The Montville Township High School [MTHS] Class of 2024 Salutatorian is Aarav Mulinti.
The senior said he was somewhat surprised to learn that he was awarded the Salutatorian opportunity to speak before his peers at the MTHS graduation ceremony.
“I worked hard in high school,” Mulinti explained, “but I was never really sure where that stood in the context of the entire class. It was a nice opportunity to be able to speak to the entire graduating class during our ceremony.”
Mulinti, whose favorite subjects are Physics and Spanish, is a very involved member of the class of 2024 and in the community. The graduate will attend the University of Pennsylvania in the fall and major in Computer Science.
“I want to help develop machine learning technology after college,” Mulinti said. “And, hopefully rise as a leader in the corporate world to advance our ever-changing day-to-day lives. I want to specifically work in technology that can grow even more adaptable to people’s preferences to improve both marketing and the market of products offered to them by corporations.”
The Salutatorian’s goals are in-line with his many MTHS extracurricular activities.
“My favorite memory of attending school in the Montville Township Public Schools [MTPS] district is being able to compete with our school’s FBLA [Future Business Leaders of America] Chapter at the National Leadership Conference in Atlanta,” noted Mulinti.
The competition took place in the summer after Mulinti’s junior year. Mulinti and his team placed 2nd in the Nation.
“It was amazing to receive 2nd Place in the Nation in the E-Business event, with two of my friends” Mulinti said. “It demonstrated a year’s worth of hard work for FBLA.”
Mulinti and his team also placed 1st in New Jersey in their FBLA E-Business category.
In addition to FBLA, Mulinti participated in MTHS Forensics [Speech and Debate].
“I’ll miss the communities I found within groups like Forensics and FBLA,” the Class of 2024 Salutatorian explained. “I always enjoyed staying after school or doing work for these groups, even with a ton of homework still to be done, because it meant more fulfilling experiences with my friends.”
Mulinti credits the vibrant and supportive environment MTHS provides for extracurricular activities that helped him to develop communication and networking skills.
“These groups allowed me to achieve excellence in leadership and competition, while meeting new people in cities nationwide,” Mulinti said.
“The most valuable lesson I learned, Mulinti continued, “is not to be afraid to communicate, especially when asking questions.”
The message of communication became the theme of Mulinti’s graduation speech.
“I grew my confidence in communicating with teachers and peers to stay engaged in the classroom,” explained Mulinti when talking about the most important thing he learned at MTHS. “Whenever I was confused, I never stopped myself from asking questions. I am a huge proponent of the saying ‘There’s no such thing as a bad question.’ Not being afraid to communicate also led to many new friendships with people not just from MTHS, but around the state and country. These people are friends and mentors that made my high school experience more memorable.”
Indeed, Mulinti’s ability to communicate, to meet others through questions and brainstorming, provided him with exceptional state and national opportunities during his MTHS career. Not only did he and his team reach 2nd Place in the Nation and 1st Place in NJ for FBLA E-Business, but Mulinti served as the NJ FBLA State Webmaster, MTHS FBLA Chapter President, and former MTHS Chapter Webmaster. Additionally he achieved a National Leadership Conference Qualification. As a member of the MTHS Speech and Debate, Mulinti was awarded 17th Place Nationally in Big Questions Debate and NCFL [National Catholic Forensic League -- speech and debate league] Grand National Tournament Qualification. He also served terms as the Vice President and Treasurer of Speech and Debate. Through the MTHS Computer Club, Mulinti is a 2X CyberStart America Scholar and a Next Gen Personal Finance Payback Challenge Scholarship recipient. Only 40 out of a 1000 receive the nationally recognized Payback Scholarship. Mulinti served as President and Vice President of the Computer Club.
In addition to MTHS activities Mulinti has also volunteered on local, national, and international initiatives. He is a Sewa International, North Jersey Chapter, Team Monitor who has led over 25 restoration efforts in parks, national reserves, and rivers in NJ and New York, and who has tutored and conducted yard work to raise over $5,000 to promote hygiene by building bathrooms in India. Sewa is a non-profit organization that provides disaster response and other support around the globe.
Mulinti is also the Co-Founder, Captain, and Lead Programmer of the FIRST Tech Challenge Robotics Team #16367. Among the many accomplishments for this team, Mulinti has created opportunities that have impacted 3,000+ students by conducting 120+ local, national, and international outreach sessions, covering engineering principles, programming in Scratch, Java, Python, and Computer-Aided Design.
When asked what he thinks others should know about MTHS and MTPS, Mulinti said, “The support MTHS and MTPS provide for all its programs is unheard of. Our extracurriculars and athletic programs alike are given opportunities to allow their students to pursue their goals. Students need to take advantage of that during their time here. Opportunities always exist, but they will rarely be hand-fed to you. The drive to get those opportunities needs to come from within you.”
The 53rd Annual MTHS Graduation Ceremony was held on June 20, 2024. Communication was the theme of Mulinti’s address.
“I felt like a pinball my freshman year,” Mulinti told the Class of 2024 at the Graduation Ceremony. “Without that many responsibilities, I bounced around with randomness in an extremely simple routine, and I didn’t know how to change it. […] Not really knowing where to look to find things to do, I asked some upperclassmen friends about clubs to join. At their guidance, I joined MTHS Forensics […] to me, it was a step in the darkness […] however, each day was finally a little different, and my routine became less mundane.”
That step into “the darkness” became a beacon for Mulinti that helped to structure his high school career.
“Finally, out of the chaos came a defined path with direction,” Mulinti explained, “almost as if one were sculpting a statue from a block of stone. […] This transformation, for a lack of a better word, originated from interacting with those around me and asking questions about potential opportunities.”
Mulinti encouraged his classmates to practice listening, noting that listening is an important part of communication.
“The key to our communication,” Mulinti said when sharing that he and his grandparents in India have a language barrier when they talk remotely to one another, “was actually listening, not speaking, because we had to make more of an effort to understand what we were saying to each other. But I don’t think this advice applies to just language barriers. I believe that even if two people speak the same language, taking the time to understand what the other person has to say can be valuable for you, as you can enrich your input to a conversation.”
The MTHS Class of 2024 graduated on June 20, 2024. Two Hundred Seventy-Seven seniors received diplomas at the Ceremony. The entire 53rd Annual MTHS Graduation Ceremony can be viewed on the Montville Township Public Schools YouTube Channel or by visiting www.montville.net/mthsgraduation.
As Salutatorian, Mulinti shared reflections on his experiences throughout the four years the Class of 2024 attended MTHS. As freshmen, these students entered high school at the height of a global pandemic.
“Between meeting new people and taking on new opportunities, we’ve gained a newfound confidence in communicating with those around us,” Mulinti noted as he began his remarks. “This confidence stems from the unique experience we’ve had as a class, as we became creative in staying connected as we transitioned to high school and restored a vibrant learning space at MTHS. […] my goal today is to remind each and every one of us of this potential we have.”
Aarav Mulinti’s entire MTHS Salutatorian speech can be viewed on the Montville Township Public Schools YouTube Channel. A transcript of Mulinti’s Salutatorian speech is published below:
Good evening Class of 2024, faculty, family, and friends. My name is Aarav Mulinti. It is my honor to be speaking to you as the Salutatorian. Honestly, for several days after being informed of both this recognition and responsibility, I reflected on the ways we’ve changed in high school and how it could be a token of advice for everyone here today. This has not been an easy task because our class had a distinct four years here at MTHS. Each grade level was a new journey for us to conquer, and each year’s self-improvement could probably be its own speech.
But, a common theme emerged. Between meeting new people and taking on new opportunities, we’ve gained a newfound confidence in communicating with those around us. This confidence stems from the unique experience we’ve had as a class, as we became creative in staying connected as we transitioned to high school and restored a vibrant learning space at MTHS. In fact, my goal today is to remind each and every one of us of this potential we have.
I felt like a pinball my freshman year. Without that many responsibilities, I bounced around with randomness in an extremely simple routine, and I didn’t know how to change it. Every day, I woke up, attended school, did my homework, maybe went outside for a little bit, and read a book before sleeping, just to do it all over again the next day.
Being new to the school and not really knowing where to look to find things to do, I asked some upperclassmen friends about clubs to join.
At their guidance, I joined MTHS Forensics my freshman year. To me, it was a step in the darkness and more disruptive than anything, with multiple meetings per week and long tournaments on the weekend. However, each day was finally a little different, and my routine became less mundane.
No longer bored, I continued talking to teachers and peers for similar opportunities, which led to my involvement in FBLA and Computer Club. As I moved into junior and senior year, I solidified my roots in clubs I liked the best, which was only possible by trying more than a few at first.
So finally, out of the chaos came a defined path with direction, almost as if one were sculpting a statue from a block of stone. Part of maturing is realizing we don’t have to do everything, but rather put our effort into the few things that are important to us. Maybe I’m still the pinball I was in freshman year. But this time, I have more control over the bumpers and I can tell where to aim and what to avoid.
This transformation, for a lack of a better word, originated from interacting with those around me and asking questions about potential opportunities.
Even in class, it was always a persistence to ask, ask, and ask again about anything I found confusing, which may or may not have been a LOT of things. In fact, I’ve apologized numerous times when I felt that persistence was annoying. But I’ve found that our amazing educators at MTHS appreciate curiosity and encourage it more than anything. In such a receptive environment, questions can be your greatest asset, and they can come naturally as you build communication skills.
And I feel like we all started out confused and slightly directionless. Yet, the people we have met here have shaped our personalities, our values, and our aspirations. Life is a social game, and we’ve found our way using the guidance of many people in our daily lives. Not being afraid to ask for help is a crucial part of self-improvement, and our four years here have proved that.
Although each of us played our part in creating an increasingly more connected class over the last 4 years, we had our own individual journeys to get there. I can’t leave here today without showing how I learned to communicate with others on my journey, and hopefully it's something you are able to use as well. And it's captured in a story of me and my grandparents.
With them living in Hyderabad, India, there is normally a 7,904-mile distance between us. To make up for it, we frequently call each other on WhatsApp. Through all of our conversations, we overcome the language barrier between us. Over the years, as they learned English and I learned my mother tongue, Telugu, our conversations became smoother. Learning our respective languages, we could understand each other better and improve the quality and depth of our conversations.
The key to our communication was actually listening, not speaking, because we had to make more of an effort to understand what we were saying to each other. But I don’t think this advice applies to just language barriers. I believe that even if two people speak the same language, taking the time to understand what the other person has to say can be valuable for you, as you can enrich your input to a conversation.
Before I continue, huge shoutout to my grandparents who came all the way here for our graduation ceremony. To Nanamma and Tatha, Prem isssthu nanu, which means I love you, in Telugu.
These conversations enabled me to interact with others in and out of school. That ability is within us as a class - we need to continue using and building upon it. Especially as you move closer into the real world, you’ll meet more and more people along the way. Touch the lives of as many people as possible. Your communication skills can be used for sharing the positive things you’ve learned too, not just learning. You will extend your family of friends, and most importantly, create more fulfilling memories for you to enjoy with them.
Finally, I recognize that this journey could not be done alone. I want to thank the administration at MTHS for their tremendous support of academic and athletic programs. Their ability to provide opportunities for students is crucial in the first step of taking them. Thank you to the counseling department and my counselor, Ms. McCloskey, as well. My schedule was well organized during all my time here, and I became well-versed in the college admissions process. Thank you to Señora Przetak, Mr. Queen, Mr. Farro, Dr. Glanville, and Mrs. Fuhrmann, and all my teachers for putting up with me in class. I know I ask a lot of questions, whether it be over email or in person, but I hope they help make the class more engaging rather than annoying.
To the custodial staff, you guys are no joke. Although over 1,000 people are in school every day, we can enjoy a clean and safe environment, even after school is over for people staying for clubs and sports.
To my friends, thank you for making school a place I wanted to be. The hardest classes became enjoyable, and we’ve created memories to last a lifetime.
And finally, to Mom, Dad, Anisha, Nanamma and Tatha, thank you for your support throughout my time in school…and waking me up every day. And I don’t mean just high school, but every year of my life. I believe that your emphasis on self-improvement created a low-pressure environment where you never had to know my grades, hence why I don’t think you’ve ever logged into Genesis or knew what the password was, but that’s a good thing because it pushed me to motivate myself from within. And everything in terms of my career was up to me. The only ask was that I put my effort into anything I did, and four years later, I hope I’ve made you proud.
To the class of 2024, a chapter of our lives is over. And yes, there is a new one coming. We don’t know what may lay ahead. But with that being said, don’t be afraid of the unknown. Next year, you will be in a more independent setting, and the drive to further your own goals will need to come from within. I encourage you to interact with others, ask questions, and take chances on opportunities, all of which is possible because of your experiences here. And if you are ever feeling lost, reflect on the memories you made here at MTHS, the people you met, and the person you’ve become. As you are figuring out who you are, maybe you can answer…what’s next? I wish you the best of luck on your journeys, and make sure to appreciate each moment of them as they come. Roll Stangs.