Odessa High School senior Akshathh Mukkera has achieved the elite designation of National Merit Finalist.
The 17 year old plans to attend Rice University in Houston next fall.
“I really love the campus and the atmosphere of it being nice with trees in the middle of the big city. I like the atmosphere and I liked some of the professors I met. I went there on tour,” Mukkera said.
Before he and his family moved to Odessa, they lived in Hyderabad, India, Gainesville, Fla., Philadelphia, Pa., and Tupelo, Miss.
In Tupelo, Mukkera went to Elvis Presley’s old high school, which was a middle and high school back then. He was immersed in Elvis lore.
Mukkera said he was pleased to be named a National Merit Finalist.
“I was glad that my essay was well received by them, that they believed in the cause that I was working toward, which is improving access to health care in rural areas …,” he said.
He added that he liked that other people had the same beliefs as he did.
Mukkera had to write personal statements for all of his college applications.
Finalist status makes Mukkera eligible for scholarships from universities and ones that corporations sponsor.
Mukkera is considered an international student so he said the government doesn’t cover anything, so it’s nice to have the National Merit scholarship designation.
He added that he feels a sense of camaraderie making National Merit status because he has several friends who live in different places that also made it.
“A lot of my friends, not here but in Mississippi did it, too. And it was something that we’d always planned. Hey, no matter where we move, we’ll all do this. We’ll all make it to finalists,” Mukkera said.
A previous group of seniors had also accomplished National Merit status so Mukkera and his friends had to try also. There were about 10 total students that made the deal and about four friends in Mississippi and Mukkera got it.
Mukkera said he has a younger sister who is now trying to steal his books to read them.
Both of his parents are physicians.
“I want to thank my parents and my teachers for always supporting me and for always showing me the right way to do things and keeping me focused on the right track,” he said.
At Rice, Mukkera plans to study biochemistry and go to medical school. He wants to pursue either dermatology or orthopedics.
“Those were the two I went to see people do,” he added.
“I went to MCH and looked at that, went to a couple of private clinics and saw some doctors working in those fields. … I saw a total knee replacement done. (It) was just hammering the artificial knee in … It was interesting. It’s a lot of physical effort to get someone to accept a new knee,” he said.
Mukkera said it won’t stick without hammering it in.
Mukkera is an International Baccalaureate student, plays tennis, serves as treasurer of the National Honor Society and teaches Sunday School at the Hindu Association of West Texas in Midland.
OHS Principal Mauricio Marquez said he is extremely proud of Mukkera’s achievement. The district Advanced Academics Department said Mukkera is the first finalist since 2014.
“It’s an amazing accomplishment to be selected as a National Merit Finalist. What separates Akshathh from other students is his determination and perseverance to his academic studies. Not only is he enrolled in our most rigorous advanced classes, but he is also involved in tennis along with other organizations on campus. I wish him the best in all of his future endeavors and look forward to his many accomplishments,” Marquez said.
