Highschool is a very long and strenuous experience; a time for teenagers to find themselves. Only a select few survive intact, one of them being Nickolas Manipud, a 2017 Heritage graduate.

  Nikolas describes Heritage as an experience that helped him through academically. He hadn’t anticipated that advice from teachers and preparatory classes would later come in handy. Now he says they are finally shining through, becoming useful in college.

  “I feel like Heritage really challenged me academically and helped me prepare for classes in college. A lot of the tidbits of advice that my teachers were trying to teach me are starting to make a lot of sense now and are becoming more and more relevant. So remember to thank your teachers!” said Manipud.

  Currently enrolled in UCLA, Manipud is Majoring in Microbiology. Heavily influenced by Mrs Peddie in AP Biology, he found himself genuinely interested in a subject for the first time.

  “Taking AP Biology with Peddie had a huge role in deciding my major. I asked a lot of questions for the sake of learning because it was the first class that I had a genuine interest in,” said Manipud.

  Becoming a stressed and sleep-deprived senior at Heritage often lead to unhealthy habits. He is trying his best to overcome them now. Over the summer before his Freshman year of college Manipud organized his thoughts and put together a list.

  “I kept a list of things in my mind that I would do right off the bat when starting college so that I could learn in a healthy, more efficient way. So far, I’ve done really well with that. The classes at UCLA are definitely harder than Heritage classes, but I’m managing them a lot better. I’m actually getting sleep now!”, said Manipud

  The hardships of college have challenged Manipud mentally, but he believes it is all for the best.

  “A lot of ups and downs. I’ve faced disappointment. I’ve struggled with classes. However, I’ve grown from those experiences. I feel like college always throws new problems in your face but getting through them will teach you things that will truly help you for a lifetime!” said Manipud.

 From being apart of the pit band in the theater production of Spamalot and messing around with the fun-loving tennis team, Manipud has created many good memories at heritage. Although now he’s away in college at UCLA and misses those heritage memories, he is learning and having the experiences of a lifetime.