Mt. Lebanon’s Tandon one of a kind
Celia Tandon may be a twin but there is nothing she does that is identical to anyone, even her sister, Mariana. This Mt. Lebanon High School senior is truly one of a kind.
“An amazing student in the classroom,” Oscar Shutt said. “Able to balance her academics with athletics.”
And that’s exactly why Tandon is one of 21 recipients of the WPIAL Scholar-Athlete Award. The winners will be honored May 14 at the league’s annual banquet at the DoubleTree Hotel-Green Tree.
Not only has Tandon run cross country for Shutt for four seasons, she has been a three-year starter on defense for Lebo’s successful women’s lacrosse team. The Blue Devils won a WPIAL her sophomore year and are in contention for the title to be determined on May 24 at Highmark Stadium. They host rival Upper St. Clair May 9 to decide the section championship.
“Celia is a great person who has always worked to get better,” Lebo LAX coach Brian Kattan said. “And she is a very, very good student.”
Tandon’s academics, indeed, are out of this world. While she maintains a perfect 4.0, when you factor in her advanced placement courses and honors classes, the number swells to a 5.4 GPA. Until last week, she was torn between Princeton and Stanford. She selected the West Coast school where she hopes to study astrophysics while continuing to play lacrosse at the intramural or club level.
While she dreams of going to Mars and admires Albert Einstein, her mission in life is to become a NASA researcher.
“I expect to be researching dark matter or dark energy at NASA,” she said of her future plans.
Tandon, who would also consider being a professor of astrophysics, acknowledges that her participation in sports has prepared her for life and not just regarding time management.
“Teams always beat individuals,” said the 17-year-old daughter of Hans and Christine Tandon. “I need to collaborate with others to accomplish my goals in life.”
With three other sisters, in addition to her twin, Tandon learned to cooperate at an early age. Her older sisters, Rachel and Grace, participated in lacrosse and ran cross country, so Tandon emulated them, picking up those activities in the fourth grade. However, she gravitated more toward lacrosse because of the team concept.
“Running cross country in the fall complements lacrosse because it gets me in shape for the season in the spring. I like lacrosse better, though, because it is more of a collective effort and I enjoy working with my team.”
Her teammates, likewise, embrace what Tandon has to offer both as a defender and as an experienced veteran.
“Grace has always been a consistent player who has improved each year but her leadership is what makes us a strong defensive team,” Kattan said. “She is not only a very good player but someone that the younger girls look up to on and off the field.”
Because of her younger sister, Avery, a ninth grader that plays lacrosse, Kattan also noted, the other freshmen all know Tandon. “They look up to her,” he said.
Tandon has her own inspiration on another level. Her sister, Grace, is better known as Daya, the teenage singing sensation who has already won a Grammy Award.
“I love supporting her and watching her career grow,” Tandon said.
As her scholastic career nears a close, Tandon hopes to watch her own athletic dreams come true.
“I hope my team fulfills our full potential and competes for the WPIAL and state titles.”
Being able to compete in the WPIAL had afforded Tandon the opportunity to vie for one of the 21 scholarships that she recently garnered. For her, that has been an added bonus.
“I love the challenge of competing against high schools across Western Pennsylvania, especially bigger schools like North Allegheny,” she said. “I’m looking forward to the playoffs and then continuing my career at the intramural or club level in college.”
With her past track record, chances are her entire experience at Stanford will be anything but ordinary for Tandon.
Who is she: One of the WPIAL Scholar Athlete Award winners
Age: 17
Birthdate: August 30
Parents: Hans and Christine Tandon
Siblings: Avery (14), Mariana (17), Grace (19), Rachel (21)
School: Mt. Lebanon
Year: Senior
Sports: Lacrosse and Cross Country
Other activities & clubs: Student Council, Politics and Pizza, Volunteering
GPA 5.4
College choices: Princeton or Stanford
Major: Astrophysics
Color: Yellow
Food: Edamame
Movie: The Aristocats
Music/Group/Song: Clams Casino “I’m God”
Restaurant: Kouskous Express
Class: AP Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism
Book: Sean Carroll’s The Big Picture
Dream Destination: Mars
Favorite athlete: 2017 Almanac Female Athlete of the Year Kate Sramac of Mt. Lebanon
Hero: my mom
People might be surprised to know this about you? Both of my dad’s parents are immigrants; my grandfather is from India and my grandmother is from Germany.
Who you would like to have dinner with? Albert Einstein
What has sports taught you & prepared you for life? Sports have taught me that teams always beat individuals. I need to collaborate with others to accomplish my goals in life.
In 15 years, I expect to be: Researching dark matter or dark energy at NASA or as an astrophysics professor.