Speaker 1: 0:00

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Speaker 1: 1:14

Welcome to the Bubble Lounge. I'm Martha Jackson and today's episode is one of my favorites of the year. We're sitting down with two extraordinary young women who have not only achieved academic excellence but also remain close friends since they first met at a county spelling bee back in middle school. Joining us are Highland Park High School's 2025 valedictorian Anna Q, who also happens to be this year's homecoming queen, and salutatorium Lak Lakshmi Vemula, who led the band as a drum major From the spelling bee stage to the graduation stage. Their journey is one of hard work, friendship and a few hilarious moments along the way. You'll hear what motivated them, how they supported each other through the highs and the lows, and what they want their classmates to remember. Most Ladies, welcome to the show. Well, please introduce yourselves.

Speaker 2: 2:08

Hi I'm Lakshmi Vemula, hi I'm.

Speaker 1: 2:11

Anna Tien. Well guys, congratulations on all your success in high school. I'm super excited to get to know your story. How did you two become friends? We?

Speaker 2: 2:21

met in fifth grade, I believe yeah this county spelling bee, dallas county spelling bee, and I didn't really know Anna back then. I just saw her. But then when she transferred to um HPMS, that's when I realized I was like, oh my gosh, I saw you before. And then that's how we met.

Speaker 3: 2:37

Oh my gosh, that's yeah because I used to go to um. Like, the school used to be called Stonewall Jackson, but it got changed to Mockingbird Elementary and we both made it to the County B and that was the first time we like saw each other. But like, who knows, like, in like so many years, we would like become friends and then, like now, we're both sitting here together.

Speaker 1: 2:57

I know and you're going to be on the stage together in two weeks. This is such a great story. I absolutely love it. Well, the two of you are top of your class. How has the journey been and what it has taken to get there?

Speaker 3: 3:11

I think the journey has been less difficult than people might have expected. Like I think a lot of people just like think that you have to study all the time, and I obviously think Lakshmi definitely did not do that because she's yeah, because she's drum major and everything, and we both have a lot of extracurriculars and we both like go to all the senior parties, like all the dances, so I but also, of course, it's like difficult. Like I feel like HP class of 25 is definitely very, very like smart and very, very competitive and everyone else in the top 10 both have like all have like incredibly high GPAs, like we have one of the highest cutoffs for like top 10%. So it definitely has been difficult, but I also do think that like we're two people who generally do enjoy like learning and like um, all the extracurriculars that we actually do, so I think it's been less difficult than maybe what the movies portray.

Speaker 2: 4:00

The movie yeah, and then, um, going off of what Anna said about how it was really difficult for me, I actually had no idea this would happen. It wasn't even like, I wasn't even thinking about it when I came in freshman year, sophomore year, because, like Anna said, I focused on band a lot so that was sort of my thing. And then because all the kids our year especially, are very talented, I was like bands of 4.0 so it's probably not going to work out. So I was more focused on doing what I love and my extracurriculars rather than the valedictorian solitory journey, so that was it?

Speaker 1: 4:32

Yeah, I was so curious. If you start high school saying this is my goal, this is what I want to do, or does it just kind of happen? And for you it sounds like it did just kind of happen.

Speaker 2: 4:43

I realized it was really crazy because I think January is that when we got our ranks out, so I was actually fifth the semester before. So I just walked in I was like, oh, probably going to. Maybe I moved up to fourth or maybe third, but that's pushing it. And then the counselor looks at me. She's like, oh, my gosh, you had a lot of movement. I was like OK, and then she goes you're second. I was like okay, and then she goes you're second. I'm like what? Like I didn't even know where that came from. Like it was, it was crazy, but yeah.

Speaker 3: 5:09

I mean, for me it's more just like I had an eighth grade. I was voted most likely to be valedictorian on the superlatives on the yearbook. So I think after that I felt like I had like a like. It was like a bond, it was like. It was like I had to do it, you know oh my gosh, I love, I love that.

Speaker 1: 5:23

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Speaker 2: 6:17

We both take multivariable calculus this year and it's so funny and they're like our teacher is. He's a really goofy person. We always bond over, like studying for the tests or quizzes, because we also have met my girl before that. So that's when we like talk to each other, we're like, oh my gosh, we have a quiz next period, like what are you doing? And then we like collaborate a lot with that.

Speaker 3: 6:40

Yeah, exactly I think that we do. We share a lot of classes, not just like senior but like, I think, throughout high school, and it's just like we're always like bonding over, like how traumatic a test is or something which is great, and Lakshmi is just like she's the kind of person who's just like like super funny to talk to, and I always think she has like great morals and like I feel like everyone around her just like loves her, so it's like it's so great that I get to like share this experience with her.

Speaker 1: 7:07

Well, so I absolutely love women supporting other women, and you two obviously in the brief time we've talked are a big example of that. What do you admire most about each other?

Speaker 2: 7:18

When I think of Anna, there's so many things like if I had to pick one though her determination. There's so many things like if I had to pick one though her determination, like her tenacity, like no matter what she has coming up, like if it's a test or like any other, like obstacle or anything, she puts her mind to it and she makes sure she like goes through with it. And of course, a lot of people have that. But with Anna it's like especially noticeable, like the amount of passion she puts in and the hard work she does to achieve all that she's done.

Speaker 3: 7:46

Yeah, and I think for Lakshmi, just like throughout the years I've known her, she's always not just been like one of the smartest people in the room, but she's also been like one of the funniest, one of the kindest and one of the people you go to when you like need actual, like help on anything, not just like school Like.

Speaker 3: 7:59

I see her like helping, like underclassmen, not which is like score, because she's also like in the math team, like UIL, that she helps a lot of underclassmen. I think they all really really respect her and like think of her as a friend. But I also seen her help classmates go through like personal issues and it's just like in like again in the movies like there's that stereotype of like people who are extremely smart, being extremely like anti-social or like not like empathetic to others. I think Lakshmi is a complete difference. Like she's an ambassador and she's like she's like drum major. So obviously like everyone likes her and I see her complaining about how dirty the band um trash cans are, but she's always like she's like a great leader. So I think she's really like has it all oh my gosh, that is great.

Speaker 1: 8:42

I love it. So have you gotten those trash cans cleaned up? Yeah, that was something. Did you take care of that? Well, so walk us through a typical week. I think most of us are always wondering how we can better manage our time. But, like during one of your busiest times and leading up to exams, how did you manage it all without burning out?

Speaker 2: 9:04

Leading up to exams. How did you manage it all without burning out? For me, I try my best to take breaks a lot and hang out with my friends, because that really gives me the time I need to like sort of reset from school. I think that's really important, like it's okay to like work really hard for a few days, but it's also important to take that mental break, because you can't always keep working really hard and you're just going to like push yourself too much. And for me, my busiest weeks are generally marching band season, because we have practices every day. We have morning rehearsals, after school rehearsals and then you have Friday football games, so those end really late and then we also have Saturday contests. So my advice is just to plan out like a good schedule and to make sure you include a lot of break times and yeah, for me.

Speaker 3: 9:52

Similarly, I did like academic decathlon, so that took a big chunk of time, especially in like January to February, like every day, I would say, after school to test every Saturday, stay after school's test and at that point it's kind of just like it's almost the end of the year, so like AP exams are coming. I'm leaving for a week for state, so it's just very stressful, um, but for me, like the biggest um I guess tip I have for like a stand-up time management is to like delete like some apps off your phone.

Speaker 1: 10:17

Oh, yeah, that's a good.

Speaker 3: 10:19

Yeah, this is the first year I've like actually gotten TikTok back since high school and I can tell why like I deleted it in the first place. But we do spend a lot of time scrolling, like even I do now. Like I was looking at my screen time and it was like up 14 hours. I was like crap. Like shoot Senior writers really is hitting harder than I expected. But I do think, just like I have time limits on my phone for stuff like that, like Instagram, snapchat, tiktok, all of that. It's really just like knowing like what you like need and it's just like if you have priorities, you need to prioritize them instead of just like scrolling your phone like endlessly.

Speaker 2: 10:58

Yes, I have respect for that. I know screen time limits. I'm always on TikTok. Yeah, I agree 100 percent, I know screen time limits.

Speaker 1: 11:05

I'm always on TikTok. Yeah, I agree 100%. You know, I'm obviously way older than you and I'm addicted to social media. I'll be honest, it's designed to be addictive and it does. It sucks you in and before you know it, you've spent hours on it. And but why? I mean? What benefit to your life is that? So? I love that you have the limits and I think all of us could benefit from your advice. Hey, park City's families, we all feel that pinch of rising home insurance, don't we? But there is a solution and it's closer than you think.

Speaker 1: 11:32

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Speaker 2: 12:34

This actually happened a few weeks back. So in our OCHEM class our project was you can literally make anything you want and a lot of kids did a bunch of explosion type projects. So we were used to seeing fire in the lab and, like you know, being kind of scared of it and like careful of it. But then our group, we made sparklers and when we were testing it out it was really cool. So I yelled out oh my god, this is fire. Or, like I said, fire really loud. People ran inside the room. I was like fire, fire. And then everyone started laughing. I was like I'm sorry, guys, I'll be, don't say fire when you're working with fire.

Speaker 3: 13:09

It's cool um, I guess for me it's just like. So I did academic decathlon for three years and then this year I like helped advising the team, and I think a lot of people just like don't realize how bad the resources for actec are like. For um two years we've been in a basement, um underneath the school that used to be connected to the old pool, so always sounds like chlorine.

Speaker 3: 13:32

And then, um why we stopped um studying the basement my junior year was because it got flooded with sewage and then the rats and cockroaches started coming out so I think that was pretty interesting because we do have a lot of state titles and, like all of our like um, like state title, like medals got flooded in the sewage, which is pretty sad I mean, I guess, more sad than um funny, but I thought it was pretty funny when it happened.

Speaker 2: 13:54

Oh my gosh, I better complain about the band Trash, can.

Speaker 1: 13:58

That sounds a little worse, doesn't it? Well, so talk to us about the pressures that you've had as far as being high, achieving young ladies, and how have you pushed through some of those.

Speaker 2: 14:10

I feel like, especially as I'm in the as Anna mentioned the UIL math team and science team, like at a lot of those contests there aren't a lot of girls there, so it's a little hard to like kind of push past that not stereotype, but like woman in STEM, like trying to like you know really, um, get people to like understand where I'm coming from or like like sort of respect what I'm doing, because sometimes it's hard when there's like 10 guys out there that are all like really good at math and then there's just me and then they're like, oh, like it's just, it's really weird feeling.

Speaker 3: 14:47

But yeah, yeah, um, I guess for me I guess uh Lockshin can definitely relate to this but it's just like during like college application season, it feels like everyone wants to know where you applied, like where you're going, and it's just like very stressful when, like that period, because we both got in early to our respective colleges, so we're both pretty lucky that we got out of the stressful zone uh, pretty early. But I do know that when I was applying, everyone's like oh, like where are you applying? And it just puts a lot of pressure on me because I was scared I wasn't going to get in and it would be like that disappointment not just to me but also to like the people who like think that I can, you know, get into these colleges. Yeah, I agree.

Speaker 1: 15:25

So I mean everyone. When you have a senior and you are a senior, everyone. Everywhere you go, people are asking those same questions that you know, and my standard answer was the same place everyone else is applying when my daughter graduated a couple of years ago, well beyond the books, what do you ladies like to do?

Speaker 3: 15:47

I really like to watch movies. I actually started this this year because of my econ teacher, mr Howland. So me and my friends they watch more movies than I do, but they're doing a 365 movies in a year like challenge. Obviously I can't do that, but I do. That's a lot. I do appreciate like movies and TV shows. Like I just watched Conclave and it just like gave me a whole like new perspective on like how like the Pope is chosen and stuff like that. You, I mean you learn a lot from movies and it's fun. It's like visual media. I also I mean I guess in school I did act tech, which is also just learning about a lot of new things, and other than that, I really like going on Instagram, so that's also one of my favorite things to do within your time limits there, right yes, but there's like a 15 minute limit but I press them.

Speaker 3: 16:36

I press them um, like just the other button that says that I can go on for longer.

Speaker 2: 16:41

I'll try it out. I'll see if it works. No promises oh wow.

Speaker 1: 16:46

So what about you? What do you do for me?

Speaker 2: 16:49

I'm a huge music person so I love playing like a lot of instruments. I do flute and piano and I also like singing from time to time. And then I also love sketchbooking that's something I picked up recently. So I like to like just do cute, like drawings, and then get like different types of paper and like just it's really like therapeutic for me. And then I also like to make small ones for my friends. So if it's like my friend's birthday, I just make her like a little book of her memories of like high school or something like that, and it's really fun.

Speaker 1: 17:18

Oh my gosh, I love that Both of you. What you are doing, I think, is such a good stress outlet and like a really positive way to just like distract yourself and do something positive. So, as you were preparing for your graduation speeches, what is the core message or emotion that you want your classmates to take away?

Speaker 3: 17:39

For me, I can't really say because I haven't written a single word of it, oh no, but I really want to lean into the idea that sometimes you don't have to follow the plan. For example, I feel like everyone has that cognitive plan in their mind of like. I feel like everyone has like that like cognitive, like plan in their mind of like, oh, I'm gonna achieve this by this age or achieve this by this time. And I genuinely feel like throughout high school, there has been so many unexpected turns I've taken and unexpected people I've met that really like changed my plan just in this four years. Like I remember walking into high school being like Princeton's my dream school and then walking out of it knowing that Yale was a place I was going to go to. So it's just like you know, there are unexpected changes in life. We shouldn't fear the unexpected, fear the changes and embrace them because, like, the best things about like your life are the things that are, like you know, circumstantial and not like something that you planned out. I love that.

Speaker 2: 18:38

Yeah, like Anna, I haven't started yet, but what I'm thinking about is focusing on your passion instead of worrying about well, it's good to worry about academics, but also to have that balance where you're genuinely doing something you love, because for me, that was banned and I'm so grateful that I kept with it for all four years of high school. So, focusing on your passion and, like Anna said, like there is no path really and, yeah, just going with the flow and doing what you love.

Speaker 1: 19:10

Great advice, because we can't always plan out everything. You know, we are not in control of a lot of the circumstances that come our way, and that's great advice from both of you. Some of my favorite memories growing up were made at the lake Time slowing down, laughter echoing across the water and just being together as a family. If you've ever dreamed of creating those kinds of memories with your kids and grandkids, Long Cove is the perfect place. Just over an hour from Dallas, Long Cove is more than an exclusive lakefront community. It's where generations come together. Grandparents, parents and kids all find their own kind of fun, whether it's fishing in stocked ponds, playing pickleball, roasting s'mores by the fire or just watching the sunset over the water. And the best part Long Cove is designed to make every moment at the lake feel effortless, so all you have to do is enjoy the time together. Make family memories that last a lifetime. Book a tour today at longcovetxcom or call 214-919-3719. So let's envision yourself 10 years from now. What do you think you'll remember most about going to Highland Park?

Speaker 2: 20:23

definitely my friends and the environment I was in. Like I'm gonna miss everyone so much and I'm also gonna remember all the hard moments because they made who I am today and I still look back on them and I'm like I've come so far, I've learned a lot and I'm very proud of everything I've been through at this high school um, for me, I think it's like the chick-fil-a friday is really great.

Speaker 3: 20:47

I was telling people from other schools about that. They were like shocked. So, um, that's a great memory. I have hb, but also, like lakshmi said, the people like I met probably my lifelong friends here at highland park and I just think that, um, everyone here is like very talented and very passionate. Like we have great sports teams, a great band, great artists, um, like great people who are good at like math, science, like people who are great at everything, and I don't think that every school has that. I mean, obviously, hp has a lot of resources. We also have just talented people who are dedicated to what they do and they inspire me every day. So, um, for me, it's really just the people make what make HP, and I think that it'll be hard to find that anywhere else.

Speaker 1: 21:32

Well, I agree, anna, because that was a huge motivation of this podcast is there was just so many talented people out there doing great things and we just wanted to highlight and feature them. And you know, a lot of times there's a news story that's written about them. But to hear the people actually talk, like what we're doing right here, is like really a neat experience is to hear the voice behind the person that's doing all these wonderful things. So I actually know you both from being at the football games between Anna you were the homecoming queen I remember interviewing on the sidelines and Lakshmi with the band of course. So, anna, tell me about your experience with the homecoming queen. Your uncle was out there with you. There was lots of photos. There was like all sorts of excitement going on with that.

Speaker 3: 22:21

Yeah, my dad had like a work thing he had to do, so my uncle, thankfully, he stepped in and watched me across the field and, honestly, the whole experience was like it was like a dream, it was like very ethereal, like honestly, now if someone told me about that I'd be like no, I don't believe you.

Speaker 3: 22:37

But I do remember I met a lot of the girls that I guess also through being homecoming queen I got to meet a lot more people, I guess, which was pretty nice. So I met the girls and, um, they were all like super, super sweet. They were all from you know, different um, place, not places, but sections of hp, like sure, like track, stucco, like all of that. So I got to like know them um, personally, which is um, because I usually, uh, usually, the people you know are people from your classes. But this time I got to meet these amazing girls separately in a different way. And also, just being chosen as homecoming queen is pretty shocking to me. I never expected that. So my dad, he told my aunt about what happened and she said that being homecoming queen was more impressive than getting into Yale.

Speaker 3: 23:25

Oh my god, and both their sons go to princeton. So oh my god.

Speaker 1: 23:30

Yeah, well, I mean, you have, you know, a double. Oh my gosh, I'm not saying the right thing.

Speaker 3: 23:37

Well, you've done them both so, which is extremely impressive it's pretty, it's pretty crazy, um, but I do think in the future, like I'm, I'm very glad that I had this opportunity because, like, if my daughter or son ever calls me uncool, I can just show them photos.

Speaker 3: 23:52

I was the homecoming queen, so there you go, I love that, yeah, but it was just a great experience and I was. It was actually. I was actually really nervous walking across the field because it feels like everyone was there, like all my friends there, like, um, the student section was there, like a lot of the alumni's were there, like the field was filled up like any other hd football game. But this time I was like walking in the field. So I can't imagine like what the football players feel. I mean, I guess they're like really passionate, like in the moment, but, um, and then when they announced my name, I was pretty shocked because, um, just feel like everyone um around me, like the other girls standing next to me, they are all super like popular and nice and very talented and gifted. So, just like for me to have that honor, I just feel very like blessed and very grateful for, I guess, everyone who voted for me, right, right, Well, tell us about being in the band Lakshmi.

Speaker 2: 24:47

So actually I have an interesting story. So I was in HP since second grade, but eighth grade I actually went to Hockaday for a year and then they don't have a band program there and that was one of the reasons that I switched back to HP, because it was always my dream, since I was a little girl, to be drum major of the band. So I still remember that moment when the results came out it was in June and then I was just I couldn't believe it and I'm so grateful for that opportunity. And some of my favorite things as drum major is, honestly, the football games are so much fun, and especially at the end, like after our team wins because our team is awesome. I'm just going to say that our team is great, we do so well and it's I'm so proud to be a part of HP, especially like with the football program we have. And at the end, when they all just come up and then we conduct the alma mater of the school and then the fight song, like just feeling that presence and like the happiness, the community. It's amazing.

Speaker 2: 25:47

And one time this is actually really funny we so drum majors stand on ladders sometimes, so I was, and then it was at the game that we were at, they had like a track area, so my ladder was sort of in the track area, but then that's usually where all the football guys they go to like huddle up, like at the end of the game. That dear, that was. It smelled. It smelled, but it's okay. It's okay, I wasn't thinking about that, it was. You could like they're literally like everywhere, like, and I was. It was really funny. I got a lot of pictures because people were like you look like you were just floating in a sea of people and I was like you know what? That's what it felt like. But just that energy and everything, those my favorite moments, right right.

Speaker 1: 26:28

Well, I mean, we are over there in the band section quite a bit at the games, and it is so fun. We absolutely love it. Except your wireless microphones interfere with our sound a lot of times, so we've had more than our fair share of sound issues, but that sounds like so much fun being up on that ladder and, um, I would imagine the smell wasn't quite as bad as your trash can, though, oh yeah. So, ladies, as you're getting ready to go away off to college, you're both leaving the bubble, you're leaving Texas. Obviously, this is going to be a very different experience than what you've been used to all these years. What are your expectations?

Speaker 2: 27:09

I'm just ready to explore, and obviously I'm very nervous about that because I've lived most of my life in HP since like elementary school. But I'm also really thankful that my best friend got into Brown too, so it'll definitely be nice to have someone there to depend on while I'm navigating these new changes in you.

Speaker 1: 27:28

Oh, that's so helpful.

Speaker 3: 27:30

For me. So when I was applying to college, actually in the end I was deciding between Stanford and Yale and what made me choose Yale was just like the arts. I'm very passionate about the arts. I do a lot of painting and like art and I love like watching Broadway and theater. So that's one of the things I'm really excited about, because I think HB has great arts program but nothing can compare to like a college experience in the arts. So I'm excited to go to Yale and see all the productions.

Speaker 3: 27:57

When I visited there a few weeks ago they had like a huge production on. It was like great. It was like it was like cello performances, like their acapella groups, it was just like amazing. And of course, I'm scared it's going to be very different. Like Connecticut is very cold so I'm going to have to change out my entire closet probably. And also just like the Northeast is very different, like cultural wise, like food wise, I probably can't get Tex-Mex anymore anymore. So but I mean it's great that we have these opportunities to go somewhere new and experience a new place and see we like it there and we, if we don't, we can always come back here. So I think that's great to, you know, go beyond the borders of Highland Park and explore somewhere new.

Speaker 1: 28:41

Absolutely. I think anytime that you have the opportunity to, you know travel, go to Europe, you know, see the world. It just it makes you grow as a person so much and I am so excited for both of you and I can't wait to follow along and just see where your journey takes you. So I absolutely love that you both have been friends for so long. I love hearing your stories. What advice would you give to your younger self?

Speaker 3: 29:09

For me. I just think that I think that high school is pretty stressful and there's definitely been periods of times where I definitely took on more than I could handle. So I think to my younger self I want to say everything's going to be fine, that you're going to go through high school, you're going to, you know, go through some drama, go through some hard classes and it's all going's, all gonna be fine. I mean sitting here right now, like towards the end, like I'm like when I'm gonna sit on the stage, I don't think I'm gonna be thinking about how I got an 80 on one of my wap saqs or something, yeah, but instead I'm gonna be thinking about probably all the memories I made and I do hope that if I could go back in time, I'll spend more times with the people I care about, because now, facing you know we're all going to separate parts of the country or even the world.

Speaker 3: 29:52

It's really hard to know if you're ever going to like have enough time with them again. So just spend more time with friends. Go to all the dances, go to all the events at HB, go to all the football games, because truly those are like the great memories you'll tell your kids be. Go to all the football games, because surely those are like the great memories. You'll tell your kids not how you again got an 80 on a WAP SAQ once for me.

Speaker 2: 30:11

I would tell my younger self to have more confidence in myself, because I felt, like throughout high school, like there were a lot of moments when I doubted my abilities and doubted, um, like I like, as Anna mentioned, I overthought about like, oh my gosh, will I be able to gosh, will I be able to do this, will I be able to do that? So I just wish I knew that everything would be fine and that I do have a lot of talent, a lot of potential. And it's OK to like, like, it's fine to doubt yourself, but you should also have confidence in your abilities to achieve what you want to achieve.

Speaker 1: 30:43

Well, ladies, this has been so nice being able to get to know you better and just catch up with you. You've offered so much great advice, not just to your peers, but actually to adults as well, because there's so many things that you've said that I feel like I could benefit from and if I will apply them to my own life, and this has been just such a treat to catch up with you guys. Thank you for being here today. Thank you, that's been another episode of the bubble lounge. I'm Martha Jackson and I'll see you next time.