Global Indianstory Global Indian ExclusiveBeyond classroom walls: Entrepreneur Saket Pathak’s tech-driven revolution to make learning inclusive for all

Beyond classroom walls: Entrepreneur Saket Pathak’s tech-driven revolution to make learning inclusive for all

Written by: Team GI Youth

(November 26, 2023) When Saket was around nine years old, he went home to visit his grandparent’s home in India with his parents. While he was playing with the local kids, he realised that several of those kids did not go to schools regularly, or had books to study at home. He noticed the absence of adequate resources and learning tools for proper education in schools serving underprivileged communities. “It was in 2017,” says the entrepreneur, adding, “Since then I have been striving towards helping kids around the world through what I think is a resource many needy kids lack: proper education and learning tools. The experience I got from my trip in the beginning led me to the conclusion that children don’t get the exposure to education that they need.”

Entrepreneur | Saket Pathak | Global Indian

Currently studying at the Silver Creek High School in San Jose, California, Saket Pathak is the founder of Learning Quest, a non-profit initiative that focusses on distributing books and other learning supplies to underprivileged children in various parts of the world. The young entrepreneur, who recently won the prestigious Diana Award, has been energetically gathering funds and books from donors globally, contributing over 8,000 books to 20,000 children in the USA, India, and Africa. The Global Indian‘s initiatives have garnered media attention, secured several grants for Learning Quest, and served as inspiration for numerous individuals to join the noble cause.

A boy with a mission

He was only in the third grade when after learning about the gender gap in education, Saket started rooting for girls’ rights. “I have been advocating for education rights and accessibility without any boundaries of gender or financial constraints since I was quite young. I even hosted local spelling bees and used the donations to give back to an organisation specialising in education,” said the entrepreneur.

But the kid genius doesn’t just have a golden heart and passion for an educated world. He shared, “I have been coding since elementary school and can work with the languages of Python and Java. I am also skilled in HTML / CSS, which is what, was used to create the website for Learning Quest. I am currently delving into learning about Swift, which will help the creation of the “in development” Learning Quest mobile application. All of this will help in the creation of the Learning Quest technology side.” His other strength, he adds, is in marketing. “My mission was to spread the word about Learning Quest to as many people as possible and impact as many lives as possible.” The Learning Quest team has buit a network of partners and collaborators and also made it onto the local news. “We will soon expand to a team of volunteers around the globe and sustain more partners in donations of books as well as scaling our mobile application,” Saket explains.

Empowering minds

Founded in 2022 by Saket, Learning Quest has been exclusively dedicated to distributing books donated by individuals, schools, and libraries in the USA to underprivileged children in India. Speaking about the mission of his organisation, the entrepreneur said, “When a child is deprived of essential resources, what they do afterward and their perception of the world is changed as an effect. With proper education comes the ability to think better, earn better, and explore new horizons. But if a kid does not attend a school or lacks educational resources, their view of the world would be constrained, they pick low-income jobs early in their life and this cycle keeps going in a loop.”

According to Learning Quest data, approximately 40 percent of children living in poverty lack access to the necessary education. In certain regions of the USA, both teachers and students face financial constraints, hindering their ability to provide a quality education for children. “Roughly 72 million children are affected by this issue and therefore are not prepared for the real world. This can lead to many things such as unemployment, poor health, under-representation, and even cases of exploration,” he explained.

In the process of developing an app for the oganisation to make the service accessible to more and more kids, Saket has grand plans for Learning Quest. “We have already impacted many children and know how we can further develop Learning Quest for the better. We have been able to gather fundamental information to better understanding how the application should be created and which areas will be impacted the most. Going ahead, I wish to build a sustainable enterprise working in several communities or countries that are looking to grow significantly, focussing on increased efficiency,” shared the entrepreneur.

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Published on 26, Nov 2023

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Lights, Camera, Combat: Akila Narayanan’s unconventional path from being a Tamil actress to U.S. Army paralegal

(January 14, 2024) In 2019, Akila's cinematic debut in director Arul's spine-chilling thriller 'Kadampari' marked her entrance into the world of Tamil cinema. Although she had found success, Akila wanted more than the glamours of stardom. After the film’s release and other projects like pageantries and stage shows in India, Akila returned to the US, where she had been raised, and enrolled in the US Army Combat Training. “Soldier, paralegal, educator, singer, model, actress - these are the various jobs that I have held to date which may seem excessive; however, I believe each one of these roles is my passion and has moulded me into an individual I am proud to be today,” shares the multifaceted youngster as she connects with Global Indian. [caption id="attachment_35242" align="aligncenter" width="466"] Akila Narayanan[/caption] Apart from being a U.S. Army paralegal, and an AIT Honour graduate, Akila has earned honours like the FETNA Women Achievement Award 2022, Visionary Celebrity Award for Young Talent 2018, Queen of Madras 2017, Miss Worldwide India 2017, Miss Tamil Nadu 2016, and Miss Teen India USA 1RU 2016. With an interest in both Indian and Western classical vocals, pop, rock, jazz, and R&B, Akila has performed in award shows,

rned honours like the FETNA Women Achievement Award 2022, Visionary Celebrity Award for Young Talent 2018, Queen of Madras 2017, Miss Worldwide India 2017, Miss Tamil Nadu 2016, and Miss Teen India USA 1RU 2016.

With an interest in both Indian and Western classical vocals, pop, rock, jazz, and R&B, Akila has performed in award shows, fashion shows, corporate events, beauty pageants, and concerts throughout South India.

A Bharatnatyam dancer with training for 13 years under the tutelage of guru Sridevi Tirumalai, Akila has also done photoshoots in both the US and India for brands like Pothys, VBJ Jewellers, Lemuria, amongst others before becoming a full-time civil paralegal and a part-time paralegal at the US Armed Forces. Her choices of occupation seem quite unusual and at the same time make her career graph look unique.

From acting, singing, and pageantry to law

Growing up in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, Akila’s childhood was immersed in the arts and academia.

After high school, she moved to India for a few years to pursue her dreams of singing, modelling, and acting in the entertainment industry. She completed her BA in music specializing in Western classical and musical theatre voice at the KM Music Conservatory run by AR Rahman. The institution is affiliated with the Middlesex University in the UK. She has also earned a certification from Berklee College of Music.

Talking about what nudged her to the field of law after all that she says, “I had started teaching music at a school during my time in India. Teaching made me realise the deep divide in education systems between the rich and poor and created a desire in me to become an international public interest attorney to help bridge the gap.”

[caption id="attachment_35243" align="aligncenter" width="490"] Akila Narayanan[/caption]

The youngster is currently pursuing her master's in international educational development from Columbia University at present and plans to enrol in a law school after her master's is over in May 2024.

She has done a paralegal certification from Boston University which has enabled her to work as a paralegal professional.

Beyond the glitz and glamour

The actor-turned-soldier recently went through six months of rigorous training for the U.S. Army after being selected as a part-time paralegal specialist there. “I was pushed to the edge physically and mentally. I learned combat skills, rifle marksmanship, land navigation, how to survive in the field, how to throw grenades, and more,” she mentions.

She provides paralegal support to unit commanders and the Office of the Staff Judge Advocate in a wide range of legal matters which include criminal, international, civil, contract, and fiscal law.

Talking about the selection process in the US Army she mentions, “It is difficult. There is this test called the ASVAB that you need to get a certain score on to be selected for the paralegal specialist job. There are also physical fitness requirements that you must pass during training to graduate and become a soldier.”

Her fitness test involved deadlifting at least 120 pounds, running two miles within 22 minutes, doing push-ups, doing a plank, a power throw, and an event called sprint-drag-carry. Along with the fitness test soldiers must complete ruck marches.

“Ruck march means walking 5-12 miles with 35-50 pounds on your back. We also had to qualify for the M4 rifle. There are 40 targets and to qualify, soldiers must hit at least 23 of them,” she says.

[caption id="attachment_35244" align="aligncenter" width="473"] Akila Narayanan[/caption]

The six months of training tested her limits and reshaped her perspective. “I did things I never thought I could do,” she says.

The love for law

The paralegal certification, the opportunity with the US armed forces, and her civil job have already laid a sound foundation for a full-fledged career in law for Akila.

“As a paralegal specialist in the Army, I gained extensive experience in legal research, drafting legal documents, and assisting with investigations and trials. I have been responsible for managing case files, preparing witnesses for testimony, and assisting attorneys with trial preparation,” she shared adding, “I have developed a strong sense of professionalism, teamwork, and leadership.”

Her responsibilities as a real estate paralegal span a wide spectrum, from managing high-volume transactions and ordering title searches to writing title commitments, preparing contracts, and closing documents, and coordinating closings with clients and lenders. She has assisted attorneys in all aspects of real estate transactions.

Purposeful ventures

Akila is in the US Army Reserve. Being part of the army reserve means she can be deployed to any country at any time within her eight-year contract. “I always have to be ready to be deployed anywhere to serve my country,” she says.

After her Army training, she came back home and went back to her civilian job as a real estate paralegal as being in the reserve is like a part-time job. “I have ‘drill’ weekends once every month and annual training two weeks every year. During drill weekends I do my paralegal specialist job and other army-related training such as going to the shooting range, doing field exercises, practicing first aid on casualties, and more,” she shares.

Musician at heart

Akila has always maintained her deep connection to music and has even managed an online music school, the Nightingale School of Music. She had begun singing at the age of four, after being introduced to Carnatic music. Whenever there were choirs and musicals in her school, she always was a part of those.

[caption id="attachment_35245" align="aligncenter" width="520"] Akila Narayanan[/caption]

She loves educating children about the world of music. “No external achievement of mine can hold a flame to the joy that I get looking at children with constant smiles and enthusiasm for music,” she remarks.

Films are not ruled out

Although she plans to focus on law, she has not ruled out the idea of acting in Tamil films again. “I just want to focus on my studies right now, but my love for acting still calls to me,” she says.

Quite by chance, Akila had got a role in the Tamil horror movie ‘Kadampari’. “It happened by chance. I was participating in a lot of pageants in India when I moved there which made my social media presence higher. The director of the film found me through social media,” she says. “I had never really acted before but I’ve always loved watching horror movies so acting a possessed character, kind of came naturally.”

Being a master at time management

The multifaceted youngster is a master of time management and sometimes ‘compromises on doing fun things’ that most people in their 20s get to do like going out on weekends or traveling.

“I have always done so many things at the same time. In undergrad, I was doing my BA in music and teaching music at the International Village School while working in the Indian entertainment industry as a singer, model, and actress. Now during graduate school, I am doing my MA in International educational policy while working my 9-5 civilian job and my weekend army job.,” she says adding, “I think it’s all about time management.”

Her job keeps her occupied from nine in the morning to five in the evening. After that, she attends her classes until 9 pm. “So, by the time I get home, it is too late to do assignments, homework, and readings. Hence my weekends are filled with doing assignments,” she shares.

Finding support in the family

Akila’s family is her biggest support. “My parents gave me the best gift they could give their child: the freedom to follow their dreams. My parents have always gone above and beyond to help me with my career and I am doing everything I can to make them proud,” says the youngster who was born in Coimbatore and moved to the US when she was two.

[caption id="attachment_35247" align="aligncenter" width="423"] Akila Narayanan with her sister[/caption]

She considers her younger sister who is a pre-med student to be her best friend. “We love shopping for clothes, doing funny dances, and going to bookstores together,” she mentions.

Future plan – to be of use to others

Akila holds a deep inclination towards serving her community. She also nurtures the desire to start an NGO that advocates for and provides quality education to marginalised students in India. “Having a law degree will help me run this NGO,” she believes.

“I find great joy and pride in serving the nation and being a role model to young Indian American girls who aspire to join the military,” she signs off.

Follow Akila Narayanan on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and LinkedIn

Reading Time: 5 mins

Indian teen racing champ Atharva has eyes on F1

(March 9, 2023) Atharva Desai was eight-years-old when he watched his first Formula 1 race on TV, at his Virginia home. He was enchanted. He ran and pressed his face up against the screen. With his sights set firmly on an F1 seat and hopefully, a world championship, the youngster participated in the regional Formula 3 championships in 2022. [caption id="attachment_11211" align="aligncenter" width="875"] Atharva Desai at the Anglesey Circuit in Wales[/caption] A Brit Indian with a need for speed Atharva Desai entered racing before he hit his teens. It's a cutthroat world that required emotional stability far beyond his years, just as much as talent and skill, he tells Global Indian. “Attitude and confidence are important. You never know who is watching you. While talent is the first thing scouts look for, the second round involves testing a person’s confidence and approach to life. They want someone who can endorse them, who will bring their team a good name.” Soon after he watched that first race on TV, his obliging parents took the excited eight-year-old to a go-karting track called the Allsports Grand Prix in Northern Virginia. He failed to meet the height requirements but was back the following year,

oach to life. They want someone who can endorse them, who will bring their team a good name.”

Soon after he watched that first race on TV, his obliging parents took the excited eight-year-old to a go-karting track called the Allsports Grand Prix in Northern Virginia. He failed to meet the height requirements but was back the following year, determined to practice on his own. He was noticed by the track owner, Francois, who remarked to Atharva’s father that the boy “drives like a young Sir Jackie Stewart” and began teaching him the fundamentals of racing.

“I was 10 when I entered my first junior league,” says the Indian teen racing champ. A rookie, going up against opponents far more experienced than himself, he went on to win the championship, levelling up, and emerging victorious the next year too. “There was the last level left to compete at but my teacher stopped me. He thought I would beat everyone. My adult opponents wouldn’t have been happy about that,” he smiles.

After finishing second at the ROTAX National Race, Atharva was invited to test Formula 4 cars. And he impressed all. “I got blazing times. It got me noticed,” says the Indian teen racing champ who, in search of a good school to study engineering, chose Oxford Brookes College in the UK due to its motorsports curriculum.

At the Young Racing Driver Academy in Virginia, he met Jamie Horner, director, an established name, Horner’s brother, Christian, the British team principal for team Redbull Formula 1. “I became a developing driver to improve my skills, and hopefully race for them in the future,” says the 19-year-old. At the academy in Anglesey, drivers were put on simulators, chosen based on skills and timing. Atharva found out soon enough that F4 cars in the UK are quite different from those in the US. “The American cars are digital, less rigid. They’re not meant for aggressive racing. In the UK, they’re built for aggressive drivers – which is what I am,” says the Indian teen racing champ who re-honed his skills, leaving his mentors impressed.

How Nikki Lauda inspired him

Committed and driven, Atharva Desai is up before 6 am, starting with an hour at the gym. Back home, he cooks breakfast, and heads to class. Unwavering discipline, born of mental fortitude, he explains, “I don’t get angry often. Motorsports, especially, the earlier phases are competitive and full of aggression. You’re getting attacked both on and off the track. So, you learn. If someone provokes me, I think, my goal is to be in F1. My goal is not to meddle with the guy.”

Even his choice of idols is unusual – Nikki Lauda, the legendary Austrian Formula One and three-time F1 World Drivers’ Champion, the only driver in history to be champion for both Ferrari and McLaren. In 1976, Lauda’s Ferrari swerved off the track and burst into flames. “He was pulled out of the car with half his face on fire. He didn’t give up, with dedication and mental strength, he made it through. Nothing could stand in his way,” says the Indian teen racing champ.

All about motorsport

Doing engineering in motorsport technology at Oxford, Atharva is uncommonly mature. “I was raised with Indian values. I understand that a little competition can go a long way,” he adds.

This year, he hopes to join a Formula 3 team in the US. “I have built good relationships there, and they are willing to give me an F3 seat,” says the racer whose connection with Arden Motorsports will continue alongside. “Next year, I start negotiating with Formula 2 teams. I also have to work at getting sponsors to back me,” says the Indian teen racing champ.

The chequered flag beckons

Much of his success, the Indian teen racing champ attributes to his unwavering resolve. “Attitude, confidence and general likeability all count for a lot. Being a race driver requires huge mental fortitude,” says the boy whose daily regimen involves mental training, “I do reaction time testing and I juggle - for balance and skill.”

Racing is an expensive sport, and staying on the track is thanks to the unflinching support by his parents. “I'm motivated by the fact they trust me and know I'm working hard,” says Atharva. He practices on iRacing, a simulation software. “There are actual drivers and scouts on it, so I practice and register for races,” says the teen, who loves to skateboard or decipher the Rubic's Cubes. Music is also a pet passion, “When I have time to spare, I make electronic music on my laptop,” he adds. The Indian teen racing champ’s 3,420 followers on Instagram are fondly called A4Rians, and he regularly updates them on race day highs.

As Youth Ambassador for Quench 66 by AquaKraft Pvt. Ltd, an initiative by the government of Maharashtra, he is also moving forward the mission to provide 50 million litres of drinking water across 500 schools in the state.

Follow Atharva on Instagram or visit his website, https://www.atharva4racing.com/

Full of tech sense, the 15-year-old innovator is making great impact

(October 19, 2022) At just 15, Ansh already has many achievements to his credit. The UP-born teen is the author of a book on computer science as well as the founder of two startups and an NGO. Always hamstrung by limited resources, the class 11 student studied in his native village, Tiwaripur, in Uttar Pradesh’s Gonda district until class five. Thereafter, he joined the Government Boys Senior Secondary School, Rajokari in Delhi, NCR. The enterprising teen is an inspiration back home in UP and now in NCR, too. Recently, Ansh’s project, Dhanwantri, an Android app that can be used to enhance the service delivery of healthcare, was selected by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), India's largest research body. That apart, Ansh has also come up with several ways to leverage technology to create solutions for the problems around him. Bagging the fifth position in the CSIR Innovations Award for School Children is no mean feat, considering that more than 10,000 applicants submitted their innovative projects to CSIR. [caption id="attachment_23196" align="aligncenter" width="615"] Ansh Tiwari[/caption] "All my initiatives have been about making use of technology to find solutions. They have also been a result of the various challenges people

ted their innovative projects to CSIR.

[caption id="attachment_23196" align="aligncenter" width="615"] Ansh Tiwari[/caption]

"All my initiatives have been about making use of technology to find solutions. They have also been a result of the various challenges people around me face, and the deep urge to do something to make life easier," tells Ansh to Global Indian.

During the lockdown when I was in my village Tiwaripur, we had to travel 20 kms to get basic healthcare facilities. The solution that I submitted to CSIR triggered from the bad experiences that I had during that time - Ansh Tiwari

He is always grateful to his parents, who ensure his good education despite not being much educated themselves. They support his dreams of being a social entrepreneur who leverages technology to solve pressing problems,

Making farmers’ lives easier

Growing up, Ansh saw his grandfather, who is a farmer in Tiwaripur, as well as many others lose out to middlemen. The greedy middlemen earned huge amounts of money by purchasing farmers’ produce at cheap rates and selling them in urban markets at inflated rates.

Ansh was determined to do something about it. As part of NXplorers programme of coming up with a solution-based startup idea, the youngster conducted a thorough survey of village farmers by interviewing them and created Kanad, an app that directly connects them to urban markets, ending exploitation by middlemen.

Sixty percent of India’s rural population can now access the internet. Through my app, farmers can directly contact urban purchasers and enhance their earnings - Ansh Tiwari

At the moment, the app’s efficiency is being tested amongst farmers of suburban areas and based on their feedback, it will be rolled out to those in the rural areas.

With the help of the same app the marginal farmers can utilise the resources of more established ones by taking their machinery on rent on an hourly basis, escaping the financial burden of purchasing expensive equipment. Ansh has also tried to integrate healthcare facilities for farmers and their families in the same app so that it’s a one-stop solution for them.

Speeding up through AI

Just before the pandemic struck, Ansh got selected for LaunchX Entrepreneurship programme scheduled to be held at Duke University, Durham, USA. Youngsters from 19 countries were selected to attend it. Unfortunately, as Covid protocols were put in place around that time, the programme took place online.

In the five-week long programme, Ansh was part of a five-member team comprising two Indians, two South Koreans and one Chinese to identify a problem and create a start-up as a solution. The members co-founded Speed Up AI.

[caption id="attachment_23197" align="aligncenter" width="1112"] Ansh with his multinational team[/caption]

“Machine Learning needs data that is labelled so that AI can process such data accurately. Since most of the data is unfiltered, labelling the data is a very tiring and time-consuming process. We proposed to create an AI solution for it.”

Ansh and his team were part of the top six percent of the 800 participants to successfully complete the programme and earn a completion certificate. “It was not a small achievement for us because in order to claim the certificate, participants were required to generate $250 from the startup by the end of the five weeks. We were one of the few teams to achieve this,” he says.

Ansh and his team were later able to get funding from Delhi Government’s startup reality show, Business Blasters that helps school children to pitch their ideas to investors.

Connecting girls with mentors in STEM

I have seen many girls around me, including my sister, who do not attempt to study computer science due to lack of resources or other challenges. So, I started my NGO, ‘Girls in Stem’ to increase participation of under-represented minorities - Ansh Tiwari

In this initiative Ansh has created an online research programme in computer science where girls pitch their research ideas and are matched with university professors who guide them to take their ideas forward. In its two cohorts, Ansh’s NGO has successfully matched 210 research ideas with relevant professors.

Setting the path for students

The tech enthusiast has released his book Technology: What lies ahead? for students who want to get a head-start in computer science but don’t know where to begin.

“When I was choosing my field of study in the vast ocean of new technologies being discovered, it took me almost a year to find out that Artificial Intelligence /Machine Learning with the intersection of agriculture is what interests me,” says Ansh. “I realised that others must be facing the same challenges, especially as the school system in India focusses more on academics rather than career counselling.”

[caption id="attachment_23198" align="aligncenter" width="571"] Book written by Ansh Tiwari[/caption]

Ansh believes that his book, published by Notion Press, and available for purchase at Amazon and Flipkart makes students’ lives easier by familiarising them with emerging technologies. “I have provided brief information about the plethora of choices available to them.”

The multi-talented multitasker

The multi-tasker's activities are not just confined to technology and entrepreneurship. He is an NCC cadet, and has been practicing yoga for seven years now. “I have won state level yoga competitions as part of a team, and zonal level competitions as a solo performer.”

His list of achievements doesn’t end here. He has been the head of his school’s robotics club and has organized several events and competitions. He is the first student of his school to get selected in the Young Technology Scholars programme conducted by Reimagining Higher Education Foundation. “I have participated in and won several hackathons.”

Teachers of life and love for teaching

Ansh loves to teach and offers free classes at home and helps out his schoolmates whenever he can, teaching them physics and chemistry concepts through experiments. He has also conducted research into social media’s impact on self-esteem in teenagers.

I have a soft corner for my village Tiwaripur and want to do a lot for the people there. Since I am still a student, I do things that can be done at this stage but would love to do more - Ansh Tiwari

The multi-faceted youngster has been the co-founder of his school’s math club, president of entrepreneurship club, head of science and technology club and class representative. The teenager receives constant support from his school Principal, Parmod Kumar Sharma and his teachers, especially his mentor, SK Pandey, under whose guidance he works as the science lab assistant in his school.

“My father is my inspiration,” Ansh says. “He took us out of our small village in UP and brought us to Delhi NCR, giving me the opportunity to explore new horizons.” signs off the youngster who is motivated by the Prime Minister of India’s hard work and down-to-earth demeanour.

Follow Ansh Tiwari on LinkedIn

Reading Time: 5 mins

Tech-forward healing: Marissa Sumanthipala’s vision for tomorrow’s healthcare

(December 7, 2023) During her childhood, she had a deep passion for ice skating and aspired to join the US national skating team. However, when Marissa Sumathipala was just 13 years old, her life took an unexpected turn. A severe fall during a practice session resulted in a harsh impact to her head, causing a significant concussion. This incident abruptly halted Marissa's dreams of representing the US in the Olympics and led to her removal from the state team. For years, she grappled with foggy recollections, occasional nausea, and persistent fatigue. While many saw this as the end of a promising athletic career for the young teenager, the unfortunate incident ignited a new sense of purpose within Marissa. It inspired her to delve into the intricacies of the human brain, eventually leading her down the path of becoming a young neuroscientist. “I began to realise that there was so much that we didn’t know about the brain,” Merissa said during an interview with The Harvard Gazette, adding, "And that gap in what we understood about the brain had such devastating impacts on patients like myself, but also all the people that I saw in the waiting rooms and support groups

, adding, "And that gap in what we understood about the brain had such devastating impacts on patients like myself, but also all the people that I saw in the waiting rooms and support groups that I went to during this experience.”

[caption id="attachment_21017" align="aligncenter" width="557"] Neuroscientist Marissa Sumanthipala[/caption]

The neuroscientist joined Johns Hopkins School of Medicine at 14 to perform basic research, and is currently pursuing both a master’s and a Ph.D. in clinical neurosciences at Harvard Medical School. Intending to establish her lab someday, the teenager created Theraplexus, a computational platform that uses network science analytics and artificial intelligence to map molecular interactions and provide better drugs for chronic diseases like cancer, Alzheimer’s, diabetes, and heart disease. In 2018, the now 20-year-old received the US Presidential Scholars for her contribution to the world of medicine.

Mind matters

A bright child, Merissa's parents - Indian immigrants who settled in Virginia - always encouraged her to take part in various academic and extracurricular activities. Although she wished to have a successful skating career, she was always fascinated by biological sciences. Interestingly, Merissa did a paper on whether pesticides caused multigenerational effects in human beings when she was just 12 years old. “I have long nurtured a vision of being a medical scientist, leveraging core engineering principles to solve contemporary biological and medical problems," the Global Indian informed during a press interaction.

Two-time winner of the Virginia State Science and Engineering Fair Grand Prize, Merissa did not lose hope after her skating accident. While she was sad that she will no longer be in the ring, the fact that there are only a few treatments for brain injuries kept her up at night often. Frustrated by the lack of brain treatment options, the young neuroscientist decided to work on neurological disease pathways. She joined the Janelia Research Institute while she was still in high school, and since then has worked in about five different labs.

[caption id="attachment_21018" align="aligncenter" width="623"] Marissa at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine[/caption]

At 17, Merissa was named one of the 40 finalists for the Regeneron Science Talent Search (STS) Award for her project, Reinventing Cardiovascular Disease Therapy: A Novel Dual Therapeutic with FOXO Transcription Factor and AMP Kinase. In her project, the young scientist used a fruit fly model with proteins FOXO and AMPK to investigate the underlying, molecular causes leading to cardiovascular disease, and received the prize money of $25,000. "To be a part of this group is an unparalleled honour, one that has not quite sunk in just yet. I am exceptionally grateful to the Society for Science and the Public for their steadfast mission to promote STEM for almost a century, and to Regeneron for their vision of investing in the next generation of scientists and change makers," the neuroscientist said after winning the competition, which is also known as Junior Nobel Prize.

Road ahead

Currently working at the McCarroll Lab in Harvard Medical School, Marissa is helping to develop a new method for sequencing synapses in the human brain. These synapses are crucial for memory and learning and result in maladies like Huntington’s disease. Her research could someday shed light on the importance of synapses in brain development in humans.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSWDH9hFIzs

Marissa's platform Theraplexus has already identified 200+ disease-specific drug targets for debilitating diseases like Alzheimer's, breast cancer, schizophrenia, and diabetes. In first-of-its-kind research, the organisation found more effective therapies within patients’ lifetimes and potentially cut drug development costs drastically. The youngster is now looking at partnering with Harvard Medical School’s Sharma Lab, to develop and transform Theraplexus into a biotechnology startup. "I spent a long time grappling with my identity. Growing up I was just a skater and then, when I got concussed, I had to rebuild my identity. Then I was a scientist. Now, I identify as being both a skater and a scientist," Marissa told The Harvard Gazette.

Follow Marissa Sumanthipala on Twitter

Reading Time: 6 mins

GenZ innovator Arushi Aggarwal brings STEM education from New Jersey to Bihar

(January 13, 2024) Arushi Aggarwal fell in love with programming and robotics when she was 12 years old. What started out with curiosity instantly became a passion, and soon, she was learning robotics, mechanical engineering and programming languages, and attending hackathons. However, she was also quick to spot the inequality within the STEM circles worldwide, and decided to do something about it. It led her to start Unknown16, a non profit that works to bring more young girls into STEM. She also works closely with the state of Bihar, tapping local NGOs there to provide tech education to the less privileged. She's not just another proponent of STEM, however. Unknown16 is made unique by the fact that it encourages its young students to address social challenges, letting them know they can program their way to a better world. In 2023, Arushi, who is a Forbes India Teenpreneur, was invited to the UN as a delegate with the Economic and Social Council's Youth Forum. The GenZ innovator has also developed iBlum, an app that uses gamification to encourage environmental awareness. It motivates individuals and organizations to make eco-friendly choices and community improvements by offering game-like incentives. Businesses participating in iBlum provide

ing in iBlum provide perks for environmentally conscious purchases, aligning their brand with social responsibility and appealing to the values of Gen Z consumers. The app generates customized digital coupons for these businesses, enhancing their appeal among environmentally conscious changemakers.

From hackathons to Unknown16

Arushi, who was born in Hisar, spent a few years in Bengaluru and then moved to the US with her family when she was 10 years old. Life in New Jersey was a far, far cry from what she had known in southern Bihar, and Arushi quickly immersed herself in this new world. When she was 12 years old, she decided to try her hand at coding. "I knew nothing about coding before that and just wanted to try new things," she told Forbes in a podcast. "But after my first year, I fell in love with the concept of building robots from scratch and that's when I continued doing robotics, mechanical (engineering) and programming. That's where my love for programming started."

One year later, in 2016, the Global Indian made it to her first hackathon, the FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) World Championship in Detroit, Michigan. The experience was profound in many ways - this was Arushi's first broad view of STEM around the world. "I met some all girls teams and suddenly, I realised that on my team, out of 16 members, only two were girls. I was curious about why that was," she recalls. After a conversation with a girl coder at the championship, she understood that one reason why girls really don't show up to these big STEM events is a lack of confidence.

"That question led me to start Unknown16," she says. She wanted to help young girls build confidence, so she designed curriculums, workshops and took classes at their local library. "I taught SCRATCH and Python," Arushi says. Her thoughts would often wander back to her homestate, Bihar, where so many young kids grow up without access to technology. She began cold-emailing NGOs back home, introducing herself and sharing her curriculum with them.

Project Lahanti

As Arushi networked with NGOs in India, she discovered Project Lahanti, and collaborated with them to take virtual weekend classes. The initiative was an immediate success and soon, Arushi was teaching classes with anywhere between 150-300 children of all ages from villages like Kumbadih and Govindpur.

Things weren't so straightforward, though, as she soon discovered. All programming languages require a basic understanding of English and her students, even if they were intelligent, curious and enthusiastic, did not speak English. This put STEM textbooks out of reach, too.

"In my world, people have difficulty learning programming, or lack certain resources, that was my perspective. But when I started talking to these kids, I saw their perspective. So I decided to teach them English first before they move on to programming." She began splitting her time between both, teaching English and simultaneously getting students to work with computers. "My family in India really helped out - they donated computers and even went and delivered them," she smiles. "So I was able to get them acquainted with computers and using programs like Excel."

That wasn't all. While her family's donation did bring computers to the area, there were still daily challenges- sketchy WiFi and power cuts. "Whenever it rained, they would lose WiFi," she says, in a tone of total disbelief. "The lack of resources to combat daily life challenges prevents them from taking that step. So our job is to say, it's okay that the barriers exist, we are here to help you overcome them." She was soon working around an 11-hour time difference, and accepting that if the younger kids couldn't make it to class because of bad weather, or any other reason, she would have to hold another session during the week.

A multi-faceted approach

In 2019, Arushi set up a GoFundMe page, to raise funds for textbooks and more technology. She also approached corporates with CSR portfolios, asking them for help. "I learned how to accept a no," she laughs. Getting more volunteers is also crucial. When taking numerous classes during the week became too much, Arushi shifted her focus to the older students. "I teach college students and they teach the others," she explains.

Arushi’s approach to spreading awareness truly makes her unique. Storytelling, for instance, is one approach. She has written several books for tweens, including the Coding Supergirls series, about three girls who solve real world problems using their STEM skills, and developing "powerful, disruptive and cutting-edge ideas along the way." Education and adventure come together in the series, which is meanto entertain and inspire. She is also the organiser of her own hackathon, Code4Cause.

Follow Arushi on Instagram and learn more about Unknown16 on their website.