A Heart for Learning

Kanishka Soni says Summerfield Elementary set the foundation for her academic success, and her grandfather’s heart attack inspired her interest in cardiology.  

Before she graduates, Kanishka Soni will get the chance to return to the hallways where her American education began: at Summerfield Elementary. 

It’s where she formed lasting friendships that she treasures to this day. And it’s where one teacher — Robbin Walton — helped set her on the path to academic success. 

Miss Walton was the pioneer who essentially taught me what America was all about,” Soni says. “She taught me everything that I needed to know.” 

Soni will graduate from the STEM Early College at N.C. A&T University, with plans to double major in Business Administration and Human Biology at N.C. State University. 

Her full circle GCS moment culminates with her Senior Walk, a tradition in which graduating seniors walk the halls of their former elementary schools in their caps and gowns to inspire the younger students. For Soni, it’s also a chance to reconnect with her beloved teacher.  

“It’s something I’m really excited about,” she says.  

A Summerfield Start 

Her father’s engineering and technology job brought the Soni family from India to Greensboro in 2016. Soni started Summerfield Elementary as a third-grader just able to speak basic greetings in English. In just 10 years, she’s become a poised public speaker who engages in conversations — in English — comfortably and intelligently. She’s one of those people who can’t help but smile when speaking and answers questions with the energy of someone eager to serve.  

Soni credits Summerfield Elementary as foundational to her development because of its welcoming and inclusive environment. 

“The friends that I made, I’m still friends with to this day. And the teachers I encountered through my third and fourth grade — I still remember the things that they taught me,” Soni says.  

In India, education was more self-guided and based on memorization and recitation, Soni says. Walton didn’t just teach her to read, write and do math, she taught her how to be a critical thinker.  

“Here (in the U.S.), you’re really applying those problem-solving abilities and really getting to understand the problems, rather than just memorizing facts,” she says.  

Soni finished third grade with a couple of C’s and a couple of B’s, but as she moved through the fourth grade, she started earning A’s and B’s. And by fifth grade, she was earning straight A’s and the Presidential Award. She has completed her first two years of college at STEM Early College and will enter N.C. State as a junior. She’s also able to attend at no cost through Park finalist and DECA scholarships. 

She could achieve this because of the extra time Walton spent with her early on. Soni would ask for her help during lunch and recess breaks, and Walton would say, “Yeah. Let’s go.” 

“It was something that I really appreciated,” Soni says. 

Inspiration in India 

When the COVID pandemic forced students to online learning, Soni was in seventh grade. It was a setback because everyone had to adjust to the virtual learning environment, she says. But it was also the year when she discovered what she wanted to pursue as a career. 

It was around that time that her grandfather suffered a heart attack and her family returned to India. During their time there, Soni was exposed to what she believes is her calling: medicine, specifically, cardiology. 

“Getting to be in the environment of a hospital, getting to see my grandfather get treated for his heart conditions, going through the surgery and getting taken care of in the hospital — really ignited that passion in me for medicine and for science itself,” she says. “I essentially became really obsessed with learning how things work around us.”  

She even got the chance to visit the operating room after the surgeon noticed how anxious she was about her grandfather’s surgery. What she observed made a huge impression on her. The operating area wasn’t just a quiet, sterile environment. The surgeon showed her how the machines worked and took time to answer her family’s questions and to reassure them. She heard popular music playing in the background and witnessed people’s interactions while on the job.  

“Getting to see that at such a young age, getting to see how they’re enjoying their jobs and how they were interacting with my grandfather and my family, I think that definitely sparked my interest,” she says.  

Her love for math and science led her to STEM Early College, where the first two years were rigorous, but rewarding. 

“I always like to think of it as a diamond being formed under pressure,” she says.  

Where Health and Business Coincide 

While academics consumed much of Soni’s focus at STEM Early College, she’s made her mark in other areas too. The Sonis are active members of the Triad Hindu Temple, where she tutors younger students in math and science. She’s also an active DECA member and started a chapter at her school. DECA is a global nonprofit organization that prepares high school and college students for careers in marketing, finance, hospitality and management. They learn to write business plans and how to market themselves, as well as engage in competitions. Soni’s leadership with the organization earned her a renewable $20,000 college scholarship.  

Her friends attending Grimsley and Page high schools told her about DECA, which prompted her interest. As a sophomore, she proposed starting a chapter at her own school. Some were initially hesitant because DECA’s business focus didn’t seem to align with STEM. But Soni argued that public speaking and marketing oneself were important. 

“You get to meet and network with other people, and you really get to practice your interviewing and public speaking skills,” Soni says. 

In her chapter’s first year, 23 of their 25 students placed at district competitions. She has also qualified for the International Conference in the entrepreneurship and marketing series.

 The networking and marketing skills she learned through DECA already serves her medical endeavors. Since serving as HOSA (a club for future health professionals) president in her junior and senior years, she has grown membership from 35 to 85 (the school’s total enrollment is just 200 students). Soni also secured extra funding for the program through raising awareness and seeking help from other departments at N.C. A&T.  

Soni says she will rely on these skills as a hospital CEO in an underserved area for patients needing healthcare the most. She already understands that it will require more than a medical degree and surgical expertise to make a bigger difference for more people.  

“I really love networking. I love communicating with people,” she says. “That’s where my business degree would be helpful.” 

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