Neelkiran V. Yalamarthy, 18, Saginaw Township,
Heritage High School senior
 School, Church and Civic Activities: Senior Class Council
president, National Honor Society president; Student
Disciplinary Appeals Board chair; 1st Chair oboist,
Saginaw Bay Youth Orchestra; parliamentarian, Model
United Nations; Hartley Outdoor Education Center
counselor; One Small Step member, JV/varsity tennis,
LIFT (Leaders Improving the Freshman Transition)
mentor; organized volunteer projects for the Saginaw
Children’s Zoo, Saginaw Animal Shelter, and East Side
Soup Kitchen; volunteered for UNICEF, Emmaus House,
Mid-Michigan India Fair, Tri-Cities Hindu Temple, and
the Saginaw County Democratic Party.
 Special Awards and Accomplishments: Parliamentarian of the High School
Democrats of America National Executive Board; founder/president of the
Saginaw Area Young Democrats and High School Democrats; nominated for
University of Michigan’s Alvin and Arvella Bentley Scholarship; regents
scholar at University of Michigan; Rotary Youth Leadership Award; second
degree black belt in tae kwon do; Heritage High School Homecoming Court
runner-Up; 2010 “Mr. Heritage” Competition; College Board AP Scholar with
Distinction; and finalist, Michigan Math Prize Competition
 Grade Point Average: 4.193; ranked 3 out of 375
 Job: Member service teller for Wildfire Credit Union; previously worked as
youth coordinator for Saginaw County Democratic Party and regional field
director for Michigan Democratic Party.
 College/future job plans: Accepted to Brown University and University of
Michigan (Ann Arbor), but currently undecided. Job: Government/public
policy
 The person(s) who influences me the most: My family
 The most important skills to have today: Communication and networking
skills.
 The biggest challenge facing American schools today: Acquiring the necessary
funding to provide a quality education measurable to education levels across
the globe.
 If I had $1 million I would: Donate to the ASPCA, buy a Jeep Wrangler,
backpack through Europe and spend the rest on college tuition.
 The lowest annual wage a person should earn is: One that allows that person
to live independently.
 My closet is filled with: Clothes, stuff I have nowhere else to put, projects and
artwork from elementary school, and my tennis gear
 The best piece of advice a teacher ever gave me: “Always keep an open
mind.”
 My favorite book: “Invisible Man” by Ralph Ellison
 I would love to spend the day with: President William McKinley
 My favorite place to shop is: Best Buy
 If I could travel to any place in the world, I’d visit: Madrid, Spain
 I’m rarely without: My laptop or cellphone
 What I like about my country: The emphasis on innovation and moving
forward.
 Our government has too much: Party-based conflict
 Parents: Suseela and Subash Yalamarthy
To nominate a Terrific Teen, please include the name, age, school, grade, address
and a daytime phone number. Explain briefly why you think the student deserves
recognition. We will contact selected teens directly.
Please send to: Terrific Teen, 311 Fifth St., Bay City, MI 48708 or e-mail to
spin@thesaginawnews.com with “Terrific Teen” in the subject line.