Tentatively stepping onto the synthetic turf, I scan my surroundings: kids flood the playground, screaming in bursts of joy as they chase one another across the landscape. Amidst the chaos, a classmate comes up to me. At that instant, my uneasiness with my new school dissolved and was replaced by bright laughter, big smiles, and unending amusement. This was my first memory at Keystone, when I met Meghal Keshav. 

Meghal has been a part of Keystone School since Pre-K 4, as a part of Keystone Little School’s first class. Over the past 12 years, she has become a cornerstone of the Class of 2026. Having been elected to the Student Council for all four years in high school, Meghal has dedicated a significant amount of time behind the scenes in school spirit events. She enjoys having a say in events like Halloween, helping curate the events so that the student body has the best possible experience. Her work in Student Council is particularly important, as the academic rigor of classes can be particularly challenging, making school events a vital part of promoting the wellbeing of students. This past year, she has contributed to the club as a marketer, promoting participation in spirit events through designing fliers and sending reminders to students through electronic messages. Meghal has also been a part of Wellness Council and is a member of Youth Advocacy, through which she explores her interest in mental health and cognitive sciences. In Wellness Council, she leads student activities meant to promote healthy lifestyle, mindset, and academic practices. Similarly, in Youth Advocacy, Meghal learns about advocacy, policy, and student health, as well as participating in local health awareness events through the club. 

Her interests branch out from just mental health, however, as she is a part of Yearbook Club as a Senior Editor, contributing photography from school events as well as helping design this year’s Yearbook concept. In her free time, she enjoys expressing her creativity through colorful journal spreads and well-composed photography as well as playing Persona 5 Royal, her favorite game. For the past two years she has also been a dedicated member of the Softball club, even during the club’s dissolution last season. She looks forward to having an actual season this year and building her skills as well as her relationship with her team. In the same vein, she values spending time with her friends and family, stating “I talk with my family–especially Akash, my brother–a lot.” The importance Meghal places on building quality relationships has garnered her reputation as a kind, reliable, and dedicated friend and classmate. 

As much of a role as she has played as a student at Keystone, she recalls multiple memories from the school that she will remember for years to come. In particular, being able to finally prepare the Valentine’s Day festivities for the whole school meant a lot to her. She recalls the event as always being one of her favorite school traditions, and although the preparation process was very stressful, she had a lot of fun contributing to the social scene at Keystone. In a similar vein, she also will remember the supportive community at Keystone. Keystone has a strong emphasis on academics, so the fact that there is also an open and lenient mental health culture means a lot to Meghal. She appreciates how teachers and students alike are open to discussing mental health. Her belief in this necessity for academic environments to include mental health resources also is what drove her to research mental health access and health equity in her junior year through her Stonecatcher passion project. 

In college, Meghal hopes to study psychology and develop her interest in cognitive studies as well as explore her interests in dancing, which she regrets leaving behind in ninth grade. Meghal finds the human brain fascinating, believing its complexity to be a starting point for exciting discovery and understanding. I can attest to this passion, as I have heard firsthand her enthusiasm for the interesting ways our subconscious works and her empathy as she helps others work through their feelings. Further, she is also dedicated to dancing, spending time outside of school improving her skills and building connections with others who share her interest in the sport. In every way, she embodies someone who seeks to reinvent themselves and the world around them, a trait which I continuously find admirable.

As she continues in her educational, and life, journey, I am confident that–with her empathetic capacity, enthusiasm for her interests, and overwhelming consideration for everything around her–she will reach out to others, just as she did for me, and make the world a finer place.