Thomas Jefferson High School is known for its prestige and elite student body.

According to US News, TJ is the fourth best high school in the nation. TJ is said to have a demanding schedule, but no one really knows how hard it really is, unless hearing it from a TJ student yourself.

Sophomore Shritika Dahal is a perfect example of a TJ student.

Shritika is a vice president for UNICEF and treasurer of Student Diversity Initiative. In addition, she is an accomplished dancer. She has performed at places such as Capitol Hill for the nation’s biggest international fair and for the US Secretary of State. Dahal also hosts a Nepali TV show, called Sagar Matcha Television.

“Well, it’s very entertaining at first to be behind a camera, and go to a recording studio but the excitement dies down,” Dahal said. “I tell the people what’s coming next and such. I’ve never been shy around cameras so it just normal for me.”

Dahal is an exceptionally hard worker. She puts a lot of work into keeping her grades high, and building her chance into getting into a good college.

“There are some people that ensconce easily here, but most of us have to work sedulously,” Dahal said. “We get nervous that what we’re doing isn’t good enough and we aren’t going to get into a good college.”

Dahal still manages her time well, despite getting home at 5 p.m. Since she is taking difficult classes and an AP course, she studies four to five hours.

“I don’t get sleep really,” Dahal said. “When I do go to sleep, it’s well past 12 a.m. and not nearly a substantial amount of time.”

Not only does Dahal have to manage her school work, she also helps out her school and fundraises for originations such as Courtney’s House in her free time.

“I do a lot of volunteer work to help advocate my culture,” Dahal said. “I also go to middle schools and talk about TJ, why people should apply, and how it’s a great school.”

Despite all of her community involvement, Dahal still manages to keep an extremely high GPA.

“I love TJ because it’s really a loving and motivating environment,” Dahal said. “However, you can’t help but feel dumb because everyone here is so accomplished.”