Amid the vibrant music and melodies of the 2023 Harker spring Orchestra concert, Nikhil Ranjit (12) prepares to play his bassoon solo, which he practiced to perfection in the previous months. This is his moment, more than the tiny notes on the page. His fingers jump into action as the notes flow out of his bassoon, and—

Oops. He came in a bar too early. 

“I felt really bad about it,” Nikhil said. “But I still had the entire rest of the song to play, and in the moment you can’t stop playing. You’ve got to keep going—the show must go on.”

And that was exactly what he did. Even though an illness reduced the time he had to learn the bassoon from six weeks to two, Nikhil pushed himself to progress more quickly, continuing to practice and play instead of backing down. Even during the resounding rhythms of the Harker orchestra in Carnegie Hall, Nikhil looked forward, not behind. 

“We all collectively got stage fright during one of the pieces, and I kept playing my notes as best as I could and finished the concert, and I walked out feeling great,” Nikhil said.

Harker learning specialist Kadar Arbuckle, who met Nikhil in the lower school and now helps him manage schoolwork and study habits, admires Nikhil’s ability to combat his insecurities and address his needs. 

“My perspective of Nikhil is unique because I recognize what he’s been able to do with what he’s had against him inside,” Arbuckle said. “Of all the things that describe him, I would say resilience is probably number one for him.”

Toughing it out in orchestra reflects just one aspect of Nikhil’s ability to overcome all sorts of unique challenges, like a lack of focus as he explored various activities in high school. Persevering through all sorts of practices, Nikhil’s resilience shows itself not just in music, but also in baseball. 

“I officially started playing in fourth grade, but I remember in the lower school, they would have these sort of impromptu baseball games for first to third graders,” Nikhil said. “That’s where I first started playing.”  

Nikhil demonstrated determination through the ups and downs of his baseball career, from adapting to new team environments to mastering new plays. Despite the rocky start, Nikhil stayed in the sport, progressing from the intramural team in fourth grade to the upper school varsity team.

“I’ve gotten better at baseball with time,” Nikhil said. “Baseball is all about failure. It’s called the sport of failure, and it forces you to be resilient. If you ever drop a ball, you can’t sit there and cry, you still have to throw it in.”

Nikhil’s philosophy of always looking forward and never behind makes him a key player during baseball games. For friend and fellow baseball player Aarav Borthakur (11), Nikhil’s focused gameplay makes him a fantastic teammate that his friends can rely on. 

“One thing that’s really good about Nikhil, especially in the realm of baseball, but also as a person, is that he’s very reliable and can work under hard conditions,” Aarav said. “If it’s a really close game, that’s not going to affect him. There have been several games last year where it’s neck to neck, and there’s a ball that goes to the outfield where he plays. It’s in the air and everyone’s watching and under those sorts of conditions where everything is in his hands, he’s still able to think levelly.”

In such games, Nikhil proves that skill alone does not make a great player. Rather, his ability to bounce back makes him a valuable member of the team. Nikhil himself acknowledges his grit as one of his biggest strengths. 

“I’m an optimist,” Nikhil said. “If something were to go wrong, I am not the first person to throw in the towel. I will fight as far as I can, to the end to get what I want, so sometimes it’s a good thing. Sometimes that can cause our own downfall, like pursuing the sunk cost fallacy. I have fallen victim to that a lot. But overall, I do think I have a positive personality,”

Close friend Nathan Liu (12) recognizes Nikhil’s bright attitude as a valuable characteristic to have in a friend. He describes Nikhil as supportive, especially when he needs help.

“He likes to look on the brighter side of things,” Nathan said. “He always looks at the positive side, always tries to be light-hearted about it. That’s good as a friend. When you’re stressed out, he comes in with a different perspective, and that’s really helpful.”

From stumbling bassoon practices to New York orchestra concerts, and from elementary school games to the varsity baseball tournaments, Nikhil never backs down from a challenge. Regardless of what is to come, one thing remains certain: Nikhil will never give up. 

“For me, I’ve always been told that I’m a very resilient person,” Nikhil said. “I don’t tend to ever really get bogged down with sadness or feelings. There’s no point in crying over spilled milk. You make the best decision at the moment and keep doing it for the rest of your life.”