National Honor Society President. Editor-in-Chief of The Beacon. Mrs. Carlson’s Secretary. A member of two school-based competition teams. A fellow of non-profit organization PressPassNYC. The list sure goes on for Senior Athena Vishudanand, as she simply does it all.

As a junior, Athena competed in Moot Court and Mock Trial in Mrs. Carlson’s senior law class. As a senior, she will compete again and is a part of the We the People’s 2024-2025 team, two major competition teams here at Forest Hills High School. Alongside these major academic accomplishments, she is President of National Honor Society, Editor-in-Chief of The Beacon, and taking two AP courses.

But how does this academic superweapon get it all done and still maintain sanity? “I use my lunch period and sacrifice sleep,” Athena shares. Her academic accomplishments are extremely impressive and she has made life-long connections with those around her.

Jasleen Rodriguez has known Athena Vishudanand throughout elementary, middle, and high school. “I have seen her become a lot more social [and] interact with more people. I was not that close to her so I can’t confirm this as a fact, [but] when she was younger, she was a bit afraid to talk with new people but now she has taken up more leadership roles.” She has adapted to each responsibility maturely and flawlessly.

Ms. McDermott, Adviser for The Beacon, has known Athena since she was a freshman in her English Honors class. She shares her excitement upon learning Athena joined The Beacon in 2023. “She makes my job easier,” she says. “There will be a chunk of my heart missing when Athena graduates but I know she will be successful no matter what she does.”

The consensus among staff and students is the same across the board. Mrs. Carlson, FHHS’ Law Academy Coordinator says, “The most important place that she has impressed me was in Moot Court last year, when she was able to stand up as a junior and defend an issue before a mock supreme court. She is a powerhouse.” 

Sophomore Ameera Vishudanand, Athena’s younger sister shares her perspective, on a personal level. “She is really helpful. She gives you a straightforward answer. I wanna have her grades and follow in her footsteps.” This year, the two are both journalists for The Beacon, members of the same class for the first time.

As Assistant Editor-in-Chief of The Beacon last year, Athena’s mentor was Salma Baksh.

“She was an amazing role model to have. She would constantly tell me to connect with your staff.”

Athena has finally reached the beginning of the end of her high school career. As the first member spotlight for Beings of The Beacon, she’d like the next editor-in-chief with a piece of advice: “Connect with your staff and have a good relationship with your adviser. Ms. McDermott is an amazing advisor to have.”