Catalina Foothills High School: Vaishnav Aradhyula

Name: Vaishnav Aradhyula, son of Satheesh Benkata and Ranga Nayakamma Aradhyula

Academic achievement: Aradhyula has a 4.27 grade point average. The school does not rank its students.

Achievements: Accepted into Stanford University's class of 2012; National Chess Master; AP National Scholar; National Merit finalist; Presidential Scholar candidate; Cardiovascular Health Scholarship, Foundation for Cardiovascular Health; Phi Beta Kappa Society of Greater Tucson scholarship; National Scholar-Chessplayer; Catalina Foothills School District Star; President's Award for Academic Excellence; Arizona finalist, Geography Bee, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004; Student of the Week, Arizona Daily Star-KVOA TV Eyewitness News.

School activities: Varsity Chess, four years; National Master; National High School Team Champions, 2005, 2007. Arizona High School Team Champions, 2005, 2006, 2007; National High School Blitz Chess Champion, 2005; Arizona HS Chess Champion, 2005, 2006, 2007; U.S. Amateur West Champion, 2006; ranked among top 15 in age group since 1996, currently ranked ninth; speech and debate, four years; Arizona 4A State Co-Champion; Lincoln-Douglas Debate treasurer, 2005-06; Accountability Committee, four years; Academic Decathlon, junior and senior years, Regional Silver Medalist; National Honor Society, junior and senior years, tutor and a community service volunteer.

Community activities: Southern Arizona Chess Association, secretary 2005, 2006, 2007; U.S. Chess Federation Certified Tournament director, since October 2005; volunteer lab assistant, June to August 2005, and June to August 2007; volunteer lab assistant in the Asthma Genetics Lab of the Arizona Respiratory Center at University Medical Center; volunteer, Foundation for Cardiovascular Health, since October 2007; Tucson Medical Center volunteer, June to August 2005; chess coach to elementary school students, self-employed; chess instructor, Arizona Chess for Schools.

Leadership: Varsity chess captain, four years; speech and debate team treasurer, 2005-08; class representative, Accountability Committee; Southern Arizona Chess Association secretary; U.S. Chess Federation, senior tournament director; Chess for Charity, founder and president.