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A strong force in the classroom, on the waters, and within the community, senior Kyra Cherlopalle is finishing her time at LGHS strong. Whether she is advocating for environmental awareness, racing across the LG reservoir, or just being a stand-out friend, Cherlopalle does it with dedication and a smile.
Cherlopalle spends the bulk of her time at the Los Gatos Rowing Club (LGRC), competing as a coxswain for the men’s team. Cherlopalle detailed, “We used to walk our dog around the reservoir, and my mom signed me up during the summer of eighth grade, and I haven’t stopped since.” She continued, “They needed a new cox, so I stepped up, and I just loved it.”
Cherlopalle described her role as “basically a bridge between the coach and the athletes on the water,” as she manages race plans, directs steering, and ensures unity and control within her boats. According to Cherlopalle, some of the biggest things she has gained through coxing are interpersonal skills and leadership experience. She reasoned, “One thing doesn’t work for everyone, and I talk to people one-on-one and find solutions.”
Cherlopalle emphasized that coxing did not come naturally to her, reminiscing on the beginning of her career: “I knew I was supposed to give motivation and yell, but I thought that was embarrassing. One time, the only thing I could say the entire time was ‘push,’ and in the end, one of my best friends now told me, ‘Kyra, you’re making it sound like we’re giving birth.’” Cherlopalle joked, “That was probably the worst thing I could’ve said, but it’s so funny to look back on. I’ve evolved so much.”
Throughout her time on the team, Cherlopalle has earned several accolades. One of her favorite memories with LGRC is when her team won Head of the Charles, the largest 5k regatta in the world. She explained, “It’s something I’ll carry with me for the rest of my life.”
Outside of the boats, Cherlopalle heads LGHS’s Green Team peer-to-peer group, which champions environmental conscientiousness. Cherlopalle emphasized the importance of aiding the environment, sharing, “We talk with other schools, the city, and the school board. It gives us a lot of experience with planning and communication.” This year, the Green Team visited Van Meter Elementary to facilitate early learning about climate change and recycling, and they have upcoming visits to other local elementary schools this May. Cherlopalle recalled the group’s partnership with Tree-Plenish as well as their pickleball team bonding as some of her favorite memories with the group.
Next year, Cherlopalle will attend the University of California San Diego, where she will continue rowing as a coxswain for their men’s team and major in nanoengineering or another tech-related field. While rowing on the college level will keep her busy, she expressed particular excitement for student-run engineering clubs. Cherlopalle also plans to continue her hobbies of reading and hiking.
Reflecting on her high school experience, Cherlopalle advised, “Be good at what you can do – don’t overextend yourself. That’s something I had to learn the hard way. Sometimes you just have to take a step back and be really good at things within your capacity instead of trying to overshoot.” She concluded, “Make a decision and stick by it, and you can change it in the future. I’d rather look forward and change than look back and regret.”
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