Mallika Sheshadri Named Valedictorian of Pasadena High School’s Class of 2025

Mallika Sheshadri, PHS valedictorian (Photo courtesy of Mallika Sheshadri)

Mallika Sheshadri has been named Valedictorian of Pasadena High School’s Class of 2025. In addition to this recognition of her academic excellence, she has also distinguished herself with exceptional achievements in the arts.

By Scott Phelps

Mallika was admitted to a number of top institutions, including Harvey Mudd, Pomona College, Carnegie Mellon, UC Berkeley, UCLA, USC, and the University of Michigan, among others, before choosing Northwestern University, where she will begin her undergraduate studies this fall. She plans to pursue a double major in physics and violin performance.

Her passion for astronomy took root during her sophomore year and has since evolved into a defining pursuit. Under the mentorship of Caltech astrophysicist Mansi Kasliwal, Mallika conducted award-winning research on Lyman-alpha radiation, earning top honors at the LA County Science Fair. She continued her research at Caltech as a summer fellow and later as a research assistant.

Simultaneously, Mallika has built an impressive resume as a classical violinist. A student of Aimée Kreston at the Pasadena Conservatory of Music, she has won major competitions including the Dan Stover Rotary competition, the Southern California Junior Bach Festival, and the Santa Clarita Symphony Orchestra concerto competition. She served as concertmaster of the Pasadena Youth Symphony Philharmonic and founded the Pasadena High School chamber orchestra.

Her commitment to environmental advocacy through music was spotlighted in April when her work with AltadenaWILD was featured on NPR as part of From the Top’s Musicians and the Environment Initiative. A dedicated chamber musician, she performs on both violin and viola in PCM’s chamber music program.

In addition to her academic and musical achievements, Mallika was deeply involved in student leadership and journalism. She served as vice president of the robotics club and president of the astronomy club at PHS. As a core member of the PUSD Student Think Tank, she helped found the district’s Student Assembly and Council and co-edited The Learning Curve, a student-written anthology. She was also editor-in-chief of the PHS Chronicle for three years, advocating for student voice and the power of storytelling.