Standing at 5’11 in her 3-inch red clogs, Ella Kuriyama’s smiling face is easily visible in the sea of high school students walking to class. And the CHS senior has plenty to smile about. She is a varsity basketball player, a full-IB student, a violinist for the CYMO orchestra, a Vice President of the Women of Color Empowerment Club, and a tutor for Common Good Tutors. Now, she can add Homecoming Princess to her growing list of accomplishments.

Her captivatingly quirky personality combined with her instinctive understanding of perfect joke timing, makes her a joy to be around. However, even though she is somewhat aware of her academic and comedic brilliance, homecoming court was the last thing on her mind.

“I was surprised that I was nominated, but I was really happy,” Kuriyama said. “The best part was when people would come up and say that they voted for me. I didn’t expect that and it made my day.”

From unparalleled pedi-dexterity to exceptional finger-knitting ability, Kuriyama is a woman of many interests and talents. Because of this, her vision of her future is ever-changing. Her past career dreams include astronaut, psychologist, mother, and millionaire business mogul. Currently, she has settled on becoming a doctor.

“I’m currently really interested in women’s health issues and potentially pursuing a medical degree is something I’m seriously considering,” Kuriyama said. “But most of all I hope that in the future I have a happy and balanced life.”

While her intense full-IB workload combined with her commitment to the basketball team is currently preventing Kuriyama from living the balanced lifestyle she dreams of, she is grateful for her hectic CHS experience. The memories she’s made while spending hours struggling through physics and biology homework have helped nurture friendships that will last a lifetime, even through the endless stress-induced tears.

“Even though I would consider my high school experience to be net bad, I think some of my favorite moments have come out of the struggles of school,” Kuriyama said. “The relationships I’ve formed with people in those moments have really helped me grow as a person.”

No matter what adventures Kuriyama embarks on in the coming years, there is no doubt her future will be bright. And her warmth and laughter will bring joy to any room she walks into. But for now, she is focused on ending her time at CHS on a high.
“Recently I’ve been aiming for eight hours of sleep a night,” Kuriyama said.

While the world may not be ready for a fully rested Kuriyama, her sleep-deprived alter ego is more than enough to brighten the days of her friends. Kuriyama would like to shout out her friends, family, fellow goldfish queens, Jisung the squirrel, and the hard-working Miso and Casandra.