Alpharetta High School Graduate Awarded $1,000 Scholarship

ALPHARETTA, GA -- Each year, the Rotary Club of Alpharetta recognizes a high school senior who is an excellent scholar and exhibits outstanding qualities in academics, leadership and service. 

This year, the Rotary Club bestowed its $1,000 scholarship upon Alpharetta High School graduate Dhakshi Balakumar. 

Balakumar recently graduated with a GPA of 99.56 on a scale of 100. She was ranked 37th in her class of 527 students, and maintained her status on the honor roll throughout her high school career. 

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Balakumar plans to attend the University of California-Berkeley to study this fall. 

“The Rotary Scholarship will empower me in paying for my college education,” she said. “Interdisciplinary studies in Cognitive Science captures the intersection of my interests.”

The Rotary Club commended Balakumar for: 

• participating in the Leadership Experience Opportunity;
• serving as business manager at Alpharetta High School’s Creative Arts magazine;
• participating in Future Business Leaders of America, the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair;
• serving as a Raider ambassador;
• taking part in the Model United Nations; and
• playing a violin for four years.

Other accolades include playing soccer, participating in Lincoln Douglas debate, being in the National Honor Society and the English National Honor Society and working as a content developer for Technocademy.

“Dhakshi is an exceptional young woman, combining high intelligence, inquisitiveness and diligence,” said Frank Fortunato Dhakshi’s teacher at Alpharetta High School. “Her dedication and hard work, along with her skill as a manager of people, and her passion for excellence shines as she reaches out to members of the Alpharetta business community to secure financial support for the literary magazine. I am privileged to have worked with her.”

Balakumar was also named an AP scholar, National Merit Commended Scholar and took part in the Governor's Honor's Program in the subject of biology.

“It is an honor to give Dhakshi a scholarship to help her further her education,” said Kirk Driskell, president of the Rotary Club of Alpharetta. “With all the leadership skills that she has already demonstrated through her high school years, what a valuable asset she will be to any school, organization or company.”

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Photo: pictured from left to right are: Kirk Driskell, Dhakshi Balakumar, Karen Nolan. Credit: Rotary Club of Alpharetta