Lawrence High School senior earns special honor

Lawrence High School social studies teacher Stephen Sullivan wants to know how senior Krishana Raghubeer juggles such a busy life.

Sullivan, a teacher for 31 years, marvels at how Raghubeer, a student in his social science research seminar since 10th grade, does high-level research, serves as general chair of the high school’s Model Congress, is editor in chief of the school’s award-winning newspaper, tutors chemistry students during the school year and in the summer, is a data entry clerk at her father’s accounting office along with a busy family life. “I will never know,” Sullivan said, “but this project is truly remarkable.”

Raghubeer wanted to learn how students’ behavior, as it relates to their academic achievement, affects their social status. Her project, “Ethnicity Differences in Strategic Presentation of Academic Performance and Effort in High School: Links to Popularity and Popularity Goals,” was evaluated by a panel of three judges from the Eastern Psychology Association (who did not know the identity of the people who submitted projects).

The judges were impressed, and selected her findings for presentation at the prestigious association’s convention at the Park Plaza Hotel in Boston March 13-16. Raghubeer will be the first high school student to make a presentation to the organization, in the same session as upper-level undergraduate college students as well as graduate and post-doctoral students, and a few university junior faculty members, Sullivan said.

“It’s amazing. I did work hard on my project, but I never expected it to be honored among the works of the East Coast’s top psychologists,” said Raghubeer, who was named a semifinalist in the Siemens Competition in Math, Science & Technology last October and is waiting to learn her status in the Intel Science Talent Search competition. “But nothing is impossible with the support of my mentors — Dr. Stephen Sullivan and Dr. Joan Zook of SUNY Geneseo — who have guided me every step of the way.”