Akshay Parasuraman of St. Rose Elementary School is a state finalist in the Louisiana Students of the Year Program. This program recognizes students who demonstrate excellence in leadership, service, citizenship and academic achievement.
Parasuraman, a member of St. Rose Elementary’s Talented Art program and Math Academy program for advanced learners, won the school’s Student of the Year award in October. He then earned the title at the parish level in November before advancing through the zone and regional levels and earning a spot as a state finalist.
Maggie Boos, assistant principal of St. Rose Elementary School, said Parasuraman is an exceptional student who consistently earns a spot on the Principal’s List. But what sets him apart, she said, is his sense of responsibility.
“He takes ownership of his studies in a way that is truly superior for a fifth grader,” she said. “The words commitment and dedication come to mind, but they honestly feel like an understatement for what Akshay puts into his studies each and every day.”
Boos said Parasuraman’s resume allows him to stand out from the pack.
He is a member of the Parish Choir and serves as a class leader in the International Tamil Academy Language program.
“Particularly noteworthy on Akshay’s resume was a significant amount of community service work and learning experiences outside of school,” Boos said. “All of this experience has given him much to speak on when considering challenging questions as students must do in the interview and writing processes.”
Boos said Parasuraman demonstrated poise and humility throughout the competition.
“He always remembered his manners and demonstrated conversational skills beyond his years – all of which is a testament to the wonderful job his parents have done to raise an exceptional young man,” she said.
Superintendent Dr. Ken Oertling and St. Rose Elementary School Principal Shonda Honor-Harris surprised Parasuraman in front of his classmates last month, announcing that he had been selected as a state finalist.
Parasuraman said being a state finalist means a lot to him and makes him very proud.
“Winning this will not only get me an award but will also help me use this to serve others and help people,” Parasuraman said. “Now I will continue to try my best and work even harder to try to get student of the year for the state.”
Parasuraman said one day he wants to be an animal scientist.
“To me, animals are truly fascinating,” he said. “I want to help these creatures because they struggle to thrive in the wild because of human activity and pollution. When I heard about this, I wanted to help them even more.”
Parasuraman said his favorite subject is science.
“I like science because I like doing experiments,” he said. “I like the process where we make a hypothesis, a guess, and then we check it. If we’re wrong, we go back and see our mistake and fix it. This is my favorite part because we get to learn from a mistake and I really like to learn from whatever I do wrong.”
Parasuraman said his advice to other students is to rely on learning and never give up when they need to solve a problem.
“If they face a problem, they will have to rely on determination to overcome a challenge,” he said. “And being intelligent and opened minded to solve something helps them choose the right decision on what they should do.”
After participating in an interview and writing sample for the state competition in the coming months, Parasuraman will be honored with all state finalists at the 2026 Students of the Year Award Ceremony in Baton Rouge this summer. During this event, one fifth grader, one eighth grader, and one senior will be announced as the 2026 Louisiana State Students of the Year.
