Senior of the Week: Advay Nomula

By EVAN DIERBERG, JULIA ZHOU, LAUREN LEE, PHINN GIBBS, KAI GOWDA

In the early hours of the morning, while most students are still fast asleep in their dorms, senior Advay Nomula rushes to catch the 680 Downeaster Amtrak before it leaves. He leaves Dover, New Hampshire before the sun rises and starts his 40-minute commute to the Academy, running shoes and school books in hand. 

Nomula is no doubt an influential figure around campus. Day student proctor for Webster Hall, co-captain of the boys cross-country team, and co-head of both Engineering and Subcontinent Society, Nomula does it all. Whether you find him brightening the library’s second floor with dad jokes among friends or assisting fellow students with challenging physics assignments at the Learning Center, he is an integral member of the community.

When deciding to apply to Exeter, Nomula says he was drawn to something most would be wary of: the academic rigor. “A big reason was academics, because I knew I could get a better education here [than my local high school]. The courses would be more challenging and rigorous, I felt like I was exhausting rigor in my old school district. I knew there’d be other opportunities that I could explore, too,” he said.

A fundamental aspect of Nomula’s Exeter experience is his daily commute to school. “I live far away in a choice town [at a distance where students can choose to be a boarding or day student]. I applied to Exeter so I could be a day student. The nice thing is that there is a train, from Dover to Exeter, and so I take that,” he explained.

“The problem is that the train is really early,” he continued. “It’s at 6:17 a.m., so I get to campus pretty early, before the dining hall even opens. I wake up at 5:30 to 5:40 every morning, take the train — that’s my experience as a day student. It’s kind of unique,” Nomula shared.

Nomula’s parents hail from the South Indian states of Hyderabad and Warangal. “We’re a Telugu family, a Hindu family, and so I carry those values with me through my life. I stay connected with my Telugu side by watching movies and listening to music,” Nomula said.

He has also maintained this connection through his participation and leadership in Subcontinent Society. Describing his experience in the club, Nomula said, “Hanging out with fellow brown people, people who you know have some similarities with you, is cool. You can learn a lot about people who are like you that you wouldn’t even think of, and experiences that other people have that are a lot different from you, even though they’re very similar to you.”

Siri Bompelli, a fellow cohead of Subcontinent Society, attended the same elementary and middle school as Nomula. “He’s really smart and really hard working. He’s always super helpful and is willing to help you whenever you need it,” Bompelli said. 

Not only does he maintain a strong internal connection to his heritage, Nomula actively seeks to share his culture with his community. For the Subcontinent Society Relay for Life booth, he and his family made a traditional dish, pani puri. “[Advay] encouraged me to try one, and even though I have terrible spice tolerance, I decided to give it a shot,” lower Ethan Benenson, Nomula’s friend and teammate, reflected. “Right away I felt like I was burning up. Advay laughed and offered me the deep-fried breaded sphere without the spicy liquid inside. Even though there were a lot of people around, because of how Advay handled it, I didn’t feel embarrassed at all.” 

Nomula approaches his work as the Subcontinent Society co-head with a willingness to learn and grow every day. “You can learn a lot from people who are like you, and learn from experiences that people have that are different from yours,” he said.

Besides his leadership in Subcontinent Society, Nomula also co-leads the Engineering Club. Nomula shared some of the club activities: “We enjoy building things, using resources in the design lab, like small circuits, or making something using 3D printing is pretty cool.”

Engineering Club co-head and senior Alinne Romero-Torres noted, “I think he always has some enthusiasm when he brings ideas to the table and he seems genuinely excited about what he’s doing or what he can bring to a group.” 

This curiosity and drive is also evident in Nomula’s pursuit of his academic interests. “I’m a big math guy,” Nomula said. “I think this doesn’t happen to most people, but after coming to Exeter, I started to love math a lot more. Maybe it’s because of the way they teach it, because there was just a whole new vat of knowledge that I was not exposed to at all.”

Nomula truly appreciates classes that challenge his intuition and provoke more nuanced analysis. “Last year I took CSC590 — a software solutions course. Our class learned to think about a software solution and not just the programming part of it, but also the actual problem you’re trying to solve, including how you pitch it, how you market, or how to get the solution across. Thinking about softwares and all those different facets was pretty eye-opening.”

“And as a final project with Enzo [Nakornsri] and Catherine [Wu], we made a game out of it, called Exeter Sims, so that was fun,” Nomula continued. 

Apart from his extracurriculars and academics, Nomula is a committed distance runner and co-leads the cross-country team. “I run cross country and distance track. Growing up, I’ve been pretty connected to running, so that’s always fun. I look forward to the practices and even on a Sunday, or even when we don’t actually have an official practice. Sometimes, getting what we call a ‘Sunday Shakeout,’ a quick short run, really easy paced, with my teammates, is pretty fun.”

Upper Pearce Covert echoes Nomula’s commitment to the sport, noting, “Over the summer he did the most mileage out of anyone this year. I think that goes to show his work ethic and his drive. He doubled the amount of mileage I did over the summer, which is absolutely crazy to me.”

Nomula recalls some highlights from his running career at Exeter. “Some of the big cross country meets that we’ve had, such as Interscholastics my lower year, when all four of our teams [both Varsities and both JV teams] won — that was a pretty cool day,” Nomula said.

Nomula recalled memories with close friends at the Academy. “In the spring, playing spikeball on the lawn, till it’s dark and just hanging out. I think those are the things I’ll remember.”

Senior Anna Kim commented on their groups’ daily ritual. “We have a breakfast table that everyone comes to and he’s always super upbeat. Even if it’s 8:00 a.m., no one wants to go. He has such a positive energy. The breakfast example is something that really speaks to me. I know that every day when I see him, at the breakfast table, he’s always gonna have a good attitude and is gonna crack a joke or two. And that’s such a good way to start the day.”

Similarly, senior Rex Bedwick recalled his most prominent memory of Nomula. “I flat-tired and tripped him during my first time trial. We went out and we had no idea what we were doing and we were sprinting out off the start line. I tripped him from behind and then he rolled into the grass and fell forward and ripped his knee off really badly and it was very bloody. I remember after the race, I pulled him over and apologized. This is not that exciting a story, but it just reminds me of what a cool guy he was about it, because I screwed up his entire race and he was not holding it against me.”

For senior and co-caption of cross-country Malcom Courchesne, “One thing I always have thought about Advay was that when you’re around him, he’s always willing to help you with homework or something like that. He’s always gonna say, ‘Here’s how you do it.’” 

Many of Nomula’s friends share anecdotes about his personality. Senior Sam Pangan, a close friend of Nomula’s, described some of his best qualities: “He’s really willing to help people, which is one of his strongest assets, I think. And he just has this quality about him that makes him very approachable.”

“I think Advay’s ability to not take himself too seriously is something that sticks out, especially at Exeter. Where that shines through for me most is when we’re playing spike ball together,” Pangan said.

Pangan continued, “He’s one of the few people that I can confidently say no one dislikes at all. He’s just the most lovable person who knows how to diffuse a situation really well.”

Nomula shared pieces of advice with the community. “When I was a lower, one of the seniors on the cross country team gave me this really good analogy, which I still live by. And I guess I’d tell other people that, too: If you add more lanes to the highway, the traffic won’t get better. The traffic will stay the same. And so even if you are given more time and more time, there’s just gonna be more work that fills that time or you don’t use that time as productively. It’s not a blessing to have a ton of time, but if you don’t have as much time, you might be more productive to use your time wisely. And I guess be thankful for what you have.”

Nomula continued, “We think that, since we’re so young, one year of our lives feels a lot longer than someone who’s 40 or 50. So what we’re doing now is really only a small part of our lives, a lot smaller than we think of it, and so it’s important to have a well-balanced life — academically, socially, athletically, and things like that. Know not to take yourself too seriously, and just go with the flow.”

Pangan agreed, “He’s told me half jokingly, half serious, if you are always wondering if the cup is half empty or half full, you’ll never actually drink the water. I think that says a lot about Advay as a person.”

Senior Eamin Ahmed similarly stated, “I’d say I can’t think of a specific instance, but I know as his teammate on the cross-country team he is always looking out for everyone else. Especially in my lower year when I had to run track and he had more experience than I had, even like him having done middle school cross-country. He was just always giving me advice, giving other people advice. I think that is why we made him one of our captains. Just because of the experience he has, and the way he is really able to connect to people on a one on one basis.”

Nomula’s impact goes beyond accolades and awards; it extends to the lasting impressions he leaves on those around him. Friends, teammates, mentors, and fellow students all speak to his unwavering kindness, his humble nature, and his ability to uplift the spirits of those he encounters.

Members of the Exeter community shared collections of memories regarding Nomula’s legacy. 

Reverend Bonnie Jean Casey, who works with Nomula for Hindu Society, commented, “I think he just has natural leadership qualities. He is a quiet leader, but he’s persistent and he’s very inclusive. He really works to include other people. He’s also really willing to put the work in himself.”

“To me, Advay really embodies so much of what Exeter is about. He definitely has non sibi and just exemplifies the whole idea of uniting knowledge with goodness,” Casey continued.

Music Instructor and Nomula’s advisor Eric Schultz shared, “When Advay was awarded the Gavit cup, an award given to one of the most outstanding members of the Upper grade class, it was a beautiful moment.”

“Advay has spent three years being the very best student and person he could be,” Schultz continued. “Working very hard to be the all-around excellent human being that he is. Mostly, he was flying under the radar. His goodness is so consistent across everything that he does, it was great to see him finally get that recognition.”

Ahmed agreed. “Advay is behind some of those things that we don’t always take the time to properly recognize but he has just done such a service to this community and he has just been such a good resource to this community in the last four years.” 

Many fellow Webster members also shared how Nomula has demonstrated his leadership in the dorm community. “Advay is a down right great person,” senior and proctor Sangye Sherpa said. “He has been a day student proctor in Webster for two years now, and he always sends the dorm an email when it’s someone’s birthday.”

Senior and proctor Harrison McGovern had similar sentiments. “It is with no exaggeration that I say Advay is the best day student in Webster Hall, if not the entire school. As both the bearer of birthday announcements and a consistent figure in Fac/Proc, Advay brings an energy and kindness that are unrivaled on this campus,” he said.

Sherpa continued to share anecdotes with Nomula, including how “Advay can type over two hundred words per minute.”

“Last year, Advay wrote announcement emails for every student’s birthday in Webster Hall. Without him, I would not have remembered my own birthday,” McGovern noted.

Nomula’s presence on campus is nothing short of remarkable. His commitment to both his academic pursuits and his numerous leadership roles demonstrates a level of dedication and passion that is truly inspiring. Whether he’s leading the cross-country team to victory, co-heading the Engineering and Subcontinent Society, or helping fellow students with their studies, Nomula consistently brings his positive energy and willingness to make a difference.

Nomula concluded with a word of advice for Exonians. “Usually as seniors, when we step into the roles of leadership, we’re just bringing our own flavor to what all the seniors have done before us. And so I’d say what I’m bringing to this campus is continuing the clubs that I’m a part of. So just continuing the legacy —  like in the cross-country team or Subcontinent Society — just like keeping them running and keeping them running well.” 

“There’s a lot of stuff that you don’t know about the world and about people and that doesn’t mean that you have to know everything. But I think being aware that you don’t know is an important skill. And I feel like I’ve gotten to be very considerate of what people could be going through, what people have gone through, and so I think that’s how I’ve grown. I’ve also grown to be more aware of myself and how I’m feeling and acknowledging how I’m feeling — being able to take some time for myself not to feel socially pressured and just to be my own person,” Nomula concluded.