JDP senior Priya is quite a force to be reckoned with. She’s eyes on the prize for her future to be a physician and that starts with a pursuit of excellence in the classroom. Her commitment there has earned her spots in National Honor Society and specifically for English and the sciences as well. She’s currently taking college level math all to help prepare her for her future medical career. 
Click here to contact us re your own custom portraits. 
Her freshman year she began pursuing a track in highschool that would set her up for a heavy focus on the maths and sciences. She completed an internship at a nursing home. Had it not been for Covid-19 she would have had an internship at Med Star as well. 
The above portrait Priya has entitled ‘my reaction when the Crispy Cream hot sign is on!’
I asked Priya what has drawn her to the medical field and she said she loves everything about it. Her mom, who is Priya’s hero, says she has known she wanted to be a physician since she was only 3 or 4 years old. Most significantly for Priya, a driving force is her love for helping people and the fascination with how the brain works and affects our behavior. 
Click here to contact us re your own custom portraits. 
Oh what a work of art Priya is in these set ups! One of my personal goals is that my JDP senior girls would envision themselves hanging in a museum display as the work of art they are. Our fine art show featuring our JDP seniors, was supposed to happen this fall, celebrating our 10 year studio anniversary. Unfortunately, like so many things in life, has been postponed due to Covid-19.
Priya’s desire to be a physician has been encouraged by several family members in the medical field as well who have been cheering her on all along the way. She has her eyes on the prize to study at George Washington, Maryland, Penn State or NYU. Any of these schools would be lucky to have such a dedicated and gracious student as herself.
Oh how I adore creating a fine art piece like this for my JDP seniors…
Priya has a bit of an old soul in her. Likely that is partially attributed to losing her dad to a car accident when she was only 4 years old. Her mom is white and Priya’s dad was Indian. He was the bridge between the cultures for their family as they lived together in a large extended family home. While her dad was alive it was a wonderful situation and the families thrived. However, after her dad’s death, the bridge was no longer there binding the two cultures, so Priya and her sister and mom had to move out from the extended Indian family to establish their own home.
Click here to contact us re your own custom portraits. 
Despite tensions and navigating tricky dynamics after the death of her father, Priya and her sister still went to stay with their beloved grandmother every other weekend. Cultural boundaries, combined with grieving the loss of a child, made it very challenging to keep this bond going. However, Priya’s mom knew it was important for her girls to embrace the Indian side of their heritage, even if it meant she could no longer be a part.
Priya is also an accomplished Bharatnatym dancer, which is classic Indian dance. It’s her favorite thing in the world to do and she’s been doing just that since she was 4 years old. She loves telling stories via dance. Typically children start their training at 6 or 7, but Priya’s teacher saw something in her and wanted her to start her early. 
The training goes beyond learning the dance moves. Students study the history of Indian culture and religion so they understand what they are expressing via dance. They also write lyrics and translate them to further their understanding. Priya loves that she can pour herself into this pursuit of ‘flawless’ presentations (which was how her dance teacher described her and admittedly a word she never uses).
Click here to contact us re your own custom portraits. 
Last summer Priya had her graduation demonstrating she was a master level Bharatnatym dancer. She performed a 3 hour solo dance to the delight of her audience. These master level graduation ceremonies are a milestone in the Indian culture, complete with musicians flown in from India to perform along side her.
One downside to being a passionate pursuer of excellence in all Priya lays her hands to, is sometimes she pushes herself too hard. She developed tendonitis in her knees from all her additional training to perform flawlessly for her graduation ceremony. She’s currently in PT and and expects to rejoin the professional dance team that she performs with around the state now that she has graduated. She currently zooms in to join training sessions for her hand and facial expressions while her knees are healing. 
She also plays tennis at Sherwood High where she attends and teaches tennis camp at a local country club. 
Priya, you were an absolute joy and delight! Your kindness and gentle demeanor, combined with your incredible work ethic, will make you a blessing to your future clients and all fortunate enough to do life with you! 
