No matter what lies ahead of them, Christian Rotter and Priya Rabadia are certain of one thing: they are determined to make life better for others.
Outstanding students and community leaders, the Auburn Mountainview High School graduates from the Class of ’16 vow to practice excellence in pursuit of their grand goals.
Rotter is destined for Western Washington University, where he will explore the academic possibilities and maybe study business. A gifted athlete, he will play soccer for the Vikings.
Energetic, carefree and driven, Rotter is passionate about doing wonders for others, whether it may mean one day building a school for a country half a world away or bringing relief to those resurrecting their blighted neighborhood.
“I know I don’t want to sit in a cubicle all day behind a computer. I want to be out in the community or traveling, helping people, one way or the other,” Rotter said. “I want to help others, give them the same opportunity that I’ve been given in my 18 years of living, to make themselves the best that they can be.”
Rabadia has the same outlook. She is off to the University of Washington, where she will study bio engineering with aspirations to go to medical or dental school.
Her heart is in medicine, her mission is personal. Her dad, Rekha, an electrical engineer for Boeing, has diabetes.
“I want to find a cure for those diseases,” Rabadia said. “It’s hard to find cures today with the high costs of health care … with everything rising … and to me, it’s a career to where you are making a difference in somebody’s life every day. That’s what I believe in.”
Rabadia follows her sister, Soniya, an Auburn Mountainview graduate and third-year student in the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine. “She’s a huge inspiration to me,” Rabadia said.
Rabadia draws strength from her mom, Viral, an accountant, her friends, teachers and staff at school, notably Prinicipal Terri Herren and instructors Steven Calhoun, Dustin Hedger, Kirsten Gravning, Tori Ammons and Eric Arnold.
At Auburn Mountainview, Rabadia matured as a well-rounded student. She was president of the National Honor Society, and was involved in sports medicine, the mult-cultural club, Key Club, and the Lion Crew mentorship program.
“It was real motivating. I enjoyed being here,” she said.
Rotter, the son of schoolteachers Stephanie and Dan Rotter, flourished in class and on the field.
An honors student, he served as student body vice president and the leader of a soccer team that went to state. On the pitch he was the league’s most valuable player who broke the school’s single-season assists record.
In cross country, Rotter qualified for the state in each of his four years with the Lions, finishing as high as 16th in Pasco his junior season. He also was a part of the Lions’ basketball team that reached the state playoffs last season.
He found time to mentor and work with kids in his mom’s second-grade classroom at Millennium Elementary School.
Delivering a kind gesture or extending a helping hand is what it’s all about.
“I don’t like to see other people not having a good day, or see them in a bad mood or hurting others,” Rotter said. “I genuinely like to put a smile on other people’s faces. I’m happy when other people are happy.”
Rotter embraced his high school years.
“It was amazing. I couldn’t imagine going to another high school and having a better experience,” he said. “Everyone was so nice, so welcoming. They were always encouraging, challenging you to do better with who you are and what you do.”
