Hindu mythology and paying taxes — to most people, these topics appear worlds apart. One brings to mind ancient stories of gods and epic battles, while the other evokes thoughts of modern–day financial responsibilities. Yet for senior Rithika Yamasani, these two seemingly distant topics come together to fuel the lively conversations during her family’s weekly tradition of “Friday Slide Nights.” 

Every Friday, a member of Rithika’s family presents a slideshow on a chosen topic, educating the rest of the family on anything from Star Trek to wine-making. Initially, the idea was simple: a fun and creative way to break up the monotony of the COVID-19 lockdown. But over time, Friday Slide Nights became a much more profound and long-lasting tradition, a valuable bonding experience that has allowed Rithika to learn more about both herself and her family.

Rithika’s presentations often revolve around concepts she learns in school or topics she finds intriguing — like how to be a spy — which was inspired by her favorite detective show “Monk.” However, more than just a way to share her interests, Friday Slide Nights empowered Rithika to better understand her family, from her father’s life lessons on finances to her sister’s fascination with basketball teams. 

“I learned a lot, especially from my dad, because he was teaching me life lessons and more practical things,” Rithika said. “Friday Slide Nights helped me learn more about my family’s personalities because I learned about what they’re passionate about, and they got to learn from me what I was interested in.”

While the content of the presentations was engaging, Rithika cherishes how the tradition brought her closer to her family, fostering the tight-knit relationship between them. Through her own presentations, she was surprised by the depth of her family’s connections.

“My favorite part is not even the content, just how all my family presented,” Rithika said. “I made a jeopardy one time about myself to see who knew me the best, and that was funny because I realized that they do pay attention more than I give them credit for. I appreciate my family more for that.”

Along with Friday Slide Nights, Rithika also picked up hardware to connect with her family, especially her father. She discovered her interest for hardware in sophomore year, often immersing herself in projects that enabled her to build and customize electronic devices like a gaming PC. The project fostered meaningful interactions with her dad, who was instrumental in guiding her through the process and helping her troubleshoot errors.

“I really like building things,” Rithika said. “Hands-on things interest me more than software. I like that I can do DIYs around the house and make everything easier for me based on the resources I have at home, and basically everything I know about hardware is because of my dad.”

Rithika’s passion for family-oriented activities deepened her appreciation for those around her, a quality that close friend senior Lauren Lin highlights as one of Rithika’s strengths. For Lauren, Rithika serves as someone who she can rely on for support.

“She’s always been there for me,” Lauren said. “I’ve had classes where we’ve worked together, and she’s the one who keeps me on top of things. She genuinely cares about helping people and doing good for her friends and people around her. She’s become the glue of our friend group, connecting everyone together.”

Both at home and school, Rithika demonstrates her caring and compassionate mindset. Whether through her personal interactions or leadership roles, she strives to empower and care for those around her. While rithika developed an interest in feminism from a young age, she only started advocating for it in high school. This year, Rithika serves as the vice president of the Feminism Club, dedicating her time to ensuring that other girls can feel empowered and seen in their pursuits.

“FEM Club is about empowering and teaching women to not let others step over them,” Rithika said. “I want to be someone that will stand up for others and make sure nobody is discriminated against.”

Rithika embodies the qualities of a leader through her unwavering support and reliability, especially to her friends. Close friend senior Allison Yang echoes this sentiment, sharing how Rithika makes it a priority to uplift those around her.

“She really empowers me as a friend and a person,” Allison said. “She always makes sure that my voice is heard. She stands up for me whenever I’m feeling down or something has happened to me, and it really helps increase my confidence to know that I’m heard.”

Rithika’s dedication to empowering others is paralleled by her own journey of self-growth. Her commitment to personal development shines through in each of her actions. Each presentation during Friday Slide Nights, every hardware project she undertakes and every FEM Club event she leads contributes to a deeper understanding of herself and her capabilities. Math teacher Caren Furtado, who taught Rithika for two years, has witnessed this transformation firsthand, observing how Rithika’s self-confidence and sense of purpose have flourished over time.

“Over the years, Rithika has become so much more confident,” Furtado said. “She’s a real fighter, and she’s only become more focused, more driven and more determined. She’s so clear about what she wants, she does what she needs to and she doesn’t get distracted by all the noise around her.”