In the summer of 2019, at the age of 13, I traveled across the globe without my family for a summer internship. It was a community service program with elements of cultural exchange, hosted by a nonprofit called, VTSeva. We lived in a small tribal village in the depths of India's jungles and served visually challenged children. I fell in love with the delightful children, whom we bonded with over friendly games and homemade Indian chai tea. My main task was to teach the children English and inspire them to further their studies. I utilized nursery rhymes and visual cues to teach them basic English words. I also showcased simple technology and electronic toys as a means to inspire them toward STEM. In this process, I discovered the many hidden talents of these children, including their ability to solve math problems through braille, write beautiful essays utilizing speech-to-text, and often win state competitions in many of these areas. I was awed by their resourcefulness and their perseverance. I went there to inspire them but left more inspired by them. Returning from the internship that summer, I was inspired to serve and connect with my local community. Over the last four years, I have had the opportunity to lead, plan, and execute numerous community service projects. These include organizing clothing and school supplies drives for the Nepali refugees, fundraising to support Native American women, and organizing meals for the homeless population in Seattle. I also had the opportunity to conduct multiple workshops on planning and executing effective community service projects for aspiring volunteers. This blossomed a variety of youth-led projects even during the pandemic, which supported the education of the children back in India, and communities across the world. In my sophomore year of high school, I came across the “AI Innovation Business Summit” by Girls Computing League. When I signed up for the conference, I had no idea I would discover the passion of my life there. Leveraging the power of data was the underlying theme of the conference. The keynote speakers had amazing presentations on how data can transform businesses and their revenue streams. As I listened to the speeches, my brain started zeroing in on the proposal I would put forth. An application that harnessed a key piece of data, location, could solve a perineal pain point—connecting volunteers to service opportunities. I often found many people wanting to help but not knowing where to discover service opportunities. I also experienced the challenge that organizations face with insufficient volunteers. With my application, a person could find nearby opportunities and voila—supply meets demand! This developed into the “HELPFind” proposal, which I pitched at the conference. I received positive comments that inspired me to pursue it afterward. More importantly, this conference got me to think in terms of data. For example, in my role as Secretary at the nonprofit, VTSeva, I started quantifying our operations into data. I translated volunteers and projects into man-hours—hours committed by each volunteer and the number of man-hours needed for a project. This afforded us better capacity planning and more efficient execution of our projects. These experiences have shown me the value we can harness even with simple data applications. To formalize my learning, I enrolled in Information Systems courses at my community college, where I learned how to better position every problem in the context of data. I cannot wait to utilize data to fuel my aspirations of exploring the world by creating solutions for communities globally. My experience working with people with disabilities like vision will support this goal of mine.

It is New Year's Day, and I am away from my family and friends. Standing at attention in the fresh 8 AM snow, we are hoisting the American flag at the US Naval Sea Cadet Corps (USNSCC). As the flag flies proudly in the wind, I reflect on how freedom encourages us to get out of our comfort zone, break barriers, and achieve beyond our wildest dreams. My parents always encouraged me to go out of my comfort zone. It began with my Hindu temple. I spent every weekend there, volunteering to serve meals after prayers and sharing a smile with each unknown face. Falling in love with community service, I ventured out to serve Seattle’s homeless encampments, and then even further to living with students in tribal India. At the age of 13, I traveled across the globe without my family for a summer internship. It was a community service program with elements of cultural exchange, hosted by a nonprofit called, VTSeva. We lived in a small tribal village in the depths of India's jungles and served visually challenged children. I fell in love with the delightful children, whom we bonded with over friendly games and homemade Indian tea. My main task was to teach the children English and inspire them to further their studies. I utilized nursery rhymes and visual cues to teach them basic English words. I also showcased simple technology and electronic toys as a means to inspire them toward STEM. In this process, I discovered the many hidden talents of these children, including their ability to solve math problems through braille, write beautiful essays utilizing speech-to-text, and often win state competitions in many of these areas. I was awed by their resourcefulness and their perseverance. I went there to inspire them but left more inspired by them. To this day, I am in touch with these children who fill me with joy by breaking barrier after barrier, reaching for the skies. Returning from the internship that summer, I was inspired to serve and connect with my local community. Over the last four years, I have had the opportunity to lead, plan, and execute numerous community service projects. These include organizing clothing and school supplies drives for the Nepali refugees, fundraising to support Native American women, and organizing meals for the homeless population in Seattle. I also had the opportunity to conduct multiple workshops on planning and executing effective community service projects for aspiring volunteers. This blossomed a variety of youth-led projects even during the pandemic, which supported the children back in India, and communities across the world. I started this journey of community service with a passion to make a difference, but I have become attached to the joy it brings forth from within. Community service has hooked me for life. As I developed an interest in Korean pop music, I broke out of my comfort zone and immersed myself in their language and culture. The same drive prodded me to pursue higher ranks at USNSCC. Each of these activities has filled me with confidence, helping me repeatedly break the barriers of what is expected of an Indian, a female, and a teenager. This zeal to explore is what I bring to the University. I know the sweetness of breaking barriers and the potential it brings out in ourselves. I want to share this with every person I come across at the university, and together, we will break our barriers. We owe this much to all those who fought for our freedom and helped create this land of the free and home of the brave.

In my sophomore year of high school, I came across the “AI Innovation Business Summit” by Girls Computing League. When I signed up for the conference, I had no idea I would discover the passion of my life there. Leveraging the power of data was the underlying theme of the conference. The keynote speakers had amazing presentations on how data can transform businesses and their revenue streams. Even as I listened to the speeches, my brain started zeroing in on the proposal I would put forth. An application that harnessed a key piece of data, location, could solve a perineal pain point—connecting volunteers to service opportunities. I often found many people wanting to help but not knowing where to discover service opportunities. I also experienced the challenge that organizations face with insufficient volunteers. With my application, a person could find nearby opportunities and voila—supply meets demand! This developed into the “HELPFind” proposal, which I pitched at the conference. I received positive comments that inspired me to pursue it afterward. More importantly, this conference got me to think in terms of data. For example, in my role as Secretary at the nonprofit, VTSeva, I started quantifying our operations into data. I translated volunteers and projects into man-hours—hours committed by each volunteer and the number of man-hours needed for a project. This afforded us better capacity planning and more efficient execution of our projects. These experiences have shown me the value we can harness even with simple data applications. To formalize my learning, I enrolled in Information Systems courses at my community college, where I learned how to better position every problem in the context of data. I cannot wait to utilize data to fuel my aspirations of exploring the world by creating solutions for communities globally.

My parents always encouraged me to go out of my comfort zone. It began with my Hindu temple. I spent every weekend there, volunteering to serve meals after prayers and sharing a smile with each unknown face. Falling in love with community service, I ventured out to serve Seattle’s homeless encampments, and then even further to living with and serving blind students in tribal India. In the summer of 2019, at the age of 13, I traveled across the globe without my family for a summer internship. It was a community service program with elements of cultural exchange, hosted by a nonprofit called, VTSeva. We lived in a small tribal village in the depths of India's jungles and served visually challenged children. I fell in love with the delightful children, whom we bonded with over friendly games and homemade Indian chai tea. My main task was to teach the children English and inspire them to further their studies. I utilized nursery rhymes and visual cues to teach them basic English words. I also showcased simple technology and electronic toys as a means to inspire them toward STEM. In this process, I discovered the many hidden talents of these children, including their ability to solve math problems through braille, write beautiful essays utilizing speech-to-text, and often win state competitions in many of these areas. I was awed by their resourcefulness and their perseverance. I went there to inspire them but left more inspired by them. To this day, I am in touch with these children who fill me with joy by breaking barrier after barrier, reaching for the skies. Returning from the internship that summer, I was inspired to serve and connect with my local community. Over the last four years, I have had the opportunity to lead, plan, and execute numerous community service projects. These include organizing clothing and school supplies drives for the Nepali refugees, fundraising to support Native American women, and organizing meals for the homeless population in Seattle. I also had the opportunity to conduct multiple workshops on planning and executing effective community service projects for aspiring volunteers. This blossomed a variety of youth-led projects even during the pandemic, which supported the children back in India, and communities across the world. I started this journey of community service with a passion to make a difference, but I have become attached to the joy it brings forth from within. Community service has hooked me for life.

In the summer of 2019, at the age of 13, I traveled across the globe without my family for a summer internship. It was a community service program with elements of cultural exchange, hosted by a nonprofit called, VTSeva. We lived in a small tribal village in the depths of India's jungles and served visually challenged children. I fell in love with the delightful children, whom we bonded with over friendly games, dancing and homemade Indian chai tea that energized us during our time there. My main task was to teach the children English and inspire them to further their studies. I utilized nursery rhymes and visual cues to teach them basic English words. I also showcased simple technology and electronic toys as a means to inspire them toward STEM. In this process, I discovered the many hidden talents of these children, including their ability to solve math problems through braille, write beautiful essays utilizing speech-to-text, and often win state competitions in many of these areas. I was awed by their resourcefulness and their perseverance. I went there to inspire them but left more inspired by them. To this day, I am in touch with these children who fill me with joy by breaking barrier after barrier, reaching for the skies. Returning from the internship that summer, I was inspired to serve and connect with my local community. Over the last four years, I have had the opportunity to lead, plan, and execute numerous community service projects. These include organizing clothing and school supplies drives for the Nepali refugees, fundraising to support Native American women, and organizing meals for the homeless population in Seattle. I also had the opportunity to conduct multiple workshops on planning and executing effective community service projects for aspiring volunteers. This blossomed a variety of youth-led projects even during the pandemic, which supported the children back in India, and communities across the world. My purpose in gaining various leadership roles at VTSeva was to prepare the youth to be the next leaders. I am amazed at how every experience taught me more than what I gave. I started this journey of community service with a passion to make a difference, but I have become attached to the joy it brings forth from within. I want to continue to share that joy with others and inspire them to contribute to the community as well. Community service has hooked me for life.

In my sophomore year of high school, I came across the “AI Innovation Business Summit” by Girls Computing League. When I signed up for the conference, I had no idea I would discover the passion of my life there. Leveraging the power of data was the underlying theme of the conference. The keynote speakers had amazing presentations on how data can transform businesses and their revenue streams. As I listened to the speeches, my brain started zeroing in on the proposal I would put forth. An application that harnessed a key piece of data, location, could solve a perineal pain point—connecting volunteers to service opportunities. I often found many people wanting to help but not knowing where to discover service opportunities. I also experienced the challenge that organizations face with insufficient volunteers. With my application, a person could find nearby opportunities and voila—supply meets demand! This developed into the “HELPFind” proposal, which I pitched at the conference. I received positive comments that inspired me to pursue it afterward. More importantly, this conference got me to think in terms of data. For example, in my role as Secretary at the nonprofit, VTSeva, I started quantifying our operations into data. I translated volunteers and projects into man-hours—hours committed by each volunteer and the number of man-hours needed for a project. This afforded us better capacity planning and more efficient execution of our projects. These experiences have shown me the value we can harness even with simple data applications. To formalize my learning, I enrolled in Information Systems courses at my community college, where I learned how to better position every problem in the context of data. I cannot wait to utilize data to fuel my aspirations of exploring the world by creating solutions for communities globally. My experience working with people with disabilities like vision will support this goal of mine. In the summer of 2019, at the age of 13, I traveled across the globe without my family for a summer internship. It was a community service program with elements of cultural exchange, hosted by a nonprofit called, VTSeva. We lived in a small tribal village and served visually challenged children. I fell in love with the delightful children. My main task was to teach the children English and inspire them to further their studies. I utilized nursery rhymes and visual cues to teach them basic English words. I also showcased simple technology and electronic toys as a means to inspire them toward STEM. In this process, I discovered the many hidden talents of these children, including their ability to solve math problems through braille, write beautiful essays utilizing speech-to-text, and often win state competitions in many of these areas. I went there to inspire them but left more inspired by them. Returning from the internship that summer, I was inspired to serve and connect with my local community. Over the last four years, I have had the opportunity to lead, plan, and execute numerous community service projects. I also had the opportunity to conduct multiple workshops on planning and executing effective community service projects for aspiring volunteers. This blossomed a variety of youth-led projects even during the pandemic, which supported the education of the children back in India, and communities across the world. This is my dream career, to use data for the betterment of society and the world. I know the sweetness of breaking barriers and the potential it brings out. I want to share this with every person I come across at university, and together, we will utilize the resources and opportunities college provides to its fullest.

In sophomore year of high school, I came across the “AI Innovation Business Summit” by Girls Computing League. When I signed up for the conference, I had no idea I would discover the passion of my life there. Leveraging the power of data was the underlying theme of the conference. The keynote speakers had amazing presentations on how data can transform businesses and their revenue streams. Even as I listened to the speeches, my brain started zeroing in on the proposal I would put forth. An application that harnessed a key piece of data, location, could solve a perineal pain point—connecting volunteers to service opportunities. I often found many people wanting to help but not knowing where to discover service opportunities. I also experienced the challenge that organizations face with insufficient volunteers. With my application, a person could find nearby opportunities and voila—supply meets demand! This developed into the “HELPFind” proposal, which I pitched at the conference. I received positive comments that inspired me to pursue it afterward. More importantly, this conference got me to think in terms of data. For example, in my role as Secretary at the nonprofit, VTSeva, I started quantifying our operations into data. I translated volunteers and projects into man-hours—hours committed by each volunteer and the number of man-hours needed for a project. This afforded us better capacity planning and more efficient execution of our projects. These experiences have shown me the value we can harness even with simple data applications. To formalize my learning, I enrolled in Information Systems courses at my community college, where I learned how to better position every problem in the context of data. I cannot wait to utilize data and technology to fuel my aspirations of exploring the world by creating solutions for communities globally. My experience working with people with disabilities like vision, will supprt this goal of mine. In the summer of 2019, at the age of 13, I traveled across the globe without my family for a summer internship. It was a community service program with elements of cultural exchange, hosted by a nonprofit called, VTSeva. We lived in a small tribal village in the depths of India's jungles and served visually challenged children. I fell in love with the delightful children, whom we bonded with over friendly games and homemade Indian chai tea. My main task was to teach the children English and inspire them to further their studies. I utilized nursery rhymes and visual cues to teach them basic English words. I also showcased simple technology and electronic toys as means to inspire them towards STEM. In this process, I discovered the many hidden talents of these children, including their ability to solve math problems through braille, writing beautiful essays utilizing speech-to-text, and often winning state competitions in many of these areas. I was awed by their resourcefulness and their perseverance. I went there to inspire them but left more inspired by them. Returning from the internship that summer, I was inspired to serve and connect with my local community. Over the last four years, I have had the opportunity to lead, plan, and execute numerous community service projects. These include organizing clothing and school supplies drives for the Nepali refugees, fundraising to support Native American women, and organizing meals for the homeless population in Seattle. I also had the opportunity to conduct multiple workshops on planning and executing effective community service projects for aspiring volunteers. This blossomed a variety of youth-led projects even during the pandemic, which supported the education of the children back in India, and communities across the world.

It is New Year's Day, and I am away from my family and friends. Standing at attention in the fresh 8 AM snow, we are hoisting the American flag at the US Naval Sea Cadet Corps (USNSCC). As the flag flies proudly in the wind, I reflect on how freedom encourages us to get out of our comfort zone, break barriers, and achieve beyond our wildest dreams. My parents always encouraged me to go out of my comfort zone. It began with my Hindu temple. I spent every weekend there, volunteering to serve meals after prayers and sharing a smile with each unknown face. Falling in love with community service, I ventured out to serve Seattle’s homeless encampments, and then even further to living with and serving blind students in tribal India. As I developed an interest in Korean pop music, I broke out of my comfort zone and immersed myself in their language and culture. The same drive prodded me to pursue higher ranks in USNSCC. Each of these activities have filled me with confidence, helping me repeatedly break the barriers of what is expected as an Indian, a female, and a teenager. In the summer of 2019, at the age of 13, I traveled across the globe without my family for a summer internship. It was a community service program with elements of cultural exchange, hosted by a nonprofit called, VTSeva. We lived in a small tribal village in the depths of India's jungles and served visually challenged children. I fell in love with the delightful children, whom we bonded with over friendly games and homemade Indian chai tea. My main task was to teach the children English and inspire them to further their studies. I utilized nursery rhymes and visual cues to teach them basic English words. I also showcased simple technology and electronic toys as a means to inspire them toward STEM. In this process, I discovered the many hidden talents of these children, including their ability to solve math problems through braille, write beautiful essays utilizing speech-to-text, and often win state competitions in many of these areas. I was awed by their resourcefulness and their perseverance. I went there to inspire them but left more inspired by them. To this day, I am in touch with these children who fill me with joy by breaking barrier after barrier, reaching for the skies. Returning from the internship that summer, I was inspired to serve and connect with my local community. Over the last four years, I have had the opportunity to lead, plan, and execute numerous community service projects. These include organizing clothing and school supplies drives for the Nepali refugees, fundraising to support Native American women, and organizing meals for the homeless population in Seattle. I also had the opportunity to conduct multiple workshops on planning and executing effective community service projects for aspiring volunteers. This blossomed a variety of youth-led projects even during the pandemic, which supported the children back in India, and communities across the world. I started this journey of community service with a passion to make a difference, but I have become attached to the joy it brings forth from within. Community service has hooked me for life.

In sophomore year of high school, I came across the “AI Innovation Business Summit” by Girls Computing League. When I signed up for the conference, I had no idea I would discover the passion of my life there. Leveraging the power of data was the underlying theme of the conference. The keynote speakers had amazing presentations on how data can transform businesses and their revenue streams. Even as I listened to the speeches, my brain started zeroing in on the proposal I would put forth. An application that harnessed a key piece of data, location, could solve a perineal pain point—connecting volunteers to service opportunities. I often found many people wanting to help but not knowing where to discover service opportunities. I also experienced the challenge that organizations face with insufficient volunteers. With my application, a person could find nearby opportunities and voila—supply meets demand! This developed into the “HELPFind” proposal, which I pitched at the conference. I received positive comments that inspired me to pursue it afterward. More importantly, this conference got me to think in terms of data. For example, in my role as Secretary at the nonprofit, VTSeva, I started quantifying our operations into data. I translated volunteers and projects into man-hours—hours committed by each volunteer and the number of man-hours needed for a project. This afforded us better capacity planning and more efficient execution of our projects. These experiences have shown me the value we can harness even with simple data applications. To formalize my learning, I enrolled in Information Systems courses at my community college, where I learned how to better position every problem in the context of data. I cannot wait to utilize data to fuel my aspirations of exploring the world by creating solutions for communities globally. This is my dream career, to use data for the betterment of society and the world, whether that is through product management, entrepreneurship, and many other avenues. This zeal to explore is why I am the best candidate for this scholarship. I know the sweetness of breaking barriers and the potential it brings out in ourselves. I want to share this with every person I come across at university, and together, we will break our barriers and utilize the resources and opportunities college provides me to its fullest. I can use this money to be more available and work with others to create solutions for communities globally.

In sophomore year of high school, I came across the “AI Innovation Business Summit” by Girls Computing League. When I signed up for the conference, I had no idea I would discover the passion of my life there. Leveraging the power of data was the underlying theme of the conference. The keynote speakers had amazing presentations on how data can transform businesses and their revenue streams. Even as I listened to the speeches, my brain started zeroing in on the proposal I would put forth. An application that harnessed a key piece of data, location, could solve a perineal pain point—connecting volunteers to service opportunities. I often found many people wanting to help but not knowing where to discover service opportunities. I also experienced the challenge that organizations face with insufficient volunteers. With my application, a person could find nearby opportunities and voila—supply meets demand! This developed into the “HELPFind” proposal, which I pitched at the conference. I received positive comments that inspired me to pursue it afterward. More importantly, this conference got me to think in terms of data. For example, in my role as Secretary at the nonprofit, VTSeva, I started quantifying our operations into data. I translated volunteers and projects into man-hours—hours committed by each volunteer and the number of man-hours needed for a project. This afforded us better capacity planning and more efficient execution of our projects. These experiences have shown me the value we can harness even with simple data applications. To formalize my learning, I enrolled in Information Systems courses at my community college, where I learned how to better position every problem in the context of data. I cannot wait to utilize data to fuel my aspirations of exploring the world by creating solutions for communities globally. This is my dream career, to use data for the betterment of society and the world, whether that is through product management, entrepreneurship, and many other avenues. This zeal to explore is why I am the best candidate for this scholarship. I know the sweetness of breaking barriers and the potential it brings out in ourselves. I want to share this with every person I come across at university, and together, we will break our barriers and utilize the resources and opportunities college provides me to its fullest.