Throughout high school, surrounding yourself with supportive friends can help with personal development and growth. To many students throughout Lambert, Anurag Bhagavathula is this person, a shining example of following your passions and being true to yourself. His positive attitude and bright personality help guide not only his passions but his friends’ passions as well.
Anurag has never lived his life without singing. His journey started with Indian music, evolving as he joined the chorus in the fourth grade. Over multiple instructors and hundreds of hours put into his craft, Anurag has been able to hone his abilities spectacularly.
“I joined chorus in fourth grade, and ever since then, I’ve been a part of it,” Anurag said. “I love every single moment of it.”
Upon entering high school, Anurag decided to advance his career by joining Lambert ATL. Through numerous stage performances and backstage work, Anurag not only discovered his love for the theatre but also found a sense of belonging within the community.
“I just love theatre because of the community that it gave me,” Anurag said.
Like many others, Anurag treats chorus and theatre like a team sport. Students have to lean on each other, collaborate, and pick up extra work when someone isn’t feeling well. The community truly develops together, no matter the circumstances.
But the arts are not the only aspect of Anurag’s life that his friends know him for, as he has a passion for political science. He wants to become a diplomat with a focus on United States foreign policy in India in relation to human rights.
“In college, I’m going to major in Political Science and some sort of International Relations,” Anurag said.
Choosing to become a diplomat has been a long process for Anurag, as he had so many different interests from such a young age. In middle school, he wanted to be a doctor, then a filmmaker but finally, after many years, he chose to be a diplomat.
The class that encouraged Anurag to take this path was a Political Science class he took at Georgia State over the summer. He really fell in love with learning about politics, international relations and specific policies. This combined with his lifelong love for geography has made becoming a diplomat a simple choice.
“I combined my interests in geography and political science and was like ‘What is the best career for that?’” Anurag said. “I’m also a part of Model United Nations and that has prepared me to be diplomatic.”
As Anurag finishes off his senior year, he wants to explain to any and all underclassmen just how important it is to be true to yourself throughout high school.
“You’re sort of like a butterfly with uniqueness, but by conforming you can forget who you are, which you never want to do,” Anurag said. “If you find your people who are going to love you the way you are, that’s all you need: amazing friends.”
In the future, Anurag is confident that he’ll thrive wherever he goes. His passions and bright outlook on life have already set him on a path to success in every field he chooses.
