Richa

Hiii! I'm Richa Panara, a student in the International Baccalaureate program at St. Petersburg High School in St. Petersburg, Florida.

The BLI program is something that I wanted to do because, as a rising senior, I am currently trying to figure out what path I would like to take in life. As a student always interested in both biology and chemistry, I have recently been going back and forth in deciding whether or not I’d like to go into dentistry, optometry, medicine, or something different entirely. Hopefully, this program will help me either eliminate some career paths that aren’t right for me, or find my true passion.

I have always been interested in the sciences. I took pre-IB Biology, Chemistry, and Physics freshman and sophomore year, and because we are allowed to choose our class schedule both junior and senior year as part of the IB program, two of the three higher level classes that I am required to take are sciences of some type: Psychology and Biology. I also chose to take standard level chemistry, as higher level chem is not offered at my school. My biology teacher in particular is excellent, and being in his class with the rigor that it involves has influenced me to take interest in the fields I previously discussed.

In the future, I hope to be involved in healthcare. My current visions for myself involve me being an orthodontist, ophthalmologist, or a pediatrician. These are all, of course, extremely different and involve a varying amount and type of schooling, but they all hold a large extent of interest for me. In my free time, I enjoy sketching, as art has always been a part of my life. I have been drawing since before I can remember and I took AP Art last year which helped me improve my skills. In addition, I played recreational soccer for 8 years, and flag football for 1. Another pastime that I enjoy is dance, as I have also been dancing (traditional Indian dance) since before I can remember. Now, I serve as a dance teacher for children aged 10-12, who participate in a competition using the routine that I both produce and teach. At school, while I am interested in the sciences, English would have to take the cake as my favorite class.

Interesting facts (Not really): - I had a piece of art featured in the student exhibit at the Dali museum - I have minor scoliosis - I am Gujarati