Carrollwood Day School Announces
Valedictorian and Salutatorian for the Class of 2026
On behalf of the College Counseling Department and the Administration of Carrollwood Day School, we are excited to announce the Class of 2026 Valedictorian, Anika Iyer, and the Class of 2026 Salutatorian, Isha Dham. We offer our sincerest congratulations to Anika and Isha and look forward to celebrating their accomplishments and hearing their reflections at the commencement ceremony in May.
Class of 2026 Valedictorian
Anika Iyer
It is a pleasure to introduce Anika Iyer as the Class of 2026 Valedictorian. A member of the CDS community since eighth grade, Anika has shown a deep appreciation for the IB curriculum, displaying remarkable creativity, an impeccable work ethic, and a strong desire to push the boundaries of research. Her academic record and impact are truly impressive, but her commitment to inquiry, balance, and reflection define her academic characteristics and align with the IB learner profile.
Anika earned induction into our Cum Laude Society and Mu Alpha Theta, while holding the president position in both our National Honor Society and Psi Alpha chapters. Elected into the National Speech and Debate Association’s Honor Society, Anika has amassed over 400 competitive points for national-level speech and debate excellence. As a freshman, she ranked in the top 5% of more than 4,000 global competitors in the John Locke Institute History Essay Competition. Last year, Anika was also selected as a Dr. Sylvia Richardson Young Women of Promise, which recognizes high-achieving young women in Hillsborough County.
On campus, Anika is the founder and president of our Psychology Club, promoting mental health awareness, while growing the organization from five original members to over 130 CDS students today. Anika placed in the top 5% at the HOSA state competition for the past two years. She delivered a stellar TEDx talk on the importance of a neuro-inclusive society as a junior, and was a state champion and national finalist in the National History Day competition last year.
In the community, Anika is the founder of Arts for Care, a non-profit organization that supports neurodivergent individuals through art therapy, earning recognition from Fox13 for her contributions to the Tampa Bay area. As a board member for the Sparksoft Fundraising Committee, Anika helped raise over $30,000 for the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation. She also held an internship at the Byrd Alzheimer’s Center while simultaneously expanding her passion for blogging by publishing over ten articles on neurodivergence and mental health.
Anika is currently undecided on her college destination, but plans to major in neuroscience.
Class of 2026 Salutatorian
Isha Dham
We are thrilled to recognize Isha Dham as the Class of 2026 Salutatorian. Isha joined CDS in ninth grade and has left her mark both inside and outside of the classroom.
Science is a particular passion for Isha, and she has layered that passion in several ways. As a member of our HOSA team, she placed first in Pharmacy Science at the regional and state levels and in the top 30 internationally. She also spent her summers learning about pharmacology and STEM research through two different pre-college summer programs.
For the past two years, with the help of Artificial Intelligence, she has conducted independent bioinformatics research on DNA methylation across various cancers to identify biomarkers and aid early detection, using the Genomic Data Commons database. This research was an extension of her IB Extended Essay.
Isha was also a devoted member of our Duke of Edinburgh (DOE) organization, where she served as a team leader and earned both the Bronze and Silver Awards. She is also a member of DECA, the Indian Cultural Club, and the CDS tennis team. Last summer, she worked as a camp counselor at our Early Childhood Campus with four to six year olds, an experience that inspired her to potentially become a pediatrician.
Outside of school, she volunteers at Feeding Tampa Bay and the Kumon Learning Center. One of her favorite activities is playing the electric drums at the Tampa Fine Arts Academy.
Isha is a member of nine honor societies, including Cum Laude Society, Science National Honor Society, and Mu Alpha Theta, among others reflecting her incredibly rigorous course load.
Isha will attend the Judy Genshaft Honors College at the University of South Florida, beginning her undergraduate career studying biology.