He was born in Oman, moved to India, then to England, then Singapore, off to Saudia Arabia, back to India, finally completing high school at Hanover High.
Shreeram Akilesh '00, someone who has been always on the move, will be giving a moving speech at today's commencement ceremonies after being announced the Class of 2000 Valedictorian.
With 32 A grades and one A- in his four years at the College, Akilesh became the graduating class valedictorian -- also earning nine citations from seven different academic departments while at Dartmouth.
"I'm very very excited and happy for it, although it has not really sunk in," Akilesh said, hours after being notified. "It's not so much for me as for my parents and friends. I almost consider it a present for them."
The second consecutive Indian to attain the top spot, Akilesh had a 3.99 GPA and was a Rufus Choates scholar all four years.
His time in India -- where he described the academic environment as "very very competitive" -- prepared Akilesh well for life at college. He said his motto was not to "beat everyone else," but to work hard and "always do the best I could do in every course."
Although initially disappointed at receiving his first and only A- in Environmental Studies 39 during sophomore summer, Akilesh said he learned to accept it soon.
"I realized it's not the end of the world," he said about getting an A- "and that there are more important things in life."
Akilesh was constantly on the move because both his parents, being doctors, wanted to seek jobs in different countries to get better experience, yet at the same time ensuring that Akilesh and his younger brother received a good education.
"It was tough moving from one place to another," he said, adding it was very difficult learning new languages and making long-term close friends and keeping in touch with them.
However, he said he understood his parents' goal of trying to give their children the best education possible by travelling all over the world and that he tried to assimilate the best aspects of each new place.
Akilesh's life at the College has been busy, yet fun -- reflecting the "work hard, play hard" ethic in which he deeply believes.
Despite having never stepped into a fraternity freshman year because of the negative stereotype associated with them, Akilesh decided to pledge Sigma Nu sophomore winter after his friend Ken Fischl, Jr. '00, invited him to 'tails and Early '80s at the house during the fall.
"I loved it there," Akilesh said of his experiences at Sigma Nu. "I decided I shouldn't make decisions on stereotypes or preconceptions."
Two and a half years later, Akilesh wishes he had joined earlier, in sophomore fall. He served as the house's Philanthropy Chair for three terms during the 1998 calendar year and as Vice-President in 1999.
He has also been highly involved with The Aegis -- serving as their Photography Editor senior year.
Akilesh said he was awarded the Phi Beta Kappa sophomore prize -- given to the sophomore student with the highest GPA -- and told earlier on senior year by the Registrar that he was ranked number one in his class -- making him aware that he was a likely contender for the top spot.
After graduating as Dartmouth's valedictorian, he plans to research immunology and genetics at the Jackson Laboratory at Barharbor, Maine -- the same place where he worked junior spring and summer. After that, he plans to attend Medical School.
Reflecting on his Dartmouth years, Akilesh said, "It's been the best four years of my life."
He said he considers Dartmouth an excellent academic institution -- both for students taking classes and for doing research.
He added, however, that a place needs to have good social options as well. Asserting that his time as a fraternity brother was amazing, Akilesh said, although the administration has "noble aims" with the Student Life Initiative, they are not "completely connected with what the students want on campus."
He said it would be a real disappointment if they do something that results in a "blander version of Dartmouth...[something] that dilutes the essential character of Dartmouth."
With 30 A and two A- grades, Michael J. Pyle '00 became the Class of 2000 salutatorian -- attaining a GPA of 3.98.
