Anaina Vineeth is a senior at John F. Kennedy Memorial. She is a sweet and kind individual who enjoys a conversation with everyone. With her strong passion for the arts, Vineeth has participated in several school programs like, Women’s Treble Choir, Dance Exchange, and this year’s school play as Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz. Vineeth is set to continue working in journalism when she goes to Boston University in the fall.

You’re in a treble choir. How did music affect you or help you overcome obstacles in your life, and what does music mean to you?

Anaina: Music is my entire life, one way or another. It’s always been a part of my life. I’ve been singing since I was really really young, and music, especially Mr. Casem, he has really opened so many doors for me. This year I was able to participate in all state, and regionals, all eastern and that always been a huge dream of mine ’cause I remember coming to JFK choirs. […] thanks to Mr. Casem and our current choir program, and how much he’s taught us, I’ve been able to do that and it’s been such a cool, eye opening experience. Music is everything honestly. It’s stability. It’s something that I’ve known is always gonna be in my life, whether I’m making music, signing, or listening to it.

What is the biggest difference you see in yourself when comparing your freshman and senior selves?

My ability to not be afraid, to fail, or be bad at something. I feel like I was really scared to do things when I was a freshman because I didn’t wanna hear ‘no’ or feel like I wouldn’t succeed. I’m just more open to my own mistakes now. Even if I’m hard on myself about it, I let myself do it so that I can figure out what I need to be better at and just realizing that you have to be bad before you’re good. That’s always a hard thing. You get anxious to start something because you’re like ‘I don’t wanna be bad it’  but being bad to be good, that the only way to get there.

You’re going to BU this fall, are you nervous about going out of state? What made you solidify your decision in your major and in going there?

Oh yeaaah. It was hard, because I’ve always wanted to go out of state, but then I got to senior year and I was like ‘woah , I’m scared, that’s nerve wracking.’ For me, [going out of state] was one of the biggest driving points was the fact that it’d be the best way to grow up. It’s not that I want to grow up fast, but that it’s important to learn and live on your own and not ‘start over’ but experience what it’s like to be with yourself. I feel like that’s the best way to learn about yourself and in a new environment, that’s somewhat controlled because it is a university but it’s also a city, so you have a lot of freedom. I feel like I can experiment and test my limits and try. BU has great arts programs and I value that a lot. I think I’ll be comfortable there, even if not immediately, I feel like I’ll find my people. Journalism… I didn’t know what I wanted to do for a long time. I was trying to see what the characteristics of a journalist and journalism majors were. I knew I liked talking to people and kinda performative things, like artsy where you can really use your voice in. I’ve also known that I wanted to see tangible change in the things that I do. I wanna know that whatever I’m working in is meaningful. I don’t think I can do a desk job as well as I hope. So I was like ‘yeah journalism is a cool thing,’. Its very new to me, but I’m excited to try it out.

What has been your biggest fear over your high school years and did you overcome it? If so how?

Losing track. High school is so different now and it’s so easy to get on the wrong path and get surrounded by the wrong people and I was like, ‘Okaym I just need to make sure I get out of this as a good person, same person,’ I think we’re good. I think I’m over that.

Have you experienced senioritis? If so, Describe it

Oh yeah. Senioritis, I feel like it’s not even you stop working… I think it’s more that you realize, that everything matters so much less than you think it does. It was a realization that I am gonna live regardless if whether I do “this” or not,or if I do bad. It’s just putting me first.  That’s what senioritis is, just realizing that it is not that deep, never that deep.

Who were the people, or things that you would like to thank for helping, and encouraging you throughout everything?

My friends, my family and my teachers. I feel like people don’t stress enough about how important it is to be friends with your teachers. I learnt that so late. They’re so nice, they’re also human beings, so talking to them has really helped in emotional situations, school situations. Also my friends. Love them. They’re so fun. They’re always there. My family of course, they’re always gonna be this support system to lean back on.