“Sometimes it could be you,” Mathur said.

Evanya Mathur, a receiver of a full tuition scholarship at Vanderbilt University, attributes her achievement to a balance of grades and extracurriculars.

“I did not submit my AP scores. I don’t feel like I have the best grades in this school, especially in this like highly competitive environment that we foster at Hopkinton.”

Instead, Mathur emphasizes the importance of extracurriculars and passion projects in the college application process.

“Stats matter equally to get you through the door. But it’s your essays and your extracurriculars that are a place of great attention.”

Evanya was an active member of the diversity scene. Her passion began when she entered the Hopkinton school system in 2020.

“There was a lot of talks about how we kind of perceive people of color in Hopkinton, what systems are in place, how were we and how are we propagating certain messages or stereotypes in the classroom.”

Mathur felt inclined to share her opinions through events like the  Hopkinton Freedom Teams initiatives, the Hopkinton Youth Coalition’s initiatives for Substance Abuse, and the Pride Parade.

“I learned a lot from the people around me, you know, who are big in the town, Donal Cotton, Miller, Kathleen Densmore. And so then I kind of took their encouragement and when I started coming in-person to high school. I’m trying to do the same for myself and be a leader.”

Mathur is described by her peers as an amiable and well-spoken person, she brings her passion and leadership qualities into her day-to-day life and extracurriculars.

“She creates a really comfortable atmosphere. And I also feel like she’s really thoughtful with our words and the way she expresses her feelings,” says Roma Tewari, Mathur’s co-captain on the Varsity Tennis Team.

Many of Mathur’s friends deem her ability to balance academics and life as one of her strongest skills

“She’s good at balancing studying and then also going out and having fun,” Lucy Graham, a senior at the high school and Mathur’s close friend, said. 

Evanya also attributes much of her success to her father and her ability to balance many things at once.

“He was very involved in making sure that what I needed to do got done. So keeping me on a good path, especially when you have a lot of distractions”

Mathur encourages people to put themselves out there throughout the scholarship application process. 

“I don’t want people to kind of shy away from applying for big scholarships, because they don’t feel like they have the caliber.”