Meet Standout Students From the Class of 2027

by Hailey Almsted | Aug 2026

Photos: Chris Emeott

Back to school season carries its own special energy—one of fresh starts, renewed routines and excitement for what’s ahead. It’s also a time to reflect on the students who shape the spirit of their schools and community in lasting ways. As we do each year, Woodbury Magazine shines a spotlight on a remarkable group of young people who are doing just that: leaving their mark well beyond the classroom.

Earlier this year, we connected with area administrators, teachers and school staff who sent in nominations for graduating seniors (Class of 2027) who live in Woodbury and exemplify the best of their school communities. A panel carefully reviewed every nomination, which provided insight into each student—but we wanted to go a step further. Now, we invite you to meet these standout students: Mannat Kamal, Oluwaseyi “Daniel” Ogungbe and Riddhi Singhvi.

Mannat Kamal

Woodbury High School (WHS)

“Mannat is a natural leader—kind, open-minded, assertive (when necessary), thoughtful, intelligent, driven, empathetic. In National Honor Society (NHS), she has jumped at leadership opportunities from Mock Election to Coffeehouse auditions chair. Mannat thrives on being involved and on helping make WHS a meaningful place for students.” —Rachel Nicholas, NHS advisor

“Student Council is often an unseen spotlight, where meaningful work happens behind the scenes to serve the student body. Mannat is no stranger to the stage and its bright lights, yet she also shines within Student Council—earning the respect of her peers as she leads and serves with quiet confidence and steady strength.” —Hollie Meixner, Student Council advisor

“Mannat is a powerhouse leader within the WHS Royal Theatre program, consistently setting the bar for excellence both on stage and off. Having held featured or leading roles in the last three musicals, most recently as a commanding Regina George in Mean Girls, she continues to earn prestigious honors from the Hennepin Arts Spotlight Program. Beyond her individual accolades, Mannat leads by example, fostering a culture of dedication and professionalism that makes her a natural role model for the entire cast in every production she participates in.” —Quinn Masterson, musical director

How do you balance academic demands, extracurricular activities and personal responsibilities outside of high school?

Maintaining a good academic standing, along with extracurricular leadership and personal life, requires organization, commitment and leaves no room for procrastination, but what really set me up for success was learning to truly enjoy the things I dedicate my time to. When my mindset around responsibilities begins to focus instead on opportunity, work starts to feel less like work. Anytime I feel overwhelmed with my workload, I just remember how privileged I am to be able to be stressed over school, clubs and friends. It also helps that I have such a great support system at home to take some of the pressure off!

What is something that your peers might not know about you?

I love to travel. I’ve been to 30 different states, and I’m passionate about seeing more of the world. I love seeing different cultures, trying new foods and going on adventures … It’s super important to be a well-traveled person, and one of my dreams is to go backpacking through Europe one day.

Self-description: Ambitious, driven and genuine

Dream job: Business management, but being a wedding planner always sounded fun to me!

Favorite class: Criminology

Favorite day of the year: The Fourth of July because I love the summertime, fireworks and the atmosphere.

Clubs, extracurricular activities and sports

Environmental Club, president
Girl-Up, board member
Link Crew
National Honors Society, communications director
Speech Team
Student Council
Theatre
Triple Threat on Hennepin 2026
Yearbook, senior editor

Oluwaseyi “Daniel” Ogungbe

Saint Thomas Academy

Oluwaseyi “Daniel” Ogungbe

“As the son of Nigerian immigrants, Daniel’s family and life experiences have cultivated a maturity not often seen in teen boys … Daniel has had a profound impact on the academy’s culture through his even-handed co-leadership of the United Culture Club—a club civilly building awareness, knowledge and understanding around divisive issues … He and his co-leader also reliably spearhead the school’s cultural celebrations, such as Chinese New Year, Hispanic Heritage Month and Black History Month, planning educational, social and philanthropic activities and enthusiastically marketing them to students. Daniel’s father has taught his sons to value education and the vast opportunities available to them … This is evident in the way Daniel applies himself to every pursuit and relates to those around him.” —Rick Stevson, associate dean and moderator of the United Culture Club

How do you balance academic demands, extracurricular activities and personal responsibilities outside of high school?

Setting my priorities. I learned how [to] do homework for harder classes first, and set aside more time for studying … [and] committing myself to activities that I know that I can handle rather than overwhelming myself.

Which staff member had the biggest impact on you?

Mr. Stevson, the head track coach. He taught me the value of honoring commitments and the importance of following through with my word … It is a lesson that goes beyond simply big things but relates to day-to-day life. Being able to dedicate yourself to something and follow through shows someone’s character.

Self-description: Relatable, genuine and charismatic

Dream job: Financial manager

Favorite day of the year: Easter is my favorite day of the year … One of my favorite things to do on Easter is to enjoy a variety of different foods.

Favorite quote: “I trained four years to run 9 seconds.” —Usain Bolt

Clubs, extracurricular activities and sports

Band
Best Attacker Award in soccer
Peer mentoring
Saber Academic Award, two-time winner
Soccer
Spanish Club
Student Ambassadors
Track and field
United Cultural Club

Riddhi Singhvi

Stillwater Area High School (SAHS)

Riddhi Singhvi

“In 2023, SAHS lost our Business Professionals of America (BPA) advisor who took a position with a different school. In order to ensure that the BPA club would continue, Riddhi recruited students to join the club … In addition to being an outstanding academic student, Riddhi is also a four-time Volunteering Gold award winner, a three-time National qualifier in the Minnesota Aspirations in Computing and is competing for the second year in SAHS’ HOSA Club. She is a unique member of our student body and a future leader [and] a worthy recipient of this recognition.” —Robert Bach, principal

Which teacher had the biggest impact on you?

Ms. Krajewski, my anatomy and physiology teacher and previous HOSA advisor. Her passion for science helped me discover my love for creating solutions to real-world problems, and her hands-on teaching style, from dissections to interactive labs, showed me how much I enjoy experiential learning. Overall, every counselor, teacher and staff member has had an imperative role in shaping me into the student I am today, and among them, Ms. Krajewski’s class and guidance have had the greatest impact on my growth and learning.

What is something that your peers might not know about you?

I attended a Chinese immersion preschool, where I learned the language along with cultural traditions and holidays. After kindergarten, since I was apparently very good at Mandarin, my parents continued my learning with a tutor who would take me with her around Minneapolis to practice real conversations. Although I’ve forgotten the language over time, I think it’s helped me when playing piano, since I’m better at distinguishing between tones.

Self-description: Meticulous, curious and outgoing

Favorite day of the year: Diwali … It’s my favorite day of the year because I get to celebrate with my friends and family while staying connected to my heritage.

Happy place: Barnes & Noble

Skill to learn: I have always wanted to learn to play the saxophone because it just has such a distinct, beautiful sound.

Clubs, extracurricular activities and sports