By- Arnav Sampigethaya
With interviews from Neel Mulay, Arohi Sachar, Rishab Suri, Malavika Jacob, Jiya Charak and Aritra Biswas
13 years ago, a boy named Neel joined Greenwood High. In his 13 years as a Greenwoodite, he would be prefect, school vice-captain, come 3rd in India in the ICSE board with a ground-breaking 99%, become school captain with a landslide victory, an inspiring role model, a legend amongst the student body, a great friend and just an overall amazing person.
Without a doubt, Neel is one of the most prolific and accomplished people to come out of the white halls of Greenwood High. What I hope to accomplish with this article is to bring about the human in all of this. It’s so easy for us to get lost in all his accomplishments and glory but behind all that is an amazing person. You don’t get to those heights by accident, you don’t achieve success on so many levels by accident. In a way, Neel defined this era of Greenwood High, and the school will miss him, because we really did reach an end of an era as he gave his memerizing speech to bid farewell to the institution he called home for his entire life.
Over the course of writing this article I’ve interviewed him and the people closest to him so that I could paint a picture of what he’s actually like as a person. There’s so much to learn from him that I could write a book, but for now I hope I can do him justice within this article.
Arnav : So tell us a bit about yourself.
Neel: Hi, I’m Neel Mulay. I’ve been in Greenwood High for 13 years. In my time here, I was school captain and I served as school vice captain as well before that.
What amazes me is that the first thing he said about himself was that he’s been in the school for 13 years. The love for the school is embedded within Neel, which is what made him a special school captain. From the first time I heard him speak, I knew he was passionate about this school. About the teachers, the staff, the atmosphere, the culture and most importantly, the students. This is important because that’s what defined him and his era.
Arnav: What do you remember about the aftermath of your board results?
Neel: Every top newspaper was contacting me. Everyone wanted interviews. I maintained my story and gave credit to all the teachers. This is the reason why D’Mello Sir was so proud of me and insisted that I stay in Greenwood High.
Through his respect for the teachers and authenticity as a person, he managed to leave a lasting impact on the school. While achieving greatness, it’s easy to lose your way and take credit for everything but what set Neel apart is that he didn’t take much credit, he gave the credit to the teachers and the school, his modesty is what defined him.
Arnav: You went from Neel to Neel Mulay overnight? Did that really impact you?
Neel: I’ve gotten so used to hearing the Mulay after my name that during this summer when we’ve been stuck at home and my parents call me ‘Neel’, I immediately think of school and how I was always referred to as Neel Mulay. Even the teachers in the initial PTMs, would refer to my parents as Neel Mulay’s parents, it was a very jarring experience.
I can’t write an article about Neel without talking about the 99%. Neel Mulay got 99% in the ICSE board coming third place in India. This was a huge moment obviously for him and also for the school. It set Greenwood High as the school to beat and cemented us as the institute to guarantee a good percentage. Of course, the work of all the other students to bring up the school’s percentage was also a key factor. But irrespective of who I talked to, they all say that Neel did not change as a person. He maintained his humility and remained down-to-earth. He was a legend in Greenwood High, but he still behaved like a normal kid.
We can’t talk about Neel without talking about his captaincy. His council were the first in Greenwood High history to host two major events in addition to the Sports Day and Annual Day. Both GWHMUN and Ignite, which were collaborative efforts with IB exceeded everyone’s expectations. This wouldn’t have been possible if it weren’t for Neel’s efforts. There is no doubt that the rest of the council were invaluable but Neel was the glue that held the council together.
Arnav: Something I discussed with him is how he went from Neel to Neel Mulay overnight. Would you say he changed much through that transition?
Arohi: No. Surprisingly, he was still the same Neel. He was the same inspiring leader, he was the same great friend and he maintained his modesty, he himself was so shocked and overwhelmed by all the attention he suddenly got, but he maintained his humility throughout.
Malavika: He's genuinely so humble and I know for a fact that his scores didn't get to his head
Aritra: As a guy who I've known for so long it was a weird but nice feeling to see how far Neels has come and how he's really aiming high. Frankly speaking though I mostly found it funny how suddenly fourth graders were running down the hallways asking for his autograph and how the younger kids saw him as their idol
Arnav : What would you say is the best leadership quality that Neel possesses?
Rishab Suri: I think Neels strongest leadership qualities are his commitment to the council, as well as his positive attitude. He was relentless and never gave up on the goals of the council, and whenever he was shot down, he just shrugged it off and continued on ahead.
Jiya : Neel had a very good sense of how to maintain cooperation between the teachers and the student body. It’s not easy getting the teachers to agree with a lot of our ideas and requests, much like it isn’t easy to make sure students don’t take advantage of granted requests. He had a way with the teachers as well as the students to reach compromises both sides could agree with; from getting us free periods to practice for functions to letting the teachers allow 20-odd ninth graders to volunteer for ignite and the gwhmun
Arnav: What would you say sets Neel apart from other people?
Jiya: Neel is someone who can make anyone feel at ease. Talking to him doesn’t feel like talking to a senior with whom you must have a certain level of formality. As a captain, it’s a very appreciable quality because I have seen him put in effort to make himself more approachable, especially for the juniors. He’ll make you feel like you’ve been friends with him for years.
Aritra: I think Neel's best quality is his ability to always look at the best in every situation. No matter what difficulties we've been through if Neel is around somehow we always come out laughing. In so many places; two years of coaching and ISC, the science camp presentation we did in ninth, boards and whatever else, we always have fun memories to remember and laugh about later on. Neels unique because he works hard on things passionately but quietly. He could be putting his heart and soul into something but you may never hear about it.. To be honest no one expected Neel to top the board exams. But that was because he spoke about the work he was putting in behind the scenes. And I think the fact that he never really brags about the hours he's putting in is one of his best qualities
Malavika: He's really driven. once he has a goal, he sticks to it and he will do anything to achieve it.
Rishab: Neels a great friend and an amazing person, for someone to know what makes him unique, means that they'd have to befriend him themselves. Oh, and he got 99%
Arnav: What would you say is the most important thing you learnt about Neel?
Malavika: Neel helped me a lot throughout 10th grade and he really made me believe in myself and not compare myself to other people.
Jiya: Definitely humility. Never once have I thought that he let his achievements go to his head. He speaks to everyone with respect and hasn’t taken his results for granted.
Arohi: He never gave up. He always found a solution or a different way to approach it. Whenever he faced a situation, he always found a unique way to solve it and it was very apparent that he had spent a lot of time thinking about it.
Arnav: Do you know a side of Neel that most people don’t get to see?
Aritra: A side of Neel that most people don't see is probably what happens to him when he gets a sugar rush. Neel loses his mind after having the smallest amounts of sugar and caffeine. I remember on one of our trips to Delhi for a science project he had a single gone mad coffee stick and crawled around in a sleeping bag like a worm, got into a fight with a person from our own team who threatened to throw him off the balcony, and then stepped one of our Chinese teammates when she was sleeping because he thought she was a rug and "she was so small I couldn't see her".
Arnav : Do you have any parting words for Neel?
Jiya: When I was elected to the council, more than excited I was scared. my senior council counterpart was Neel Mulay and it’s safe to say I was intimidated. But if it wasn’t for Neel’s extremely comforting nature, his constantly smiling disposition and his little tips every now and then, I wouldn’t have managed the post. He is an encouraging and appreciative senior who has trusted me with duties, pushed me to try harder, offered help without asking and has been a good friend. I could not have asked for a better school captain to be in the council with.
Aritra: Don't grow up, stay a kid?
Malavika: I know wherever you go, and whatever you do, you'll be great! we'll always remember the name
Arohi: I promise I will do things that no one has ever done before. I will make you proud!
Arnav: What do you think Neel’s legacy will be to the school?
Malavika : all these little kids come up to him so often to ask for his autograph and to be honest, I feel like everyone just knows who he is. I really feel like this won't change anytime soon because he's made an impact on so many of us.
Jiya: think it’s fairly obvious that the first thing that enters anyone’s mind when they hear
Neel’s name is that he came third in India during tenth boards. Apart from this he has also been the vice captain and then captain of the school. Speaking informally, I’d say it’s his crazy obsession with Emerald winning the house cup
Aritra: I think the juniors will remember Neel as one of the guys that did it all. Make no mistake we've had some excellent school captains over the years but I think the fact that neel speaks with everyone like they're his friend is really something that I hadn't seen other school captains do. We’ve had many great school captains over the years but I don't think any of them have had the combination of academics, extracurriculars and friendly personality like Neel.
While reading all these interviews, some things popped out to me really clearly. I’d like to share so of my personal thoughts and experiences with Neel over the years.
Firstly, Neel is one of the most humble people I’ve met. His list of achievements would warrant an extremely braggadocious ego but instead you get one of the most down-to-earth people out there. He doesn’t act like he’s smarter than anyone, he doesn’t brag about his achievements, he treats everyone with respect and patience. Next, he gives a lot of people a chance. When I first met Neel, I wasn’t popular or particularly liked by most people, but he still took me in under his wing and served as my mentor and role model. He was school vice captain and he was under no obligation to do so but he still did it through the pure kindness of his heart.
The word ‘legacy’ rang in my head the more I thought about Neel and his contributions to the school. He defined an era in Greenwood High history, his leadership and image not only propelled the school to great heights but also uplifted so many people on the way. I would not be the person I am today if I didn’t have Neel to look up to. Neel is everything Greenwood High stands for. He is the school’s quintessential student and everyone can learn a thing or two from him. Neel Mulay will always be a part of Greenwood High.
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