The Peddie School prides itself on its strong sense of community, which is felt by each student daily, especially junior day student Lakhi Raju ’24. Raju explained that her “favorite part of being a Peddie Falcon is the sense of community in class, in clubs and on the tennis courts.”

Having received much help from the Peddie community, Raju searched for a way to give back. She quickly realized that though many Falcons had the energy and ideas to devote to community service, they lacked central organization. In order to fix this, Raju teamed up with two peers, Shivani Verma ’24 and Benjamin Joo ’24, to found the Red Cross Club. At each club meeting, Raju and her co-leaders present opportunities for members to give back to the world through events such as blood drives. 

After a full day of classes and clubs, Raju heads to the tennis courts for practice with the girls’ varsity tennis team. Though tired from her packed schedule, she plays fiercely, putting her all into each swing. The entire team practices together, offering each other support and forming valuable friendships. Raju attributes the team’s unprecedented undefeated record to their personal connections and supportive team culture, explaining that team members “are good friends on and off the court.” On November 5, Raju showcased her skills at the annual Blair Day competition. After teaming up with tennis captain Cat Zhang ’23 for a smooth victory in their doubles match, she snagged a solo win in her singles match. With powerful shots and unrelenting endurance, Raju prevented her opponent from putting even one point onto the board, coasting to a 6-0 6-0 victory after only two sets of her singles match. 

In addition to sports and activities, Raju has taken on additional responsibilities as a day student prefect. As a mentor for new Falcons, she guides a group of freshmen through their integration into a new community. Because of the pandemic, Raju didn’t have a prefect to guide her through her first year, which she thinks would have been valuable. She noted that because entering a new school is a tough transition for most freshmen, she wants to support them in settling into their new home. 

Through a long process of nomination by teachers and election by the student body, Raju was chosen for the Gold Key Society, a group of upperclassmen who volunteer at community events around campus. Between ushering at school plays, setting up for Commencement, or cleaning up after Convocation, Raju happily contributes to the behind-the-scenes work for each major Peddie event. 

Because Raju feels that the Peddie community has helped her flourish in high school, she has set herself goals to give back by ensuring that her peers will have similar experiences.