During his time at Brookfield Central High School, Kartik Ramachandrula has taken full advantage of the academic and extracurricular opportunities available through the Elmbrook Schools. As a member of the Class of 2025 and salutatorian, Kartik has distinguished himself as a scholar, leader, and service-driven student, earning recognition at both state and national levels.

Kartik’s academic journey has been nothing short of extraordinary. He was named one of the top 300 scholars in the 2025 Regeneron Science Talent Search, the nation’s oldest and most prestigious science competition for high school seniors. His passion for STEM was also recognized through his selection to the 2023 U.S. Physics Team, where he trained for the International Physics Olympiad, as well as several medals at the USA Math Olympiad

His participation in elite programs such as the Research Science Institute (RSI) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) - an internationally acclaimed summer program - allowed him to conduct advanced research in particle and nuclear physics. He was later congratulated by Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers and Congressman Scott Fitzgerald.

Building on this momentum, Kartik was selected for the MIT-PRIMES USA program, where he conducted research in mathematics and presented his findings at MIT in October 2024. These accomplishments are rooted in the strong foundation built by Brookfield Central’s math and science departments and Elmbrook’s college-course offerings. Kartik credits teachers John Wilkinson and Heather Minton, and counselor Heather Lemke for their continuous encouragement and belief in his potential.

In addition to research, Kartik has been a member of Brookfield Central’s National Science Bowl team that he helped co-found while at Wisconsin Hills Middle School - a team that earned national qualifications and rankings for a total of five years - a testament to his long-standing commitment to academic excellence in STEM.

Beyond academics, Kartik is equally passionate about service. He earned the Gold Presidential Service and Volunteer Award for contributing nearly 300 hours over junior year to the NorthSouth Foundation, a national educational charity supporting academic competitions and scholarships. In 2024, Kartik played a pivotal role in bringing the foundation’s National Finals to Milwaukee, hosting over 600 students and 2,000 attendees. He proudly notes that many BC students also volunteered at the event and is eager to provide future service opportunities for his peers.

Kartik’s impressive resume includes 16 college-level courses taken through the Early College Credit Program (ECCP) and Cooperative Academic Partnership Program (CAPP). He acknowledges the instrumental support of Dr. Amie Farley, Heather Lemke, and Liz Mallegni in navigating the challenges of scheduling and course selection. These credits, combined with his SAT score of 1600, ACT score of 36, status as a National Merit Winner set him up for continued academic success in college and beyond. He also credits English teachers such as Dr. Phonekeo Siharath and Kathleen Evans for cultivating a love of literature and introducing him to new ways of thinking—skills that will serve him well no matter his future path. Kartik’s Latin teacher, Mr. Daniel Tess also helped him foster a love of learning languages. This passion translated to him achieving 3-years of Sanskrit proficiency that Elmbrook has accredited for his transcript. “Elmbrook has supported my extracurricular ambitions beyond the school-offered languages and that really speaks to how committed the District is to student success,” reflected Ramachandrula.

As Kartik completes his high school journey and prepares for next semester at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), he expressed deep gratitude for the teachers and mentors who helped him along the way. “I want to thank the BC community for making this all possible,” reflected Ramachandrula. “If it weren’t for the support and letters of recommendation from my teachers and academic support staff, and the enrichment from all the departments, I would never have had these experiences.”

Kartik’s journey is a powerful reflection of the Elmbrook Promise—to empower students to reach their full potential as they prepare for college, career and life.

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The Elmbrook Promise is the District’s commitment to offering students the opportunity to access 30 college credits before graduation through an extensive list of Advanced Placement courses, on-campus dual credit courses, off-campus options through Dual Credit Academies, the Early College Credit Program, or Start College Now. College credit courses range from Firefighting to Teacher Methods to Accounting. 

These are the stories of our alumni and current students as they benefit from the District’s Promise and strive to Become What’s Next. Read more stories at elmbrookschools.org/promise.