Global Indianstory Global Indian ExclusiveGuyanese labourer’s daughter Aruna Sukhdeo is Miss India Worldwide 2023

Guyanese labourer’s daughter Aruna Sukhdeo is Miss India Worldwide 2023

Compiled by: Amrita Priya

(July 7, 2023) The daughter of an Indian-Guyanese labourer and a stay-at-home mom, Aruna Sukhdeo created history by winning the Miss India Worldwide 2023 competition becoming the second Indian-origin Guyanese to achieve the feat in the pageant’s 33-year-old history.

Since 1990, Miss India Worldwide pageant has seen the participation of young girls of the Indian diaspora from across the world. Conducted by the US-based India Festival Committee (IFC), it provides a common platform for the international Indian community to shine in the world of pageantry. It was a proud moment for the Guyanese diaspora when Aruna raised the Guyanese flag at the international stage upon winning the prestigious title and crown.

Indian youth | Aruna Sukhdeo | Global Indian

Miss India Worldwide 2023, Aruna Sukhdeo

Aruna who belongs to a family with humble backgrounds would be using the platform to work on the mental health issue – something which is affecting the well-being of youngsters across the globe. The concern comes from her own life experiences. Talking about mental health and depression, she said, “This is something that I have dealt with. In high school, I felt pressured and depressed by just trying to keep my grades up and at the same time, trying to fit in with my friends and dealing with the pressures of society.”

The fourth-year student of business economics at the University of Guyana (UG), Turkeyen Campus also won the Miss Beautiful Hair title in the competition. With music being her ‘escape’ the youngster who calls herself ‘an aspiring economist and singer’ mesmerised the judges with her singing talent during the competition. Proud of the diversity of India in the final round of the competition she said, “Everywhere we go Indian food and music is celebrated. Diversity is key in my culture and I love it.”

Overcoming fears

The only child of immigrants Bonita Baijnauth and Narhootam Sukhdeo, Aruna visited her native country, India for the first time as the competition was held in Pune. Coming from humble background and owing to fear of height the twenty-year-old had never taken a flight to India or anywhere else but has been raised to respect and identify with the Indian culture.

Every year Miss India Worldwide competition takes place in a different country. Luckily for Aruna it took place in India which gave her an opportunity to come to her native land. Talking about her flight experience, she said, “I felt like I’ve conquered one of my fears right there and that was an experience in itself before even reaching the international stage.”

The Indian experience

Not only did Aruna relish every moment of being in India, she was highly inspired with the ‘amazing’ Indian-origin talent that had travelled from different parts of the world to participate in the competition.

It was intimidating for her to see the best Indian-origin representatives from different countries competing against her. But at the same time, it was a huge opportunity for her to learn. “Simply being with those phenomenal girls, hearing their thoughts, seeing what they bring to the table, was a great experience,” she said after winning the crown.

Being in spotlight

Being on stage is something that Aruna loves right from her nursery days. When she got to know about Miss-India Guyana competition which eventually gave her entry into Miss India Worldwide pageantry, she looked at the platform as an opportunity to work on an issue which is closest to her heart – mental health.

“I looked at the pageant as an opportunity to create a platform for my voice to be heard. If you don’t have a platform, no matter how much effort you make, no one is really going to hear what you’re saying,” the twenty-year-old remarked.

She has been living with her family on the East Coast of Demerara and is totally in love with Guyana as she was born and raised there. By winning the crown Aruna’s goal has been to also ‘put the country into spotlight.’

Multitasking along the way

Although Aruna considers her time management skills to be good, participating in Miss-India Guyana and subsequently Miss India Worldwide posed many challenges as her exams were around the corner while she prepared for the two back-to-back competitions.

Just a day before the Miss-India Guyana competition the timing for her final exams and the final stage rehearsal clashed. She felt like quitting, but then reminded herself that if she wants to do something extraordinary, she would have to take the challenges in stride. “In the end, winning both the local and international titles was a testament to my hard work and determination, and was a very rewarding experience,” she remarked.

Proving the worth

Aruna considers her mother as her greatest source of inspiration who taught her the virtues of kindness, contentment, and compassion. “My mom has taught me to never look down on people, always be confident and brave in life,” said the youngster. She is also grateful to her father who despite having meagre means ensured that Aruna got the best education and all the necessities of life. “My parents support and encourage me to be independent and to give back to others.”

The youngster considers her humble upbringing as a catalyst to work towards making a positive impact in people’s lives, and is determined to make her parents even prouder. “I want to show them that their investment in me has not gone in vain,” says the beauty.

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Published on 07, Jul 2023

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Arya Giri: The 24-year-old designer at the Paris Fashion Week

(January 4, 2024) At 24, Arya Giri showcased her work at the New York Fashion Week 2022, achieving what countless designers dream their whole lives of doing. What’s more, this was a mere 10 months after she had launched her own, eponymous brand. The child who once sat admiring her mother’s Kanchivarams is now taking giant strides in the fashion world, buoyed by her own global upbringing and her royal lineage. Arya Giri sits down with Global Indian to recount her journey into global couture. [caption id="attachment_35006" align="aligncenter" width="367"] Arya Giri[/caption] A childhood passion Seven-year-old Arya sat close beside her mother as she showed her latest handloom Kanchivarams to her dear friend, Meena. Arya sat eagerly, eyes darting to take in every detail, enamoured by the sun’s beaming reflection off the glistening, pure gold zari. She scuttled across the warm Singapore house, hopped over steps of a polished wooden staircase, leaving a sudden silence in her wake. Her mother and the friend sipped on their chai and waited, sure of what she had planned this time. A moment later, Arya rushed back inside with a heap of 7 x 7 in glossy Origami papers, much to her mother’s amusement. Arya

hopped over steps of a polished wooden staircase, leaving a sudden silence in her wake. Her mother and the friend sipped on their chai and waited, sure of what she had planned this time. A moment later, Arya rushed back inside with a heap of 7 x 7 in glossy Origami papers, much to her mother’s amusement. Arya sat next to Meena Aunty and began. “See this, Aunty. It’s a parrot green body with purple designs and I know this sari will look so pretty on you!” and Meena Aunty played along. “Hmm yes baby, this is beautiful, but do you have anything in pink?”

This game was a common occurrence for Arya’s mom and her clients. “I suppose you could say that’s where Arya Giri was born,” Arya Giri says. Arya’s story is one constructed across numerous longitudes and latitudes, Missouri, California, Singapore, Chennai, and more. Having moved around so much through her formative years, Arya's understanding of her cultural roots and identity came to her through fashion. She went on to major in Fashion Media and Industries at Lasalle College of the Arts, and started her label, Arya Giri.

Fashion First

She runs Arya Giri (AG), a luxe prêt label that combines playful self-expression and evocative poetry with powerful emotional links. By incorporating narrative into the fabric of AG, they creatively bring disruptive hand-embroidery to the forefront. AG debuted at New York Fashion Week SS23 and Paris Fashion Week SS24, and is represented by Evoluzione Chennai and Delhi, Pernia's Pop-Up Shop, Flying Solo New York City and Paris, and AG e-commerce. Bindu Giri, a handloom sari brand is her mother's brand. “The brand's collection of magnificent Kanchipuram sarees online is as one-of-a-kind as it is pure, with authentic handlooms taken from Bindu Giri's royal heritage. Bindu and Arya collaborate closely with weaving communities to handcraft Kanchipuram silk saris that are meticulously handcrafted from start to finish with excellence using original ingredients and processes,” she explains.

[caption id="attachment_35007" align="aligncenter" width="518"] From the Sher-Rani collection by Arya Giri[/caption]

AG's USP is interwoven into a dual-purpose statement, is at the core of the label’s philosophy. First, is to lead the charge in presenting craft in a humorous yet poignant way. The rate at which artisanship is accepted and supported around the world is growing, but it is not keeping up with the rate at which craft communities are contracting, Arya says. “By the end of the next ten years, AG hopes to dispel the myth that good quality always comes at a premium cost and become affordable for the public. The second goal is to support a multicultural community of people who are interested in reflecting on their cultural tangibility.” The AG individual, in Arya’s eyes, is “majestic, inquisitive, and effervescent, who values quality, history, and defying convention,” and the brand intends to enhance everyday items with a touch of high culture.

Fashion Week

Ten months after she launched her label, she was invited to show her collection at the New York Fashion Week. This was her chance to establish India’s fashion footprint internationally, and to “provide a crucial platform for the story of her collection, Sher-Rani, the Tigress Queen.” The collection tells the tale of the phool wali, or flower garland maker, and how she becomes the local Tigress Queen or Sher-Rani by weaving flower garlands together. In a more contemporary interpretation, the Sher Rani shattered the glass ceiling to provide her children with a brighter future. “The combination of strength, grace, dignity and ferocity is what makes Indian women so remarkable,” Arya smiles. And flowers play an important role in every step of an Indian’s life, too, from birth to cremation.

Since then, Arya Giri has started selling merchandise in Paris and given fashion week showcases. They have interesting surprises in store for next year as well as additional ways for the public to engage with their work as part of their expansion plans for the USA.

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Sharing Lessons

Admitting that challenges are baked into the journey of a startup and the title of entrepreneurship, she consciously strives to continually remind herself that these are moments for learning and change. “I think maintaining a growth mindset is imperative since the beauty of the job is its dynamism,” she admits. Being an entrepreneur involves a wide range of skills, and Arya has learned on the job, teaching herself everything, from production management and marketing, to expansion strategies.

“It has been a truly humbling and rewarding journey. If I were to share one lesson that comes to mind, I would say it’s the fact that no matter how difficult it can be, feed your creative mind first and then your commercial mind. When you are in the startup headspace, often it can be challenging to straddle the tightrope of saleability vs. experimental creativity. Finding that sweet spot is imperative,” she says. Outside work her stress buster and emotional outlet is dance. “There is so much in the pipeline for AG, BG, and otherwise and I look forward to sharing more with you. You can expect more dynamic collections, more places to find our work, and exciting immersive experiences,” she concludes.

Follow Arya Giri on Instagram.

How Indian teen scientist Snehadeep K started the world’s first student-run space org & scientific journal

(March 12, 2022) At the age of 17, as most kids struggle with board exams, Indian teen scientist Snehadeep Kumar founded and continues to run The Aurora Academic Journal, a platform for students to publish. In October 2021, he founded the Nebula Space Organisation, the world's first space organisation run by students. It's an ambitious project, one that involves creating a floating settlement on Mars and caught the attention of Harvard University, resulting in a collaboration. He now has high aspirations of building the world’s smallest space telescope too. As he juggles his projects with his own research, the budding young Indian scientist is busy trying to decide at which University he can begin his scientific career. [caption id="attachment_12384" align="aligncenter" width="400"] Snehadeep Kumar[/caption] How a journal became the crux of knowledge When he said he wanted to reach out to the world’s top scientists to support The Aurora Academic Journal, Snehadeep was met with skepticism from friends and peers. He gave it a go anyway, dashing off emails to Bill Gates, astronaut Buzz Aldrin, Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web, Sir Peter Ratcliff, winner of the Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine, Fields Medal Winner Edward Witten, the

ld’s top scientists to support The Aurora Academic Journal, Snehadeep was met with skepticism from friends and peers. He gave it a go anyway, dashing off emails to Bill Gates, astronaut Buzz Aldrin, Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web, Sir Peter Ratcliff, winner of the Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine, Fields Medal Winner Edward Witten, the legendary anthropologist and primatologist Jane Goodall and Nobel Prize winner Dr Akira Yoshino, who developed the first commercially viable lithium-ion battery.

The initial response was as they feared – lukewarm. “We weren’t getting replies,” recalls the Indian teen scientist. In the end, persistence won the day. “I kept at it, I sent emails every day, telling them about our journal and what we hoped to do. One day, the responses began to arrive,” says Snehadeep Kumar in an interview with Global Indian. The celebrity testimonials are on display at the bottom of their website.

The Aurora Academic Journal takes entries from all over the world, across disciplines. Snehadeep stresses on the latter - there is more than just science. The website gets 500 hits a day, with interviews with Dr. Robert Lefkowitz, Nobel laureate in chemistry and Dr. Tom Welton, president of the Royal Society of Chemistry.

When science caught his fancy

Snehadeep's talent for science surfaced early - by the age of eight, in fact. His parents, keen to stoke his curiosity, subscribed to several student newspapers like Times NIE, which he read cover to cover. “I would read about science and scientific experiments and be completely fascinated by it all, also films like Interstellar and Inception, and Christopher Nolan’s Tenet inspired me,” says the Indian teen scientist. His father works at SAIL, and his mother is a homemaker.

In third grade, an astute science teacher at his school DAV Model School, Durgapur, Soma Ghosh, noticed Snehadeep’s inclinations and took it upon herself to encourage him. “She asked me to participate in a science competition - Intel IRIS,” says the lad who grew up in Durgapur, Bengal. With her help, he built a functioning electromagnetic circuit, connected to a bell. “She taught me how to conduct a project, and write about it,” he adds. In Class 9, another mentor, Sushmita Chandra, a science teacher, cemented his knowledge – he worked on three projects with her.

That year, he began looking into trapping excess water from the soil. “Roots don’t absorb all the water, so where does the rest go? Can we save it? I placed a device that comprised a filtration tank, and a containment tank - water goes into the container, then into the filter for purifying,” says the Indian teen scientist, of the filtration tank which contained moringa seeds, a natural purifier. “We tested the water, and it was fit to drink. SRM University funded the project. I also began thinking of publishing this in a journal,” he adds. Another project involved creating electricity out of carbon monoxide released from cars – creating a rechargeable hybrid battery. He wants to work on it more but being an expensive process – he hopes to continue it at university..

[caption id="attachment_12393" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Snehadeep with the project that started it all[/caption]

When experiments need publishing

Getting published is tough, the Indian teen scientist found out. He approached Nature.com and Scientific American, and was turned down. “I also learned that we need to pay to have our articles published. Besides, journals like Scientific American accept submissions only from PhD candidates, or people with undergraduate degrees,” the Indian teen scientist says.

By this time, Snehadeep was already in communication with some of the world’s top scientists - Dr Tom Welton, president of the Royal Society of Chemistry, London and the Nobel Prize-winning physicist Gerard ‘t Hooft, who, “likes to chat with students. He would send me practice papers to solve,” smiles the Indian teen scientist, adding, “I have always been interacting with scientists, Nobel Laureates, to discuss problems in maths and physics. I spoke to Dr Welton about studying abroad and my prospects at the Imperial College, London too.”

The venerable halls of Cambridge, Oxford and the Imperial College, London, are his deepest desire but “there are financial issues,” he admits. Even Ludwig Max Institute of Technology in Germany, known for its physics research in the fields of atomics and astrophysics, is on his coveted list.

When research led to discoveries

In 2021, Snehadeep met other scientifically inclined children through his favourite social media platform, Discord. “I decided to start my own journal to help brilliant kids with original research who cannot afford to pay for publishing, get a fillip,” explains the Indian teen scientist. Reaching out to friends across the globe through Discord, soon he had a team in place. The Aurora Academic Journal, an interdisciplinary online magazine for students to publish research, was born. “We have 63 members in all, and 10 on the executive team,” he smiles.

[caption id="attachment_12394" align="aligncenter" width="680"] The Moon, August 13, 2021. Shot by Jasa Rebula for the Nebula Space Organisation[/caption]

In October 2021, Snehadeep co-founded the Nebula Space Organisation, the first space organisation run entirely by students. “We would like to build the world’s smallest, functional space telescope. If all goes well, we would like to launch it by 2023-24,” says the Indian teen scientist. The team is also studying the Milankovitch Cycles (changes in climate caused by the Earth’s movements), and hopes to apply its principles on Mars. “We’re looking into what it will take to create a floating settlement on Mars,” he explains. The Nebula Space Organisation is now collaborating with Harvard University, working with students and faculty from various departments.

Always on the lookout for new programmes to do, new things to learn, normal teen activities are much too passe for him. “I received an acceptance from the Oxford summer programme but won't be able to attend because of dates,” he mulls. The Indian teen scientist is also part of the Asteroid Search by Nasa’s Astronomers Without Borders, an initiative through which citizen scientists get the chance to make original astronomical discoveries.

Teen-tastic achievements

Received a Rs 56 lakh scholarship from Lifology, to pursue a bachelor’s degree from select universities across the world.
Top 10 from India by Environcentre Foundation in 2021, for his project “Coagulated water filter and purifier.”
Silver medal in the SRM University Mission Invention. The country's biggest science fair
A Young Fellow of Harvard’s CYES. The Harvard's Entrepreneurship Society, with a very selective procedure
Immerse Education Cambridge Summer Camp in 2020 and Oxford Summer Camp in 2022
A young member of the prestigious New York Academy of Sciences, which selects 1,000 students from over 2 million entries.

Follow Snehadeep Kumar on LinkedIn

Reading Time: 6 min

Angelina Arora: The Indian-Australian teen finds a solution to single-use plastic

(June 28, 2024) A routine trip to a local grocery store made the then 11-year-old Angelina Arora committed to finding a better solution to single-use plastic. Seeing a huge number of plastic bags being carried out of the store made her understand their detrimental impact on the environment and led the Adelaide-based innovator on a quest to save Earth by finding biodegradable alternatives. Having mulled over the possible solution for years, in Class 9 as a science project, she began experimenting with corn starch and potato starch to create a biodegradable bag, however, they dissolved in water. She then tried banana peels and other waste products, however, nothing proved successful. Her eureka moment came while sitting at a local fish and chips shop and staring at a pile of fish waste - including crab shells, prawn tails and fish heads. She packed a few kilos of the discarded shells and headed straight to her Sydney Girls High School science lab to start experimenting. Noticing similarities between prawn shells and plastic, she knew she could have found the answer. "I looked at prawns and thought what makes their shells look like plastic? Maybe I can take that out and use it

[caption id="attachment_19737" align="aligncenter" width="612"] Angelina Arora during an experiment[/caption]

Making biodegradable plastic

A budding scientist, Angelina extracted chitin, a carbohydrate from prawn shells, and converted it into chitosan which she later mixed with fibron, a protein found in silkworms. "It's the same protein that spiders use to make webs. It's very sticky. When you mix it with chitin it produces a fabric that is flexible and strong and exhibits all the properties you want in plastic," she added. The biodegradable plastic decomposes 1.5 million times faster than commercial plastics and completely breaks down within 33 days of its exposure to bacteria. Her success attracted the attention of scholars and scientists across Australia and even won her the NSW Young Scientist Award in 2016, the Innovator to Market Award in the 2018 and BHP Billiton Foundation Science and Engineering Awards. Moreover, she received the fourth grand award at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair, where the innovator competed against 1800 students from over 81 countries.

[caption id="attachment_19738" align="aligncenter" width="572"] Angelina Arora with her biodegradable plastic[/caption]

According to a new OECD report, only 9 percent of plastic waste is recycled globally while 22 percent is mismanaged. Though bans and taxes on single-use plastic exist in over 120 countries, not enough is being done to reduce pollution. And Angelina thinks that biodegradable plastic - which is low-cost, durable, and insoluble - is the need of the hour. She is keen to see every plastic in the world be made out of her biodegradable plastic. "While decomposing, this eco-friendly plastic made of prawn shells releases nitrogen which is very important for plant growth and immunity. Thus, it could be used for agriculture as well, and not just for packaging," she said.

Contributing to the environment

The Flinders University student, who was the nominee for Young Australian of the Year in 2019, is hopeful that biodegradable alternatives like hers will contribute to cleaning up the environment, especially the ocean - a cause close to her heart.

Having started early, she believes the key lies in growing one's own interests. "Doing your own research outside of school gives you the freedom to do what you really like and be creative, not for a grade. You grow interests, expand awareness and increase your curiosity," she said, adding, "Plus it gives young people something productive to do for humanity rather than watching Netflix."

Angelina's invention shows how we can use scientific creativity and care for the environment to solve big problems. Her work highlights the need for sustainable practices and opens doors for future green technologies, inspiring more people to develop eco-friendly innovations.

Follow Angelina Arora on Linkedin

Reading Time: 3 min

Belagavi to Brooklyn: How Indian filmmaker Siddharth Salgaonkar’s home-grown short made it to the Toronto Film Festival

(August 27, 2023) "A film so guerilla that it was written, directed, shot, and edited by me, in my house, with no crew, and my mom as the only actor," Siddharth Salgaonkar said, about his short-film, Monster. The one-minute short was among the 23 selected from around the world to screen at the Toronto International Film Festival. It was a big break for the young Indian filmmaker and put Belagavi, a town in Karnataka, on the world map. "Monster was made using available materials and meagre resources, featured my mother Seema as an actress and my father Hemant as a crew member," the young Indian filmmaker told The Hindu. "As a child, I wanted to be either a chef or a filmmaker. I think I have made my choice now after a lot of thought," he smiled. View this post on Instagram A post shared by TIFF (@tiff_net) Siddharth was born in Belagavi and his father, Hemant Salgaonkar is an artist trained at Mumbai's JJ School of Art. Creativity runs in the family, his mother is a Marathi theatre artist and a yoga teacher and his brother graduated from the National Institute of Design in Ahmedabad and is

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Siddharth was born in Belagavi and his father, Hemant Salgaonkar is an artist trained at Mumbai's JJ School of Art. Creativity runs in the family, his mother is a Marathi theatre artist and a yoga teacher and his brother graduated from the National Institute of Design in Ahmedabad and is now a UX-Designer in California.

Siddharth went on to study at the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) in Georgia and graduated in 2022. These days, Siddharth lives in Brooklyn, where he continues to pursue his dream of being a writer / director / actor. He's also exploring a new interest - standup comedy. Now a regular performer in New York's standup comedy circuit, the polymath is also working on his next independent film. "I'd dreamt of living in New York since I was little," the Global Indian says. "I'm in love with the city and the people and want to continue living here for the foreseeable future."

Early Student Films

He began making films as a student at the Srishti School of Art in Bengaluru, doing both fiction and non-fiction. His first film, Call, explores the relationship between a mother and son, and was based on true events. In the film, the protagonist waits for a call from his mother, which never comes. Although he doesn't know why, he senses that something is wrong. In 'Delete', a "seven shot short", a young man becomes oddly attached to an eraser. His films usually focus on the mundane, but are filled with tension and leave the audience wondering why. In Masala Beda, for instance, he captures the anxious anticipation of a student who waits for his order at the college canteen.

The non-fiction work of young Indian filmmaker, on the other hand, takes on social concerns. 'Livelihood on a Ride' delves into the ongoing battle that street vendors have against the municipality and the government in Bengaluru, as they jostle each other for space to make their meagre living. Ganesh Visarjan Bangalore is a brief documentary of the Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations in Yelahanka.

Although his shorts make an impact, they have their share of challenges. "As an independent filmmaker, you have to restrict yourself while writing a film to make sure you can afford to make it," he explains. "I would like to believe that my ability to write humour - especially the dark, satirical kind - is one of my best characteristics," says Siddharth, who sees himself as a writer first, then an actor and a standup comedian. "Stories play the most important role in my life. Coming from a small town in India, there are a lot of culturally unique stories and experiences that I have picked up that I want to narrate to the world."

Follow Siddharth on Instagram.

Changemaker Shloka Ashok is ensuring students her age land internships

(April 11, 2023) Studying in X standard, 16-year-old Shloka Ashok wanted to intern at a company that could help her enhance her knowledge and also gains the experience of working in an organisation. Talented, and a brilliant student, the youngster made a list of companies she wanted to work at and started sending internship applications to each one. The trouble was, no one wanted to hire a 16-year-old. While, a year later, the changemaker managed to get an internship through her parents, she couldn't help thinking that she didn't get the internship through her merit. And that is what got her motivated to start her platform, InternMee. The online platform connects high school students with companies offering internships, leadership, and volunteering opportunities. "Our mission is to give students access to the right network, exposure to various careers and opportunities, and ultimately accelerate their journeys into the work world. Our platform is ideal for mid-size to large companies, student-run organisations, start-ups, and NGOs across sectors," the young changemaker said. Enabling over 11000 students through her portal, Shloka recently received the prestigious Diana Award for her contribution towards empowering the world's youth. "I am immensely grateful to receive The Diana Award and

portunities, and ultimately accelerate their journeys into the work world. Our platform is ideal for mid-size to large companies, student-run organisations, start-ups, and NGOs across sectors," the young changemaker said.

Enabling over 11000 students through her portal, Shloka recently received the prestigious Diana Award for her contribution towards empowering the world's youth. "I am immensely grateful to receive The Diana Award and be part of a global community of young, inspirational changemakers. This international award cements my belief that young people have the power to change the world and the recognition not only provides the validation that every young changemaker needs, but also acts as a driving force to do more," the Global Indian expressed, soon after receiving the award.

Driven and passionate

Since a young age, Shloka has been driven and focussed on doing something productive daily. A brilliant student, the changemaker has won several laurels over the years. However, it was quite disheartening for the youngster when she couldn't get any internship, despite being eligible. "Back in 2020, just when COVID-19 hit, I was keen to pursue a meaningful internship during my summer vacation. My research led me nowhere, and my parents used their contacts to help me. But I felt it was unfair as they did not gauge my skills and I was hired purely based on their recommendation," the changemaker said.

While several other students might have dismissed the incident, it got Shloka thinking about how difficult it would be for students whose parents didn't have such a big network. "There are many students who would want to do their internship and look for different companies but are helpless as they don't get an opportunity anywhere. I began thinking about students in India and abroad who might not get beyond the classroom opportunities to gain new skills and understand their true capabilities," she shared.

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While she wanted to do something to help the other student, she didn't know what or where to begin. "I conducted a survey among 350 students across the globe and found out that 95 percent of them were thinking to do an internship, but didn't know what to do," said the changemaker, who after reviewing several survey applications, decided to start a platform to allow these young minds an insight into potential career paths, enabling them to explore their interests and aptitudes in search of their ikigai.

Standing up for a noble cause

In December 2020, Shloka launched InternMee - which is purely for students and run by students. "The type of internships that students want to take up and the connections they want to make do matter for their future. Through InternMee, we connect students with start-ups as well as NGOs or social initiatives that they'd be interested in volunteering for. We also connect them with other student-run organisations. All this is for free and we don't charge a single rupee for connecting students and companies," she said.

I am grateful to receive the @DianaAward This award cements my belief that young people have the power to change the world. I aim to continue working towards creating equitable opportunities & this award has motivated me to dream bigger & take on more social responsibilities(1/3) pic.twitter.com/PKgqwW3XUP

— Shloka Ashok (@shloka_ashok) July 2, 2022

So, how does the platform works? Students have to just sign up on the platform and gain access to a range of internship opportunities across fields. They can apply to postings that interest them and the applications would be sent to the concerned organisation, which would evaluate candidates before choosing to offer them the position. "We don't charge the companies either on our platform. But what we have started monetising is the partnerships or collaborations that we post on our website and Instagram page," she said. The platform has over 35,000 students registered, from over 85 countries and was featured in the top 10 internship search websites by a recent survey.

Going forward the young changemaker plans to leverage InternMee, to open doors to the less privileged, by building a focussed track for students in government schools. "I aim to continue working towards creating equitable opportunities and receiving The Diana Award has motivated me to dream bigger and take on more social responsibilities. We are in discussion with some NGOs and see this as one of the future paths for our organisation," she expressed.

Follow Shloka Ashok on Instagram

Reading Time: 5 mins

Guyanese labourer’s daughter Aruna Sukhdeo is Miss India Worldwide 2023