Aryan Kumar: US Presidential Scholar promoting dental hygiene in rural India
Compiled by: Charu Thakur
(July 28, 2023) Shrewsbury resident Aryan Kumar, an 18-year-old activist from Massachusetts and one of the 161 recipients of the US Presidential Scholar 2022 award, believes that a single email could be the catalyst for a transformative program benefiting thousands of rural Indian residents. Through his initiative, Forgotten 32, Aryan aims to promote dental hygiene in India’s rural villages. This impactful program not only addresses a pressing health issue but also showcases the potential of young Indian Americans in making a significant difference in the world.
Aryan’s journey started when he discovered the alarming lack of awareness about oral hygiene among people in India. Motivated by this revelation, he took it upon himself to educate underprivileged children in the country about the importance of dental care. To support his cause, Aryan collected essential supplies from local dentist offices and distributed them to those in need, making a meaningful impact on the lives of many vulnerable individuals.
Aryan Kumar
“I emailed a lot of dentists in Central Massachusetts to see if they would donate dental floss, toothbrushes and toothpaste to help,” he told MetroWest Daily News in an interview, adding, “We got around 1,000 donations, and I brought them to India and travelled a few hour outside of New Delhi to poorer villages and spoke in Hindi to teach children about these things and explained how to use them, before giving them to the kids.”
His relentless efforts as a senior at the Advanced Math and Science Academy yielded remarkable results, benefiting thousands of children through his partnership with the Ekal Vidyalaya Foundation, which facilitated the distribution of dental hygiene supplies to those in need. However, the pandemic put a screeching halt to the plan. Not one to be fazed by roadblocks, the activist has plans in place, “My ultimate goal is to set up full-time medical clinics in rural India.”
The recipient of US Presidential Scholars medal believes that more than grades, it’s the extracurriculars that distinguish him from his peers. “A high SAT score is impressive but a lot of people have that. I have a pretty high GPA, too, but I don’t think those are the separating factors. I think the separating factors for me were the extracurriculars I was a part of,” the activist added.
In addition to founding Forgotten 32, Aryan Kumar is also the visionary behind Enough is Enough, a non-profit dedicated to promoting social justice and combating police brutality and racism in Massachusetts. Boasting a membership of over 2000 individuals, the organisation played a pivotal role in coordinating impactful Black Lives Matter protests across central Massachusetts. Its significant influence has grown exponentially, with more than 30 chapters established throughout the United States, amplifying the fight for equality and justice in communities across the nation.
Aryan leading the Enough Is Enough initiative
With a passion for biology, Aryan Kumar is set to embark on his academic journey at Washington University in St. Louis this fall. Demonstrating his dedication to the field, he used his summer to assist college students in their research projects, seeking a deeper understanding and perspective before finalising his career path.
“I cold-emailed about 100 professors. I got three responses — one saying no, one saying they had retired, and one from Dr. Lynn Adler (from UMass Amherst). I spent a lot of time working with her and Ph.D. students on their projects, to see if I really wanted to do biology and if this was something I was cut out to do,” he told the daily.
Aryan has set a academic path for himself but at the same time he wants to continue to dedicate his time and efforts to the impactful initiative he founded, Forgotten 32, where he strives to make a difference in the lives of underprivileged children in rural India by promoting dental hygiene and providing essential support.
(March 30, 2023) Almost every year, over one million kids die as a result of not getting vaccinated on time. The unavailability of vaccination transportation and storage facilities in several developing parts of the world has proven to be fatal for those who cannot afford expensive healthcare institutions. While the world leaders are still discussing the issue, a young innovator - Anurudh Ganesan - has been working tirelessly to resolve the problem in his backyard. At just 15, Anurudh invented VAXXWAGON, a portable refrigeration system to transport vaccines safely and effectively. The invention won him a slew of awards, including the LEGO Education Builder Award and the Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes. The VAXXWAGON runs on a "no ice, no electricity" system and is very cost-effective (less than $100), and can also keep the temperature consistent for several hours at a stretch. Living in Clarksburg, USA, the young innovator's VAXXWAGON is inspired by the problems faced by healthcare workers who have to transport vaccines to the remotest corners of the world. After working on the prototype for several years, the youngster came up with a machine that would require only 2.3 watts of energy to cool a well-insulated cold
tPdf/11314" target="_blank" rel="noopener">VAXXWAGON is inspired by the problems faced by healthcare workers who have to transport vaccines to the remotest corners of the world. After working on the prototype for several years, the youngster came up with a machine that would require only 2.3 watts of energy to cool a well-insulated cold chamber. "In this day and age, nobody should die from vaccine-preventable diseases," the innovator believes, "I’m committed to seeing this project through to the next phase. I will have succeeded when the first person’s life is saved because of VAXXWAGON.”
Destiny's child
When he was an infant, his grandparents carried him ten miles in rural South India to get him his routine polio vaccination. When they finally arrived, they found the vaccines were useless after having not been refrigerated for an extended period. "I was fortunate," he told Global Indian, adding, "For many, that trek to be vaccinated is a matter of life and death." Anurudh was able to receive the vaccine the next day but realised that so many others aren’t as lucky, with 4,000 children dying every day from vaccine-preventable diseases.
Always the one to raise important questions and come up with innovative solutions, he recalls asking his father when he was five years old, about inventing a vehicle that doesn't need gas. Anurudh didn't stop there. He went on to research the subject, learning everything he could about self-generating power. In keeping with this, VAXXWAGON works with "wheel-powered refrigeration". As the wheel turns, mechanical energy is converted to thermal energy and can keep vaccines cold for up to 16 hours after being powered for only half that time.
What an idea
It was while he was working on a school project that the young innovator got the idea for VAXXWAGON. He read several textbooks to learn everything he could about refrigeration, then he did research online to learn more about vaccines. Next, he began formulating his ideas on paper. Rather than relying on electricity or ice, Anurudh figured out a way to use wheels to power a refrigeration system for about eight hours. The entire rechargeable cooling system can be pulled to areas in need of vaccines by bicycle, car, or animal.
However, there was a loophole in his design that he not only identified but also managed to fix. To be safe and effective, vaccines must maintain a "Goldilocks temperature" between 2 and 8 degrees Celsius — similar to a very cold refrigerator — from the time they leave the manufacturers to the moment they reach the patient. Hospitals will package the vaccine on ice, but this can easily backfire if the ice is too cold and freezes the vials, or if it melts before the vaccine reaches its destination. "I took a refrigerator apart," the innovator recalled, adding, "I saw how it worked and tried to re-engineer it so that it used no electricity and no ice to provide accurate refrigeration of vaccines while in transport." All this, in roughly $100.
Eventually, Anurudh took his design to professors at Johns Hopkins University in Maryland for advice. Not only did they confirm that VAXXWAGON could work, but they also offered Anurudh funding to help build it. To test the prototype he had built, the innovator ran the VAXXWAGON on a treadmill at eight miles per hour for six hours — racking up the energy to power the refrigerator — and let it rest for nearly five hours to collect data while the compressor wasn't being powered. In this simulated last leg of the trip, the fake vaccines maintained a temperature in the Goldilocks ranges for over four hours.
The road ahead
After nearly two years of refining a half-dozen prototypes, Anurudh has a patent pending for his latest design of VAXXWAGON now. He has won several awards for his innovation including Google Science Fair and also got a chance to demonstrate the working of the machine to US President Obama at the annual White House Science Fair. However, his main priority at this time is to start selling the machine to relief organisations by the end of the year so it can be used to help people around the world.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CnDevi9r0hM
“In my mind,” the innovator said, "my design will be a success as soon as it saves even a single life. If it can save one life, it can save many more.” Currently, pursuing a finance degree at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, Anurudh's message to the other young innovators is quite simple. "Don’t give up on your ideas. But always try to help others with your projects. That’s the point of innovation - to help people."
(July 27, 2022) At her home in Chennai, a young Tanya Elizabeth Ken was perplexed seeing a 16-year-old girl clean her house. Upon enquiring, she was informed that the teenager had to fend for her family, at an age when she should have been studying. This was her first encounter with "inequality in education." "She loved playing Sudoku, and had the aptitude, but education eluded her because she had to provide for her family. That's when my parents stepped in and started teaching her to read and speak in English," says Ken, who learnt at an early age that anyone has the power to make a change. The changemaker did so by launching LakshyaShala at the age of 14 to help underserved kids to have a fair chance at studying. Having created a difference in the lives of 700 underprivileged students so far by helping them step out of poverty, Tanya is handholding them towards a profession of their choice. It began with her struggle in finding a path to a career in cybersecurity. "Our education system is not equipped enough to help us reach our goals, even for students like me who are privileged enough. If this is the
lp us reach our goals, even for students like me who are privileged enough. If this is the plight of students in top schools, what about the students in underserved communities? That made me start LakshyShala to help connect the dots and lead them to their goals," Tanya tells Global Indian.
[caption id="attachment_19917" align="aligncenter" width="408"] Tanya Elizabeth Ken is the founder of LakshyaShala.[/caption]
Personal struggle leads to a mission
The passion for video games led the Chennai-raised towards a path that's set at the intersection of technology and education. Her love for tech began in grade four when she decided to become a video game developer. "I wanted to code my own video game, and even learnt C++ (a programming language)," smiles the 20-year-old. Her interest in technology translated into a mission when she was in grade eight with her sudden curiosity in cybersecurity. "My dad's an HR manager and my mom is a web designer, and they couldn't help me with the field of cybersecurity. Even school wasn't able to guide me properly. That's when it dawned upon me that despite being a part of the privileged society, I had trouble figuring out my way. How are students in underserved communities treading this path?" This question kept gnawing at her consciousness, and it was at Technovation Challenge in the US in 2017 that the changemaker came up with a possible solution.
"I realised it was a deeply-rooted problem that affected students across the globe, so we decided to match a student with an alumnus who has actualised the aspiration, and can handhold the student in his/her journey towards realising this dream. This gave birth to LakshyaShala in 2017 with the aim of equality in education," says the Iowa State University student.
On her return to Chennai, the changemaker interacted with the students of a government school in Tirusulam and found that most were only exposed to a few professions. "They idolised police officers and teachers and had no aspiration to see beyond these professions. It was unfair that the education system wasn't giving them exposure. Making a career in arts like music was unheard of. I asked myself how we can break the cycle of poverty if they are not getting an equal chance in education," says Tanya who registered the edtech firm LakshyaShala with the seed money she won at the Technovation Challenge. This propelled her to engage with 2 NGOs - The New LEED Trust in Perungudi and Paadhai Home in Valasvaravakam - and a government school in Trisulam, wherein LakshyaShala developed a unified component model that "creates an ecosystem for actionable solutions that cover 11 out of 17 UN SDGs."
Edtech firm with a difference
While the Baton app, which won the first position at the Technovation Challenge in 2019, is a masterstroke for social impact - passing on the incomplete social initiatives from one social worker to another after their term expires, without halting the progress of the project, the DNI Funnel helps to recruit talent from the underserved communities. "We realised that all stakeholders - social workers, corporates, government, and NGOs - need to come together to solve the problem, and not work as separate entities," says the changemaker.
The Technovation Challenge 2020 planted the seeds of the goal-shadowing app, which helps an underprivileged kid goal-shadow the tasks done by a privileged child. "The app then matches them with a mentor, and both of them can get the same exposure as each other," adds Tanya who is happy with the impact that LakshyaShala has made in the last few years. "Stella and Ishwarya, children in a home run by an NGO called Paadhai in Chennai, were the finalists in Technovation Challenge which help them win $12000, a sum they are now using for their education. LakshyaShala helped both of them realise their interest in the STEM field, and I cannot be happier," beams Tanya.
[caption id="attachment_19927" align="aligncenter" width="488"] Tanya with the team that I mentored for the Technovation Challenge in 2019.[/caption]
The patchy road
Making LakshyaShala a success was a journey full of trials and tribulations. The initial skepticism of parents was a hindrance that LakshyaShala had to deal with. "We had to be very patient. Since everything was new for the kids - from learning to use the computers to speaking in English, we had to work on creating a safe environment for them to learn. Helping them understand that making mistakes is a part of the journey," adds the girl who is driven to learn more about AI and Machine Learning to solve social-related issues. A computer science undergrad in the US, Tanya found it initially difficult to settle in their education system. "In India, it's a very theory-based system but there they focus on practical and application. Also, since I home-schooled in my Class 11 and 12 to focus on LakshyaShala, it was hard to get back to a structured environment and to not study at my pace," smiles the changemaker who is currently in Chennai after wrapping up her first-year exams.
She is now focused on building the team, funding, networking, and creating proper technology for the key modules. "I now want to expand LakshyaShala to the US, of course, with some tweaks," says the girl who loves skateboarding, cycling, and mountain climbing. The young changemaker calls "winning by failure" her biggest lesson in the journey. "I have learnt that failures are never a setback. There is always another way to solve it."
(August 24, 2024)In the midst of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, PM Modi made a historic visit to Ukraine, meeting with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. This marked the first time an Indian prime minister has visited Ukraine since the two countries established diplomatic relations over 30 years ago. The visit has garnered significant global attention, with many expecting the Indian prime minister to play a mediating role. Global Indian reached out to two young Ukrainian nationals to get their perspectives on Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Ukraine during these trying times of war. It's rare for Viktoria Burenkova to be in the audience. Typically, during big events or special occasions, she’s the one captivating crowd with her Bharatanatyam performances. As a regular performer at events organised by the Embassy of India in Ukraine, she was invited to attend Prime Minister Modi’s reception ceremony in the country. The Ukrainian Bharatanatyam dancer, who performs under the stage name Vijaya Bai, is passionate about the art form and teaches it in Kyiv, despite never having visited India. Meanwhile, Yevheniia Fedotova, a product manager by profession, spent a year in India as an ICCR scholar in 2017-18 and visited the country again last year. With a
eaches it in Kyiv, despite never having visited India.
Meanwhile, Yevheniia Fedotova, a product manager by profession, spent a year in India as an ICCR scholar in 2017-18 and visited the country again last year. With a deep passion for volunteerism, she is associated with an NGO as its vice-president, and has been voluntarily coordinating the Ukrainian parliament’s deputy group on inter-parliamentary affairs with the Republic of India. Based in Kyiv, she works for Convosight, an Indian multinational firm with headquarters in Gurugram.
[caption id="attachment_38941" align="aligncenter" width="621"] Viktoria (right) and Yevheniia (centre) during India's Republic Day celebration in Ukraine in 2022[/caption]
The young women who have deep love and respect for India shared their opinions and expectations about the Indian PM’s visit to their country during these tough times:
Viktoria Burenkova
Bharatnatyam exponent and teacher
“We face challenges every day because of Russia, but life goes on. We have to keep working and supporting our army because, honestly, what else can we do? Everyone here is affected, even if you are living in a relatively safe area. Your relatives and neighbours might be in the army, so you are constantly stressed. Shelling happens often, and one hears the air raid alarms five-ten times a day, depending upon the situation. Even when you are sleeping, you hear it, and you never know if the next bomb will hit your house. We don’t expect things to be fine anytime soon. The war impacts every aspect of life, including mental health.
When we watch the news, we see our soldiers. Those of us who have stayed back feel a deep sense of support for our army men. We are hopeful about the Indian PM visit because India possesses one of the world's richest and most profound philosophies. Every war is essentially a battle between good and evil, and the most important thing is to be on the side of good.
As India is a spiritual country, we believe that by coming here, seeing what’s happening, meeting our people, talking to our President, and listening to his perspective, Mr Modi can play a significant role as a mediator in this situation by understanding Ukraine’s perspective. We truly hope for a positive outcome from this visit. We trust in India's Vedic system, knowing that India has the capability to discern what is right and wrong, and to align with what is just and moral."
In many ways, we are similar to India - our emotions, our traditions - and we have warm feelings for India. The Indians living here, despite the war, are so helpful, always trying to explain Ukraine’s perspective to others.
Viktoria attended the event with a few members of her dance school, Nakshatra. “All of us were truly honoured to be invited to such a high-profile occasion. Some of us wore saris while others chose the traditional Ukrainian dress, the Vyshyvanka,” she shared.
Yevheniia Fedotova
Social activist and project manager in a multinational firm
“I feel happy because this is the first time India’s Prime Minister has visited an independent Ukraine. There was a visit in 1982 by late Indira Gandhi, but that was long ago when Ukraine was still part of the USSR.
However, I am unsure whether Modi’s approach to peace in Ukraine aligns with the vision of the Ukrainian people. I worry that if there is a discrepancy between Modi’s peace efforts and Ukraine’s expectations, it might lead to significant disappointment on both sides. As I understand it, India is making mediation efforts to achieve a peaceful resolution to the war. We want peace too, but our enemy, Russia, is not a country that respects diplomacy or international order - it only understands power, particularly nuclear power.
India has strong defence capabilities and can speak to Russia, and Russia depends on India. However, Russia also has some influence in India, and unfortunately, that influence is not beneficial for Ukraine. Russia is a vast country with a large population and more resources than we have. India may give some preference to Russia, not because of any goodwill on Russia’s part, but because India cares for the safety for its own people.
To be honest, if there were no war and India remained friends with Russia, it wouldn’t bother me. But in these times, when Ukrainians - and especially the Indian students here - are under so much stress, it’s hard to accept that Russia seems more significant to India.
We have hope from Modi’s visit, but we are concerned that he might push for freezing the conflict. For Ukraine, freezing the conflict would mean we wouldn’t regain our territories, and our prisoners wouldn’t return home.
We want peace, but that peace must include regaining our land and bringing our people back from captivity. We are grateful for the humanitarian aid India has sent us. I believe that if Ukraine wins, it will set a strong precedent—that if a small country like Ukraine can reclaim its territories, it will set an example for India that its borders, as marked by the United Nations, will remain secure from any encroachment by China. India should be more invested in a Ukrainian victory.”
Love and expectations from India
Both Viktoria and Yevheniia are in their late 20s. As a dance exponent with an Indian stage name, Viktoria’s life is structured around Bharatanatyam. She started learning Hindi at the age of 18 and can speak a little in Telugu and Punjabi as well.
While Yevheniia pursued her bachelor’s and master’s in Hindi at the Taras Shevchenko University in Ukraine, and studied for a year at the Kendriya Hindi Sansthan in New Delhi. Like Viktoria she holds a deep affection for India, having experienced the beauty of the country and its people. “I even defend India when friends criticise it, saying, ‘Look at how much oil India is purchasing from Russia,’” she laughs. “But that doesn't mean India is bad; India is a good nation, I tell them."
Like other young Ukrainians, both Viktoria and Yevheniia hope that world leaders, including the Indian PM, will understand their country's perspective and support their nation in overcoming the crisis without having to bow down.
(November 5, 2022 ) Aman Anubhav lives in Sikahar, a village in the interiors of Gaya, the sacred city of Bihar. Nestled into the forest, the weather is cool all year round with the temperature difference between the main town and Sikahar varyies up to five degrees. “In the night it gets very dark here. So, I grew up watching lots of stars and constellations. My father became astronomy teacher, helping me understand the wonders of the natural science” says the teenager. The founder of DeuxStem, which teaches space science to the layman, Aman received his first smartphone only when the pandemic hit and classes were moved online. With it, his knowledge grew multifold over the next couple of years, so much so that Aman is already passing on what he has learned to the less privileged. During the pandemic, the family faced such dire financial constraints that Aman even had to quit studying at a private school and enroll temporarily in the local village school. Still, he persevered. Currently studying in Class 12 at Delhi Public School, Bodh Gaya, Aman educates people about physics, astronomy and aerospace through his website, social media and YouTube channel, has received appreciation
lass="size-full wp-image-23868 aligncenter" src="https://www.globalindian.com/youth//wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Aman_image.jpg" alt="Indian Youth | Aman Anubhav | Global Indian" width="1213" height="926" />
Currently studying in Class 12 at Delhi Public School, Bodh Gaya, Aman educates people about physics, astronomy and aerospace through his website, social media and YouTube channel, has received appreciation from National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and also from many other globally renowned organisations from the sphere of space science.
Apart from creating educational content, DeuxStem is working in partnership with International Astronomical Search Collaboration (IASC)that provides high-quality astronomical data to citizen scientists around the world, to make original astronomical discoveries and participate in hands-on astronomy.
Aman and his team have been identifying asteroids (small rocky objects that orbit the Sun) in collaboration with IASC. Two of the twelve identified asteroids are already under deep review of NASA. Deeply inclined towards the STEM subjects, Aman has also digitally developed 105 aerospace equipment designs, some of which have stood out in competitions and been acknowledged by specialists in the domain.
All about space
The sixteen-year-old student of standard 12, DPS, Bodh Gaya strives to deliver top class pedagogy in advanced STEM knowledge to the masses. “My purpose in starting DeuxStem was to put all my aerospace equipment designs, and research papers on modern physics, quantum physics, special relativity, general relativity in one place so that people can read them, and get educated.”
Within months of his initiative, he was thrilled to get an appreciation from NASA, European Space Agency, Ariane Group – an aerospace company based in France, JAXA Space Center, Japan, and astronaut Tim Peake,” he tells Global Indian.
https://youtu.be/IAPEjUQjghc
We also got a very good appreciation post from Canadian Space Agency. They even started following our organisation on social media and website. German Aerospace Centre (DLR) also acknowledged our efforts. This motivated us to create some more digital designs of aerospace equipment - Aman Anubhav
Developing aerospace equipment designs
“These days people want to go to places other than earth, and it is possible only with the help of aerospace equipment,” he smiles. Aman dreams big and doesn’t shy away from the work either and taught himself the basics of aerospace design.
As a reward, the Bihar boy has bought himself a new tablet, after having achieved so much with just a smartphone. “I was introduced to a smart phone for the first time during the Covid-19 outbreak, when my school classes shifted online. Before that, we were strictly not allowed to use them,” he says. Like any teenager, he spent his time playing games, watching videos and streaming films.
Aman explored aerospace through a game he had on his phone. “That’s how my passion for designing aerospace equipment developed,” he says. Although there is software available to create these designs, doing so requires a good amount of scientific knowledge. This he acquired through books and research papers from Springer, the German multinational publishing company, watching YouTube videos and going through relevant material available at MIT OpenCourseWare (OCW), a web-based publication of virtually all MIT course content. “It has some really good courses in aerospace dynamics - that helped,” he says. Aman also watched movies like Interstellar, Ad Astra and Martian.
[caption id="attachment_23873" align="aligncenter" width="839"] Aman Anubhav[/caption]
One of the designs that he is really proud of is a piece of equipment he has named Vyomgami. Derived from the Sanskrit word Vyom Shastra, the name means the scripture of aerospace. “Weather balloons are used to launch rockets to the upper atmosphere and then ejected there, helping the rocket take off without having to fight atmospheric resistance. That’s how it gets into orbit with very little fuel consumption.” Vyomgami is meant to facilitate this process.
The design of Vyomgami stood out in a competition organised by Spaceonova, an organisation that educates people about space and aerospace. He has also come up with solutions that he has named Rakshak and Pavana that can help achieve sustainable energy and clean climate.
Don’t expect the voyage to be a cruise - we should focus on research and innovation rather than scores to help secure the true act for which humans are here - 'Development' - Aman Anubhav
Aman attended one of Asia’s largest Techfest, IIT Bombay Techfest last year. Amidst the many talented young minds, he got acquainted with Roshan Naidu a VIT student who is now the co-founder of DeuxStem, taking care of the operations part of it. He has also participated in CERN - European Council for Nuclear Research conference. "I got the opportunity to interact with Dr Steven Goldfarb from University of Melbourne working at ATLAS experiments for the launch of LHC (large hadron collider), Higgs Boson, Gravity & Graviton and particles & nuclear physics," he tells.
Finding asteroids
Talking about his partnership with IASC, Aman says, “It’s a not-for-profit organisation that enjoys sponsorship from well-known research bodies like NASA, International Astronomical Union, Catalina Sky Survey etc. to equip citizen scientists with knowledge of astronomy.
IASC get pictures of the night sky directly from NASA-controlled Pan-STARRS Observatory in Hawaii. “These pictures are like data of identifying asteroids, which is a technical and tedious process.”
[caption id="attachment_23875" align="aligncenter" width="950"] The process of finding asteroid in progress[/caption]
There are certain criteria to classify an asteroid. Since it involves processing an extremely large amount of data (several Petabytes per night are captured by NASA telescope), they send it to IASC, giving citizen scientists an opportunity to make original astronomical discoveries and participate in hands-on astronomy. In collaboration with IASC, Aman and his team have educated 85 people from places like USA, Pakistan, Morocco, Iran and other countries on astronomy, hand-holding them in identifying asteroids. The discovered asteroids are then put under deep review of scientists at NASA.
“It’s such a technical and tedious process that in close to three years, we have been able to identify just about 12 preliminary stage asteroids,” says Aman.
Out of those 12, two have qualified for the probational phase of study by NASA scientists. “The process of the preliminary stage asteroids getting categorized for probational review takes another six-to-10 months. Once NASA confirms after their investigation, we will get to name the asteroids we identified,” he says.
Aman is associated with Child Rights and You (CRY), and has raised funds to support the cause. He was also selected to the prestigious LaunchX 2022 a programme hosted by MIT to promote entrepreneurship and technology. "Just about 10 percent of students who apply for the programme get selected globally for this programme," says he.
Although the programme was scheduled offline at the University of Michigan, due to covid protocols it was conducted online. With a team of students from different countries, Aman developed a startup - SEDU which was a solution to teach teenagers about the importance of sexual knowledge and removing taboos attached to it. To facilitate knowledge in a fun way he and his team developed a physical board game and a web game. Through marketing and sale they got successful in generating $285 during the five weeks course and $500 thereafter for the business model, completing the programme with flying colours.
Life and role models
Aman comes from a humble background. His father, a farmer, is still trying to recover from the losses of the pandemic, after his business shut down. It was so hard on the family that Aman had to discontinue his studies at DPS and enroll himself in the village public school for a time. “When I was in class 9, it became difficult to continue studying at the local school so I was re-admitted to DPS,” says Aman. He aims for a PhD in Astrophysics, so that he can be a researcher from “the very start.”
The Bihar teen is deeply inspired by Google CEO Sundar Pichai and relates to him a lot. “His father had to spend a year’s salary to buy him the air ticket to send him to Stanford University in the US” remarks he adding, “I too cannot afford higher education.” Like his role model he aims to bag a scholarship from a good institution to take forward his dreams.
In his free time, the youngster likes going to the farm with his father and even enjoys helping his mother in the kitchen. “It’s not very conventional for boys to work in the kitchen where I live but my mother appreciates it,” says the teen who could barely converse in English until 2019. “It was after getting my phone that I immersed myself in listening to TED talks and podcasts, and from there I have picked up the ability and confidence to speak English,” he says.
The teenager is a good example of how to put technology to good use for enhancing one’s knowledge and personality, and that if there is a will, a lot can be achieved even when the resources are limited.
(April 13, 2023) Aryan Verma arrives at our virtual meeting dressed to the nines, in formal attire. "I'm an investment banker," he says, when I ask him about it. At 20, Aryan, who is a student at The University of Sydney Business School, juggles two internships alongside. "It's pretty full on," Aryan admits but since he also hopes to follow in the footsteps of Warren Buffet, Ray Dalio, Bill Ackman and Chase Coleman who began their own firms at the age of 26, he’s got a lot to do. He's already the founder of Young Entrepreneurs Connect, which has chapters across Australia and the US and the Managing Director (Australia) at Beyond the Bounds, an organisation that addresses mental health concerns among GenZ. He also works with the Newland Global Group, which works to leverage bilateral relations between India and Australia. Growing up in Sydney Aryan’s dad moved to Australia in 1996 and when he married in 2001, his wife joined him there as well. Aryan was born two years later, in December 2002. "I had a pretty traditional upbringing," he says, during his interview with Global Indian. His parents wanted him to do medicine, and his own academic record
Aryan’s dad moved to Australia in 1996 and when he married in 2001, his wife joined him there as well. Aryan was born two years later, in December 2002. "I had a pretty traditional upbringing," he says, during his interview with Global Indian. His parents wanted him to do medicine, and his own academic record was in line with that. He studied at Sydney Boys' High School, part of the prestigious AAGPS network, the equivalent of the 'Great Nine' or 'Clarendon Schools' in England. Growing up between two cultures and continents, Aryan Verma had the unique opportunity to learn from diverse perspectives and experiences, which has undoubtedly shaped his entrepreneurial spirit and success today. He was offered a partial scholarship to Harvard University, which he turned down because the tuition fee was still out of reach.
When he was around 14, Aryan discovered an interest in finance and investment banking, and began teaching himself real estate valuations. He would even send out his estimates of listed unit blocks to see how close he was to the offer price. "It's not really a field you can enter so young, though, so I switched to startups and entrepreneurship." By the time he turned 16, he was "ahead of the curve," he says. "I had observed that an entrepreneurial mindset is beneficial for every industry, no matter what your career is and I wanted to spread that message."
[caption id="attachment_29221" align="aligncenter" width="426"] Aryan Verma, founder, Young Entrepreneurs Connect[/caption]
Young Entrepreneurs Connect
That year, he started Young Entrepreneurs Connect and held the organisation's first event just before Covid-19 hit - YEC collaborates with universities to help them build their entrepreneurship programmes. It did well almost immediately, with about 60 people attending their first event, and speakers from companies like Deloitte, Mercedes and a handful of nonprofits. "We wanted to give high-schoolers clarity about career options and that there is always room for them to be entrepreneurs." For a sixteen-year-old, this is no joke. It meant patience, lots of cold emailing and aggressive social media campaigning. At the end of the event, they recruited more students to the organisation.
The pandemic hit soon after and YEC hopped onto the Zoom bandwagon. It allowed them to expand to the US fairly quickly. "Our community events were a lot stronger in the US, we started working with societies, clubs and external events." I ask him about his process - "a blanket search for major universities and their entrepreneurial efforts for students," he replies. The cold emails worked, as Aryan suspected they would, because "we were free labour, basically." Today, the US chapter accounts for more than 50 percent of their 4000-strong community and includes collaborations with several universities.
What YEC does
YEC Talks are the organisation's flagship events, and are held both virtually and in-person through the year. Experts from various industries are invited to discuss trends, career trajectories and entrepreneurship efforts, creating a bridge between students planning their careers and professionals who are the top of their fields. They try to keep the panels diverse, including company founders, executives, investors, academic and politicians.
There are also the YEC podcasts, which are also available on YouTube and lunchtime school clubs, called 'interschools'. The later helps to create engaging spaces for students, giving them supplementary learning and allowing students to pick their own leaders and members. The YEC syllabus, which Aryan says is being developed still, currently includes topics from business knowledge to startup skills, career insights and advice on how to make investments. These clubs also compete against one another in business and startup competitions. In the YEC Hustler's List, the organisation showcases young, talented entrepreneurs in Australia.
Non-profit and volunteer-led
YEC runs on a non-profit model, with all their services provided for free. How does this work, and why choose this model? Volunteers join the organisation to work on real, impactful projects that provide them the opportunity to build relationships and real-world skills - it's prepping, really, for their careers. Extracurricular activities play an important role in securing internships and graduate jobs. "When I was 16 and 17, I wouldn't attend any event that was charged, even if it was cheap. Kids don't have a lot of money and don't want to spend on events." Student-led and student-run remains their philosophy.
Beyond The Bounds
Then, in 2022, Aryan discovered Beyond the Bounds, an organisation founded by Indian student Vidhi Yadav, who had just moved to Australia to study. Yadav was looking to expand her western market when Aryan reached out for a collaboration. With his knowledge of the local landscape, Aryan now works to expand BTB's campus presence. "University students tend to associate with clubs that are on campus,” he explains.
Aryan Verma joined Beyond the Bounds in 2022 to lead its Australian expansion. Beyond the Bounds is an international youth mental health organisation with a 12,000+ community across Asia. Originally founded in India by Vidhi Yadav, it is now present in Indonesia, Malaysia and parts of Africa. Being BTB's first Western market, the two young leaders are refining their strategy to use as a template for expansion to the US and Europe down the line.
A life of discipline
All this doesn’t leave Aryan with much free time on his hands. He understands that his ambitious career goals mean lots of hard work. Aryan hopes to join a bulge-bracket investment bank after graduating university, like Goldman Sachs or JP Morgan and eventually, build his own private equity firm. “A lot of this has been about building my work ethic as well,” he explains. His signature productivity tool is to 'count his hours', keeping track of how much time he works and is productive. All this is in a bid to continue improving focus, attention span and overall work ethic. "If it isn't measured, it isn't managed". He currently works 90+ hours every week, across YEC, BTB, university and his 2 internships. “Work-life balance isn’t really my thing,” he admits. “Your twenties are when you have the most energy and I’m not planning to have much of a work-life balance in the next few years.”
"I have given myself a goal and I'm working towards it," he says. "I want to finish up with non-profit work and move on to other things - over the last few years, I have been trying to build my work ethic." He admits that his goals don't leave him with much of work-life balance - and he's okay with that, for now. "Your twenties are when you have the most energy. And I'm not planning on having a work-life balance for the next few years, at least. And I also minimize socialising and parties and stuff, I have never really been in a nightclub! I aspire to be world class - right now, I can only work towards it and hope for the best. I’m a firm believer of hustling in your 20s, building in your 30s and scaling in your 40s."
Tanya Elizabeth Ken is the founder of LakshyaShala.[/caption]
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Aryan Verma, founder, Young Entrepreneurs Connect[/caption]