreneurship, now expressing his creativity through business pitches rather than skateboarding tricks. Sathvik had no trouble finding success and making his voice heard in DECA, yet starting his own business taught him to exercise his perseverance and problem-solving skills to overcome distinct challenges.

“A big challenge I face is getting people to listen, because I’m only 17,” Sathvik said. “In DECA, I have judges that are going to listen to me no matter what, but in real life it’s hard to get people to really care and invest in what I’m doing. In DECA, my job is to stand out to my judges, but in real life my job is to actually sell a product to customers. It’s a much different skill set.”

At the intersection of skateboarding and business, Sathvik discovered a realm that would allow him to nurture his individuality. The concrete bowls and ramps of a skatepark, much like the judging rooms of a DECA conference, offer diverse avenues for him to convey who he truly is.

“It’s important to have multiple different interests in life that you work on at the same time,” Sathvik said. “That way, you don’t fall into just doing one thing and fitting into a category. It’s really important for me to have individuality and express myself in my own way so people don’t get a chance to just give me a title and write me off based on a preconceived notion of who I am.”

In all he does, Sathvik brings a relaxed energy and humor to every interaction, a quality close friend Zihua Wang (12) cherishes. Sathvik channels his boundless energy not just into his hobbies, but also into meaningful conversations and activities that bring value to those around him.

“Sathvik has always had a lot of energy,” Zihua said. “At lunch, he’s that enthusiastic guy who’s always starting conversations on this topic and that topic. Over time, he’s put that energy toward more productive outlets as well, like all the extracurricular activities he’s really passionate about.”

Sathvik has a knack for lightening the mood of any environment. Close friend Bobby Costin (12) notices how he always brings a smile to those around him.

“I always smile when I’m around him, because I know he’s going to say something funny, even before he actually says anything,” Bobby said. “We always manage to joke around during projects and classes, and he makes everything more fun.”

Sathvik’s unique approach extends into the classroom as well, according to upper school mathematics teacher Anthony Silk. His laid back, enthusiastic attitude fosters an enjoyable learning environment, setting him apart as a student who finds joy in exploring new topics.

“[Sathvik] is super relaxed when it comes to education,” Silk said. “He’s always had this somewhat goofy, sly grin, being amused by everything that was going on around him. It made it fun for him to be part of discussions, and he brings a kind of comfort and confidence to learning by not being afraid to be silly.”

For Sathvik, a boundless sense of possibility ties all of these disparate aspects of his life together. Whether he’s launching off a ramp or pitching a business plan, he’s fueled by the conviction that life is an open field with endless possibilities and limitless potential for growth.

“In business and skateboarding, there’s no limit on what you’re trying to sell or what tricks you’re trying to hit or whatever you want to do,” Sathvik said. “That’s translated to my real life where I only do things that I want to do. I don’t put ceilings on my life.”