Meet Riya!

[Riya WHSB]

Hey everyone! I’m Riya. I am a straight-A+ student at Westwood Schools. My parents came from India and have assimilated into the American culture, so I am a mix of American and Indian culture. I would like to go into the medical field one day, and I work really hard to accomplish my goal. Aside from working hard and studying, I like to hang out with my friends, travel, and draw.

My hobbies, as I said previously, are hanging out with my friends, travelling, and drawing.

I love hanging out with my friends because it’s a great way to relax, let go of everything, and just have some fun. My friends are the best. They always have my back, and they never cease to make me laugh. They understand who I am and have no problem with it. I love them all so much.

Travelling is another one of my favorite hobbies. I have been to many countries in the world such as India, Canada, Singapore, Malaysia, Australia and the U.A.E. Places I have been to within the United States are New York, Las Vegas, California, Colorado, and many more. Next summer, I will most likely go tour Europe and Alaska. I love travelling because all countries are unique in their own way, and I like the look and feel of each country. I also learn about other cultures when I travel, and it is an unforgettable experience each time I go to a new place.

Doodling and drawing are things I do in my free time. I can draw and doodle whatever I want, whenever I want, and it makes me feel like I’m in another whole world. I love to do projects that include drawing because drawing leads to creativity. Usually, I find myself drawing people, flowers, and hearts.

My favorite foods are enchiladas, Mexican pizza, pani puri, pizza, bhel, vada pav, and spaghetti. Basically, I like anything that is spicy or cheesy, or both! As you can see, pretty much all of my favorite foods are either Indian, Mexican, or Italian.  

I do not participate in any sports because I focus mainly on my education, but I like to watch cricket, swimming, and gymnastics. In fact, I went to Australia just to watch cricket. I love cricket because it’s the national sport of India, and it’s interesting. I didn’t understand cricket until I went to Australia because I always watched it on TV and it was confusing, but after seeing it live, I realized it’s a wonderful and thrilling sport. I’ve always enjoyed swimming. I learned how to swim when I was about two and a half or three years old. Ever since, I’ve loved the water. Gymnastics is so interesting to me because I realize just how amazing our bodies are and how flexible they are. Watching the gymnasts fascinates me and I realize how hard they work to form these figures with their bodies. Gymnastics and swimming were the two sports I watched the most during the Olympics of 2012.

Starting in 10^th grade, I have at least five or six hours of homework every weekend, so a part of my weekend goes into that. In my free time, I love to hang out with my friends. I also love to attend Indian ceremonies and celebrations. Usually on the weekends, my family and I go out to eat. Oh, and I also love to do my toenails on the weekends!

My favorite types of movies are romantic, dramatic, and comedy. I do not really prefer action movies unless they have some romance in them. Many Indian movies are romantic, so I love Indian movies more than American ones. I have so many favorite Indian movies, and there’s no way I can name them all, but some are Om Shanti Om, Dostana, and Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham. My favorite American movies include The Last Song, Just Go With It, and 21 Jump Street. 

I don’t really have a preference for music. I like all music, as long as I can understand it. Indian music is my favorite, of course, but I don’t have a favorite artist considering that most Indian songs come from movies. Overall, my favorite artists are One Direction (Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Liam Payne, Harry Styles, and Louis Tomlinson), Taylor Swift, and Shreya Goshal. “What Makes You Beautiful” is my favorite song by One Direction because it’s a feel-good song for all girls. I like pretty much all of Taylor Swift’s songs because they relate to a typical teen girl’s life. One example is “Sparks Fly.” Shreya Ghoshal is an Indian artist who has sung numerous songs. “Teri Meri” is one of her songs. She is one of my favorites because she has such a beautiful voice, and she can make any song a beautiful piece.

One thing that people find unusual about me is that I’m a vegetarian. The closest thing I eat to meat are eggs, and that’s probably how it’s going to stay the rest of my life. 

[Vicki Davis]

I love your introduction video. You might want to move it towards the top so people see it. I also wish you could pick a different thumbnail. You did a great job. The part at the end with the graphics and narration is my favorite. Great job!!