Continuing a legacy that began with his older brother in 2004, Prabhanjan Didwania will address his peers as valedictorian of University City High School’s (UCHS) class of 2010 at a June 18 commencement ceremony. Didwania, who will graduate with a 4.74 grade-point average, had his eyes on the prize from the beginning. “I always wanted to become valedictorian because of my brother,” he said. “It was a lot of hard work, but in the end it paid off.” Didwania’s brother, Maruti, is now 24 and working on his Ph.D. at Stanford University. In the fall, Didwania will attend Duke University as a biomedical engineering major with a certificate degree in either global health or economics, he said. Science emerged as Didwania’s passion early on, and by his junior year he had completed every advanced placement science course offered in the UCHS curriculum — including chemistry, biology, physics, environmental science and computer science. Outside of class, he worked in a hypertension research lab at the University of California, San Diego Department of Medicine, publishing an international research paper that was presented in Melbourne, Australia. These experiences helped influence what he hopes to accomplish in the future, Didwania said. “I want to see a more peaceful world,” he said. “The advancement of science and technology is so important, and my goal is to contribute to these fields by improving health and finding new cures.” Didwania also used his skills to bring people together, launching a social networking site, www.eYari.com, which has attracted more than 100,000 members since its inception one year ago. “It’s very similar to Facebook, but with a more global appeal and more international users,” Didwania said. The site, which helped him learn coding languages like HTML, JavaScript, CSS and PHP. “I’m hoping in the near future someone will sponsor the project and I’ll be able to watch it grow,” he said. In other activities, Didwania witnessed the inner workings of political processes through the Aaron Price Fellows Program, competed in the Science Olympiad against students from all regional high schools and volunteered with the San Diego Asian-Indian Socio-Cultural Organization, which helps establish new immigrants within the community. Spare moments usually find Didwania cheering for his favorite football and baseball teams. “Padres and Chargers all the way,” he said. Didwania advises current students to stay focused and hold close the people who are important to them. “Never lose sight of what your goals are in life,” he said. “Always respect your parents and grandparents because they’re the ones who struggled to make your life better.” While he will miss his family and plans to “cherish every single moment” before he embarks on the next chapter of his life, Didwania also looks forward to seizing the opportunities that come his way. “‘Be the change you wish to see in the world,’” he said. “That’s my favorite quote, by Mahatma Ghandi, and that’s exactly what I plan to do.” UCHS GRADUATION • June 18, 2 p.m. • Centurion Stadium • Number of graduates: 416 • Number of graduates receiving academic distinction: 125 • Valedictorian: Prabhanjan Didwania • Salutatorians: Yongjian Si, Christy Chao, Alexis Lasker • 50 percent of graduates will enroll in universities or private colleges, and 40 percent will attend community college