A cluster of six year olds gathered around senior Rahul Yalla, eyes wide and mouths open in disbelief as a card vanished into thin air. It was just a cousin’s birthday party, his first gig, but the wonder on everyone’s faces made it feel like something bigger. 

For Rahul Yalla, magic and spikeball aren’t just hobbies. They’re ways to connect with friends and engage with the community around him. Whether he’s performing a magic trick or playing spikeball out on the field, senior Rahul Yalla creates an environment where everyone feels included. He promotes both competition and camaraderie, creating an environment where everyone can thrive together. 

Rahul was initially inspired to pick up magic after watching a mesmerizing magic show, hoping to bring the same emotion in other people. He takes his craft seriously, constantly learning new tricks and performing at small gigs. To Rahul, magic goes beyond simple illusions and fast hands. Rather, it’s engaging with the audience, delighting in the reactions of awe and wonder he elicits.

“Magic is all about reading people’s faces and expressions,” Rahul said. “You have to jump at opportunities when they come or if you miss them the whole trick is ruined, and that’s how it is in real life too.”

For Rahul, spikeball also encapsulates quick decision skills and reactions to the moment. He noted that compared to typical sports like basketball or volleyball, spikeball is a much more spontaneous sport, without any plays or player positions. Similar to his approach to magic, Rahul thrives on reacting in split-second judgments, embracing the unpredictability of the sport. 

“When you play spikeball, you have to make quick decisions,” Rahul said. “You have to understand how fast the game plays; you can’t have a rigid plan going into the game. In general in life, adaptability and quick decisions are important.”

Rahul’s creativity stretches beyond his quick thinking during spikeball games and the creation of his own magic tricks; when he sketches, he takes a loose, free hand approach. Instead of planning what he wishes to draw, he lets random lines and smudges guide him to a drawing.

“I use a graphite cube for sketching,” Rahul said. “Sometimes it just breaks and creates sharp lines through my drawing. Instead of erasing them, I incorporate them into my final drawing and create something unique.”

Rahul’s ability to adapt extends beyond his own experiences, influencing friends around him. Close friend Tej Aswani appreciates Rahul’s unorthodox thinking, finding that it positively impacts his life as well. 

“He thinks outside of the box for a lot of things,” Tej said. “And sometimes you need that type of person around you to get different perceptions.”

Rahul understands that mastery doesn’t come quickly and nothing can be learned overnight. Whether it’s magic or spikeball, both require patience and persistence, qualities that Rahul applies across all areas of his life. 

“You don’t start off good at anything,” Rahul said. “You have to take it day by day and not stress too much, whether it’s magic, spikeball, or anything else.”

Rahul combines competition with mastery, attributing the everyday contests with his friends for pushing him to improve. To him, competition isn’t just about outperforming everyone around him, but driving everyone around him to be better as well.

“I have a super competitive friend group, there is always one person trying to win,” Rahul said. “Being a twin, I’m also competing every second of life, for the front seat, driving the car. Competition is almost intrinsic at this point.”

Rahul’s confidence fuels his competitive nature, something which allows him to excel in his hobbies. Close friend Advay Monga appreciates Rahul’s unwavering belief in himself, sometimes leading to amusing stories.

“Rahul believes in himself a lot,” Advay said. “He’s very opinionated and has very strong beliefs. He says he can run faster than a plane and he still hasn’t admitted that he can’t.”

Rahul keeps this same fun attitude in academic settings where his amicable and approachable demeanor fosters a positive atmosphere in his classes. History teacher Chuck Witschorik attests to Rahul’s friendliness in his AP US History class, recounting his ability to work well in groups.

“Rahul would be talking with his group and they’d all be at ease,” Dr. Witschorik said. “He would tell a joke, make everyone feel comfortable — he made everyone feel happy to be in class.”

For all the competition Rahul brings to his life, he knows never to turn a competition into something destructive. Instead, he aims to motivate everyone around him to grow while keeping a smile on everyone’s faces. He believes that fierce competition and light-hearted fun can coexist — it’s this balance which Rahul values the most. 

“I want to be known as someone who promotes competition but doesn’t make it to the point where it isn’t fun anymore,” Rahul said. “It’s making the people around me smile a bit more while keeping that same level of drive and competition to push us to get better.”