Hailing from Boone, right-wing striker Caspian Miller ‘25 enters his final soccer season, but with a fracture in his left foot.
Inspired by his older brother, Miller stepped onto the soccer field 13 years ago, and never left. His young exposure to Ethiopia’s (where he lived for elementary school) rich soccer culture fueled his passion, making the sport a personal priority. Despite a heavy course load, Miller balances his commitments with ease. Unfazed by his injury, he continues to play, determined to make the most of his senior year.
With his team’s strong winning mentality, Miller hopes to lead them to the state finals.
Shorty’s Famous Hot Dogs is a favorite for local hot dog lovers, including the NCSSM Women’s Tennis Team. The team thrives thanks to the dedication of juniors, seniors, and captain Lola Larsen ‘25.
A Winston-Salem native with over 12 years of tennis experience, Larsen enters her senior year balancing academics with her love for the sport.
For her, tennis is a stress reliever from her academic-heavy plate as she “goes outside and gets a good hit after a long day of class.” She aims to surpass last year’s semi-finals finish and lead her team to the state finals this season.
Johnathan Strickland ‘25 is in the midst of his senior cross-country season. Cross-country means more than just running for him.
“Cross-country isn’t just about the races. It’s about conversations with your best friend during Saturday long runs, feelings of accomplishment after a speed workout, and getting to explore this city we all now call home. I don’t love cross country because of the races, I love it because of the work it takes to get there,” he said.
Cross-country has enriched Strickland’s life in many unique ways, as its impact on him will last a lifetime.
Hadley Woods ‘25 is a senior on the NCSSM women’s volleyball team. Volleyball is an integral part of who she is as a person.
When I asked her why, she explained, “I’ve been playing volleyball since fourth grade, so for nine years. I honestly couldn’t imagine my life without volleyball. Playing has allowed me to see so many places and make so many friends who are spread all across the country. This sport has brought me some of my closest relationships and I couldn’t be more thankful for that.”
Woods’ favorite volleyball memory was in sixth grade when she took home her first win–that was the moment she fell in love with the sport.
By NCSSM Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA)
On March 21-23, 2024, NCSSM-Durham FBLA competed at the North Carolina Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) State Leadership Conference in Greensboro, NC. (Khushi Bhatt/NCSSM FBLA)
A couple of weeks ago, NCSSM-Durham FBLA traveled to Greensboro to compete in the North Carolina FBLA State Leadership Conference on March 21-23, 2024. Students competed among 70 schools and over 4,000 high school students from across the state. This 2-night, 3-day long conference is one of the biggest events NCSSM FBLA competes in over the course of the school year.
Chapter President and Founder Khushi Bhatt states, “As a first-time chapter, all of our winners and finalists should be incredibly proud of themselves! All the hard work and late nights of paperwork and registration are worth it when someone from our school gets up on that stage.”
NCSSM FBLA had over 45 out of 70 students place in the Top 10 within their respective events and even have 30 students planning on competing at Nationals in June in Orlando, Florida. These are extremely high numbers for a newly founded chapter, and students from our school showed out from events like Marketing to Network Design!
This is such an incredible feat, and NCSSM FBLA would like to thank Veronica Vazquez, their sponsor, as well as NCSSM Academic Programs for funding and support. Furthermore, we would like to give a huge shout-out to all of the amazing FBLA officers who have been working since the summer to make this possibility a reality. Thank you to Khushi, Charit, Aryan V., Kenan, Vishvum, Aryan C., Zoe, Tanuli, Prisha, Rehan, Cat, and Aspen for all your hard work!
Congratulations to all the winners, see a comprehensive list below!
Name
event
place
Lalit Julapali
Financial Planning HS – Test Recognition
Finalist
Khushi Bhatt
Advertising
1
Zain Patel
Agribusiness
3
George Cheng
Agribusiness
1
Reid Burgess
Agribuisness
Finalist
Pranav Mettu
Agribusiness
2
Adrian Bedeley
Banking and Financial Systems
Finalist
Catherine Russ
Business Law
Finalist
Kush Mehta
Business Law
2
Edward Zhang
Business Law
1
Tanuli, Prisha, Zoe
Business Management
1
Rishi, Aditya
Business plan
Finalist
Pranav Nair
Coding and Programming
Finalist
Gokul Kannan
Computer Problem Solving
2
Shourya Kudaravalli
Computer Problem Solving
4
Sanjana Ram
Cybersecurity
2
Jacey Odero
Economics
4
Eric Su
Economics
Finalist
Amy Lei
Health Care Administration
Finalist
Malcom Louigards
Health Care Administration
3
Andrea Dela Pena
Health Care Administration
Finalist
Rehab Moham
Help Desk
Finalist
Alina Sohail, Janvi Patel
Hospitality and Event Management
3
Charit Singalreddy
Human Resource Management
1
Adarsh Magesh
Insurance and Risk Management
2
Grayson, Cash, Chris
International Business
2
Caroline Stallings
Journalism
4
Thrista Venkat
Management and Information Systems
4
Ethan, Mantra
Marketing
4
Kenan Thornton
Organizational Leadership
Finalist
Tanush Sriam
Organizational Leadership
1
Kahaan Khatri
Personal Finance
Finalist
Ananya Agarwal
Public Policy and Advocacy
3
Neel Date
Public Policy and Advocacy
1
Olivia Chen, Bindi Parikh
Sales Presentation
4
Andy Sun
Securities and Investment
Finalist
Jameson Manning
Securities and Investment
4
Viroop Kuncham
Securities and Investment
3
Vishvum Sriram
Securities and Investment
1
Ronit Dey, River Kucheiria
Social Media Strategies
Finalist
Preston and Henry
Sports Management
Finalist
Sreetha Gajula
Supply Chain Management
1
Aryan Vinnay
UX Design
1
Taylor Eason
Website Coding and Development
Finalist
Chapter President Khushi Bhatt ’24 (right) and Chapter Advisor Veronica Vazquez (left) on the first day of the conference after passing out registration materials. (Khushi Bhatt/NCSSM FBLA)NCSSM FBLA light their section in the stands up with neon glasses, wrist bands and foam accessories during the opening and closing sessions, enjoying the music and competitive vibes during the conference as the timer ticked down. (Khushi Bhatt/NCSSM FBLA)
On February 29, Blue Mirror and editors Victor Chin ’24 (center), Gracie Lagerholm ’24 (left), and Harshitha Vadlamani ’24 (right) hosted their annual Winter 2024 reading to the NCSSM student body in celebration of the Winter 2024 issue release. (Harshitha Vadlamani/Blue Mirror)
On the eve of 2024’s Leap Day, a rain covered Hill Street bit at the ground-grazing pant legs of all students with baggy jeans and oversized pants. Not very far away, tucked in the dry security of Ground Beall, NCSSM’s literary and arts magazine Blue Mirror celebrated the release of their Winter 2024 issue.
Established in 1982, this issue of Blue Mirror marked the beginning of their forty-second year dedicated to the literary and visual artwork of NCSSM’s creative community. A pinnacle of the humanities at Science and Math, every issue has held countless creative visions that may have been bubbled up in the classroom- all in Strawbridge Studio’s glossy print.
This year’s editors, Victor Chin (editor-in-chief), Gracie Lagerholm (managing editor) and Harshitha Vadlamani (layout editor) worked hard to deliver nothing less of a monument, a memoir, and a muse (that welcomes cutting and pasting on dorm walls) to fulfill its purpose.
Students crowded Beall 1 and listened to student artists and writers present their published works in celebration of the Winter 2024 issue release. (Harshitha Vadlamani/Blue Mirror)Lita James ’24 poses with her painting on the cover of the Winter 2024 Blue Mirror edition. Editor’s Note (8/7/2025): Lita James has stated that her painting was heavily inspired by artist Ganja’s 2011 work. (Harshitha Vadlamani/Blue Mirror)
NCSSM’s Asian Student Association (ASA) is committed to celebrating and sharing the diverse Asian cultures within the NCSSM community as well as educating others about the current issues people within the AAPI community face.
Pictured are some of the events we have hosted this year!
ASA Block Party – November 10, 2023
ASA officers and advisors celebrate the first ASA Block Party on November 10, 2023. (Jessily Chen/ASA)Jerin Mathew ’24, Shirley Chen ’25, Jessica Yang ’25, and Ryoh Saotome ’24 attend an ASA meeting. (Jessily Chen/ASA)NCSSM students participate in student-organized festivities, food and game booths, and performances at the ASA Block Party on November 10, 2023. (Jessily Chen/ASA)
Asiafest 2023 – April 2023
NCSSM students display flags of countries across the globe during the March of the Flags performance at the ASA-organized Asiafest 2023. (Jessily Chen/ASA)NCSSM students perform at the annual March of the Flags performance at the ASA-organized Asiafest 2023. (Jessily Chen/ASA)
Our biggest annual event, Asiafest, is coming April 20th, so be on the lookout for that 😀
Additionally, ASA is looking for successors for next year that are passionate about advocating for positive change and creating opportunities for the AAPI at ‘SSM and across NC… Our application is open on our Facebook page!
