![With the AISD rank and GPA discrepancies, some students had significant changes to their stats. College and career counselor Camille Nix worked with students to appeal their college decisions if they got rejected from schools depending on their previous stats before getting updated. Students worked with Nix to update schools on their new stats in order to fully get their appropriate decisions. “Those who already were accepted [won’t be affected], but it could factor in if a student appeals their initial decision,” Principal Andy Baxa said.](https://bestofsno.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/53674616658_18d367e00f_o-1200x676.jpg)
![Junior Mia Milicevic practices her forehand at tennis practice with the WJ girls tennis team. “Sometimes I don’t like [tennis] because you’re alone but most of the time, I do like it for that reason because it really is just you out there. I do experience being part of a team at WJ but in tournaments and when I’m playing outside of school, I like that rush when I win a point because I did it all by myself, Milicevic said. (Courtesy Mia Milicevic)](https://bestofsno.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/c54807e1-6ab6-4b0b-9c65-bfa256bc7587.jpg)
![The Jaguar student section sits down while the girls basketball team plays in the Great Eight game at the Denver Coliseum against Valor Christian High School Feb. 29. Many students who participated in the boys basketball student section prior to the girls basketball game left before half-time. I think it [the student section] plays a huge role because we actually had a decent crowd at a ranch game. I think that was the only time we had like a student section. And the energy was just awesome, varsity pointing and shooting guard Brooke Harding ‘25 said. I dont expect much from them [the Golden Boys] at all. But the fact that they left at the Elite Eight game when they were already there is honestly mind blowing to me.](https://bestofsno.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/IMG_7517-e1716250578550-900x1200.jpeg)
![BACKGROUND IN THE BUSINESS: Dressed by junior designer Kaitlyn Gerrie, senior Chamila Muñoz took to the “Dreamland” runway this past weekend. While it was her first time participating in the McCallum fashion show, Muñoz isn’t new to the modeling world.
I modeled here and there when I was a lot younger, maybe five or six [years old] for some jewelry brands and small businesses, but not much in recent years,” Muñoz said.
Muñoz had hoped to participate in last year’s show but couldn’t due to scheduling conflicts. For her senior year, though, she couldn’t let the opportunity pass her by.
“It’s [modeling] something I haven’t done in a while so I was excited to step out of my comfort zone in a way,” Muñoz said. “I always love trying new things and being able to show off designs of my schoolmates is such an honor.”
The preparation process for the show was hectic, leaving the final reveal of Gerrie’s design until days before the show, but the moment Muñoz tried on the outfit, all the stress for both designer and model melted away.
“I didn’t get to try on my outfit until the day before, but the look on Kaitlyn’s face when she saw what she had worked so hard to make actually on a model was just so special,” Muñoz said. “I know it meant so much to her. But then she handed me a blindfold and told me I’d be walking with it on, so that was pretty wild.”
Caption by Francie Wilhelm.](https://bestofsno.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/53535098892_130167352f_o-1200x800.jpg)
Sanjana Rajagopalan ’27 finishes her monologue with a dazzling smile before stepping off screen. She has just finished a day of shooting for the Nickelodeon’s television show “The Really Loud House,” where she plays Zia, one of the main character’s best friends.
She started acting when she was four years old, participating in cherished childhood productions such as “Aladdin.” Once she established her love for the stage, she had her parents sign her up for acting classes.
“I really wanted to be like Dove Cameron,” Rajagopalan said. “And that kind of started my love for this, but acting classes really helped me find my passion for performing.”
She also found an agent through these lessons by attending seminars that her teacher hosted for aspiring actors. Rajagopalan quickly connected with a local agent and signed with her. Her agent sends her audition tapes to casting directors, which gives Rajagopalan the opportunity to audition for three to four roles a week.
Through this agent, she made her first on-screen appearance at ten years old, where she played Preethi Kapoor in the movie “Iké Boys,” released in 2021.
“She’s a very emotionally intelligent person,” Hockaday drama teacher Jeremy Hays said. “And while that isn’t a prerequisite for acting, it can really help you when you are starting out.”
After her movie, she acted in a Disney pilot show before signing with Nickelodeon for her role in “The Really Loud House.”
Filming for this production normally takes two weeks per episode. Usually, she gets called in around 11 a.m., and she does a couple hours of schoolwork before going to hair and makeup and getting dressed in her costume. She normally shoots five to six scenes a day (lunch provided, of course), with each one taking around an hour.
“It’s a lot of time — 10-hour long days for five days a week — but I really enjoy it because I’m around a lot of people my age and you get to interact with everyone,” Rajagopalan said.
She continues to flourish in Hockaday Drama, where she participates in the Daisy Company. She was also cast in the musical “Six,” which she couldn’t partake in due to her shooting schedule.
“Sanjana’s a natural leader in her class,” Hays said. “Not because she wants to—she has zero ego— but because of her talent.”
Whether at Hockaday or on television, Sanjana’s emotional authenticity and passion for her job shine through.
“I think my favorite part about acting is experiencing things that you wouldn’t get to do in your own real life,” Rajagopalan said.
This story was originally published on The Fourcast on May 10, 2024.
