Oxford High School’s Commencement Ceremony will take place on May 19 at the Sandy and John Black Pavillion on the campus of the University of Mississippi. The Oxford High School Class of 2023 announces its top three students: Keerthin Karthikeyan, William Berry, and Aidan Sullivan.
Keerthin Karthikeyan
Karthikeyan leads the Class of 2023 with a 4.76 GPA and plans to attend the University of Mississippi Honors College, where he will triple major in Biology, Public Policy Leadership, and International Studies, focusing on French.
His extensive list of academic achievements includes National Merit Finalist status, 4x consecutive International Science & Engineering Fair Finalist, a silver medal in the Genius Olympiad International Science Fair, recipient of the Regeneron Biomedical Science Award, NASA Earth System Science Award, Ricoh Sustainable Development Award for Technical Innovation, Junior Water Prize from SIWI Stockholm, USA Early Inventor Prize from the Lemelson Foundation for the Development of an Outstanding Invention, and NOAA’s Taking the Pulse of the Planet Award. He is also on BroadCOM Master’s Top 300 Scholars list.
He is a State Superintendent’s Student Advisory Council member and a Student Ambassador to Mississippi’s Secretary of State, Michael Watson. He is a graduate of the Lott Leadership program and Junior Leadership Lafayette.
He attributes his academic success to his parents who “encouraged the idea of a servant leader by being two servant leaders in the community. They encouraged me to walk through life in a way that helps as many people as I can. Most importantly, they inspired me to transform losses into victories and disadvantages into advantages.”
Keerthin is the son of Premalatha Balachandran and Karthikeyan Rathinavelu.
William Berry
Berry is graduating with a 4.73 GPA and plans to attend Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut. He plans to study Environmental Science and Philosophy, hoping to make a difference through environmental justice.
Berry’s leadership in Speech and Debate and Mock Trial teams led him to qualify for multiple national tournaments. Additionally, Berry has spent significant time in environmental research on water quality throughout high school. Berry has been recognized by the Society for Science, NASA, and National Geographic for his work. Berry won the Mississippi Stockholm Junior Water Prize competition- an international competition that recognizes students for scientific research that solves major water challenges.
Berry attributes his academic success to his family and his teachers, Coach Baughman and Mrs. Wiltcher, who “were influential and always taught me something beyond the material.”
Berry is the son of Stephanie and Will Berry.
Aidan Sullivan
Sullivan is graduating with a 4.71 GPA and will be attending Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire. He plans to study Engineering Sciences or Engineering Physics with a concentration in Electrical and Computer Engineering while minoring in either Spanish or Japanese.
Sullivan is a National Merit Finalist with a Gold Seal of Biliteracy in Japanese and Spanish. His extensive list of high school accomplishments includes raising $2000 for the OHS Chess Club, placing 1st in the U18 section at the National Junior Chess Congress in Orlando, FL, placing 2nd in the Tennessee Open Amateurs (2022) & Mississippi Scholastic State Championship (2023), competed in the K-12 National HS Chess Championship in Washington DC, the first-ever national chess competition with OHS representation. He has participated in the Bowling team for four years with a 289 personal high and a 729 series high, placed 2nd in the MS State Youth Pepsi Tournament. Sullivan is a 2x State Finalist and 1x National Qualifier for Science Bowl, Science Olympiad Co-Captain.
Aidan’s greatest influence on his academic success is his mother. “Her remarkable resilience through the years has inspired me to put in an equal effort of drive and work ethic toward my personal endeavors while maintaining the utmost integrity.”
Aidan is the son of Shino Sullivan.
Courtesy of the OSD
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