It is very hard to be recognizable for a small accessory on a high school campus. However, senior Arnav Merla does what many consider to be impossible; Merla’s always rocking bone conduction headphones, and everybody knows it. Made clear by his winning of the PSAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test scholarship, Merla is quite the academic wizard. That is exactly why Merla will be attending Cal Poly Pomona to major in Computer Engineering.
“I want to be in R&D, as I’m doing a mechatronics program, and I chose computer engineering because that seems the most versatile,” Merla said. “Really anything robotics related.Though he did very well academically, Merla offers some insightful advice on the value of grades in one’s life.
“Forsake your GPA and focus on what makes you the most happy,” Merla said. “Obviously, don’t waste your time pursuing something that isn’t going to help you in the future. I believe that is more fulfilling to pursue something like that than shooting for that 4.0. Obviously a 4.0 is critical for better colleges, but if you are passionate about something, and you think you have a knack for it, going to a worse college isn’t that bad in the information age.”
Merla hopes that the knowledge he has gained throughout his high school experience will be helpful to incoming freshmen.
“How you do anything is how you do everything. Always sprint to the lunch line and to class in the morning, make sure to give it your all in P.E., especially if you have it in the morning and don’t have deodorant. Never participate in class discussions so you maintain a dark, mysterious aura. Finally, always wear neon polyester fits.”
When asked who he wanted to shout out, Merla had quite a few names in mind.
“Shoutout Mr. Digrazia, my favorite teacher,” Merla said. “Maximiliano Garcia, Daniel Tran, Pablo Guevara, and CH Li.”
We can be sure that Arnav Merla will go on to do great things at Cal Poly Pomona, helping make the world a better place, using his technological expertise.
