Senior Venkata “Sai” Krishnamurthy loved making memories with his friends, whether it was in school, at home or on the basketball court. He radiated positivity to those who were a part of his life, constantly making them laugh and creating memories that will be remembered forever.

Sai was born Sept. 11, 2003 in Jacksonville, Florida and moved to Parkland in his sophomore year of high school. At home, Sai was surrounded by his dad, Venkata Ramanaku Krishnamurthy, his mom, Jyothi Krishnamurthy, and his sister, Janaki Krishnamurthy.

At school, Sai quickly made a core group of friends that felt like family. He and his friends would spend the majority of their time playing basketball, constantly challenging each other in games and cracking jokes on the court. His friends saw him as a hilarious, loyal friend who was a kind-hearted individual to everyone.

“Sai was more than a friend, because I looked at him as an older brother. His drive and commitment to basketball and family has had such an impact on my work ethic,” senior Matthew Veerasammy said. “He was the most kind and loving human being you will ever meet. He always had a smile, and I will really miss him. His legacy will continue in our hearts and in our community. He has motivated me in life, and everything I do now is for him”

In his classes, Sai was a shy student, but sometimes made his classmates laugh by doing silly acts. He was an intelligent and dedicated student to his studies, while also helping out fellow classmates when they needed the extra help.

“Sai was a great student in English. He was on the quiet side in class but very bright and certainly endearing,” English teacher Pamela Scopino said. “He would usually be one of the last students to finish a quiz or test–not because he couldn’t do it-but because he was very careful and meticulous, and thought long and hard about his answers. I will also always remember how he borrowed my charger every day for his phone and after using it would always leave the pencil sharpener unplugged after he left class. I had to make a post-it note by the outlet that says, ‘PUT PLUG BACK IN’ to remind him, which he laughed about. We miss him in seventh period, it’s certainly not the same.”

Sai dreamed of becoming a doctor in the future, always wanting to help others. He was admitted and registered for Business of Health, a double major at Nova Southeastern University. Sai chose this double major to gain both business and pre-med skills. His goal was to go to medical school and wanted to open non-profit clinics with free medical services for underserved communities in the United States and India.

Sai’s family and friends wanted to continue his legacy by creating The Play For Sai Scholarship Fund. The goal is to raise $66,000 to fund a $6,000 scholarship each year. The fund will begin awarding scholarships starting in the 2022-2023 school year to a senior who shared the same love and passion Sai did for basketball. Sai wore the number 6 as his jersey number for Coral Springs Recreational League. The scholarship will continue Sai’s name and give him the opportunity to continue inspiring others, as he did throughout his life.

Sai passed away in a car accident on April 19 at 18 years old. At the Class of 2022 graduation ceremony on June 5, Principal Michelle Kefford remembered Sai and presented his parents with an honorary diploma and a graduation cap.

Sai’s humorous and loving personality will be missed by many.

“Sai, I say thank you because to me, you felt much more than just a friend. It was as though you were a gift and having your friendship was like an honor, so again thank you, thank you so much for living and giving us all a chance to experience what it was like to have an angel living in the flesh besides us,” senior Haivan Benjamin said.