The bell rang, signaling the beginning of the ‘15-16 KHS school year. Students throughout the campus sat down and prepared to begin classwork. Among them was Daniel David, then sophomore, who just moved to Kirkwood from Nashville, TN. According to David, his became less anxious as he stepped into his science class, where his longtime passion for the subject provided comfort at his new school.

“I’ve had an interest in science since I was younger,” David said. “I’ve always had this yearning or this need to know about something like rockets, so science has always intrigued me.”

According to David, he has had little trouble with classes such as chemistry and biology. Throughout his time at KHS, David’s passion for science grew into an interest in medicine, which had, by senior year, inspired him to take a pre-med program in India. Even though he has completed his graduation requirements, there are still further hurdles for him to overcome in the pursuit of a degree overseas.

“The moment I go back to India I have to take a national exam,” David said. “[You have to take it] in order to get listed to be put into the [system] and allowed to go to college there. Until I do that, I can’t completely decide where I’m going next year.”

According to David, his ability at grasping science concepts quickly has made studying the subject something that he wanted to do later in life. While becoming a doctor takes a long time, motivation from teachers such as Dr. Amy Barker, English teacher, keeps him focused on getting there.

“I think that all students do better when there’s a natural point of engagement,” Barker said. “With Daniel, his ability to pick topics means the world to him because it means that he was already motivated to get working on it, which is something he can apply later in life.”

After his three years at KHS, Daniel said that his friends in particular have coached him to where he is now. His goals did not come as a surprise to peers such as Leondre Clay, senior, who watched him grow as a student since he arrived at KHS.

“I knew he wanted to become a doctor,” Clay said. “He’s a smart person and he tries hard in every possible way he can. He can make a joke, but then the teacher can ask him a question about what they were talking about and he can give them the correct answer.”

David said he does not attribute his academic successes to his work ethic, parents or teachers, but rather to following the path God has told him to follow. Even though he understands that his religious beliefs may differ from others, he gives the same message whenever someone questioning their future approaches him.

“Everyone has certain interests in life,” David said. “If they find something that suits them, and they don’t want to do it, I guess they’re just lazy. All I can say is that, whatever you like, you should just keep grinding towards [it]. Think of getting somewhere someday that you like and trust the process.”