Volunteer Work
While still in India in grade 11, I started a fundraiser called Care2Share to help underprivileged students at a school named Vidya Bhawan in Rajasthan, India, return to their classrooms, which they were unable to do for a year-and-a-half, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, as their parents had lost their jobs and were unable to pay the fees. Through a series of Zoom sessions, I hosted meetings with professionals who spoke to more privileged students across India about topics such as: careers in social entrepreneurship, careers in anthropology, music & songwriting, careers in international development, storytelling, effective debating and MUN, and acing interviews, among others. Through these events, we were not only able to raise funds to send underprivileged students back to school but were also able to spread awareness about the impact of COVID-19 on education.
I like to be involved in matters concerning mental health, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic because I have witnessed the effect it has had on people, and I understand the importance of spreading mental health awareness. During the summer of 2021, I was selected to participate in the global program–1000 Girls 1000 Futures–of the New York Academy of Sciences. This is a groundbreaking initiative designed to engage young women interested in STEM through mentoring and skills development. I connected with five students through this program to build a community that supports mental health. We created project PsyCare where I led a team to create and circulate mental health supportive content on our Instagram page, such as ‘Tips to maintain physical, mental, emotional and behavioral health.’
