Ritu Jha-
“You are the greatest export of India, the fastest growing active minority and the most prosperous community in America,” said US Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi at the Global Eye Magazine’s event to honor ‘18 Under 18’ achievers from across the country.
The event was held on September 24, on Day 2 of the curtain raiser for the GSA India@75 Expo 2022 USA scheduled to be held December 15-17 , 2022 at Sheraton Lisle, Naperville.
He said the Indian diaspora is a bridge between the United States of India. “We have to remember India is becoming bigger, and bringing bigger investors to the US. I will make sure there is more investment in my own congressional district. We have to work together to make US-India relationship prosper, and make the world a better place.”
Talking to indica on the sidelines of the event, Krishnamoorthi said, “India has arrived, and these children are the best indication of how Indian-origin community members are making a difference around the world.” He said he is working on a bill for documented dreamers, and said it will hopefully get through.
Community leader and chief organizer Dr Vijay Prabhakar told indica that he wants to make ‘18 under 18’ an annual award.
This is the list of the 18 awardess:
Aarya Rajesh
A Sophomore at Waubonsie Valley High school, Naperville, IL, Rajesh also leads a team of sixteen at his school that researches Advanced Photons at Argonne National Laboratory. Aarya was an ambassador for the non-profit Sports Hi which connects student-athletes to scholarship opportunities. Rajesh was also a member of the Borgen Project, global non-profit fighting poverty around the world where he was a political affairs intern.
Abhra Ghosh
He is an all-rounder on the field. This Sophomore of Wheaton Warrenville South High School, IL, is a cricket player. A right-hand top-order batsman, a wicketkeeper, and a medium-pace bowler too. An asset for any team.
Advaith Srikanth
A musician, a cricketer, and a martial artist too, this Sophomore of Waubonsie Valley High School, IL, is a black belt in karate, plays cricket at the Cricket Merchant Center of Excellence, and plays the tabla, an Indian musical instrument.
Arul Kolla
This Junior at Flintridge Preparatory School Arcadia, CA, represented Team USA in the International Linguistics Olympiad, in which a USA team won a gold medal. He is also the winner of the International Telugu Spelling Bee Championship. That’s not all, he has also self-published a book, Taking Aim, which is currently available for purchase on Amazon.
Arushi Kashyap
She has got her priorities sorted out already. Arushi launched a non-profit organization called ‘SayNoToPlasticBadgs’ in 2019 and received sponsorship from Century Bank, Century 21st, and Nationwide. A Senior at South Brunswick High School, NJ, she is motivated to learn, grow, and excel in the STEM field and enrolled in clubs that support her passions and professional interests.
Arya Babu
An adept musician, this Junior at Hathaway Brown School, Shaker Heights, OH, has won several regional, national and international piano competitions in the classical piano over the years. The budding pianist made her debut at the Carnegie Hall in New York in May 2015 after winning 2nd prize at the American Protégé competition. After winning many international competitions she is now a regular performer (12 times) at the Carnegie Hall and Stern Hall and the co-founder of the ‘Feed the Soul Through Music’ foundation.
Farah Rahman
A Youth Ambassador for Eye Level a STEM Academy, she’s a Senior at Waubonsie Valley High school, Naperville, IL, and a member of the Imagery Committee at her school. Among her other portfolios are President of Youth and Government and head of internal affairs of Tri-M Music Honors Society.
Karthik Rajaram
A budding musician in his own right, Karthik – a Sophomore at Thomas S Wootton, Rockville, MD – was accepted into PVYO (Potomac Valley Youth Orchestra) for clarinet choir. This School Ambassador plays in an invitational tennis program (JSI Jack shore invitational) and was also part of the Model UN Club where he represented India and won an award for honorable mention. He was also selected for the AOIT (Academy Of Information Technology) program in school.
Manish Rangan
A young innovator, Manish is already making his presence felt. The Junior at High School Frisco, TX, has created UVSET-SAFETouch, a multi-patent pending, UV-C based door handle sanitizer. He has also graduated from the Discover STEM program, which has seen many young innovators emerge with patents.
Anirudh Seshadri
He is a Senior at Lynbrook High School, San Jose, CA, and the Founder of TeenAiders with a heart of gold. Anirudh and some of his high school friends volunteered their time to create worksheets and other learning materials, which were distributed to students in villages by a nonprofit in India.
Pinakin Kale
Pinakin is a Freshman at UIUC Urbana Champaign, IL, and a Freegeek – he taught computer classes while at high school. He also worked as a legislator in Youth and Government and was selected by Rotary Club to attend a Leadership Program.
Riya Kapoor
Winner of Sudden Cardiac Death Awareness Research Foundation Scientific Symposium, Riya, is a Junior at Lake Forest Academy, Frankfort, IL. As her school’s prefect, she has gathered leadership experience as she upheld and furthered the school’s mission. Appointed as Public Relations Board Director for Sudden Cardiac Death Awareness Research Foundation, she has also supported children in Haiti who were subject to slavery by fundraising for their education.
Rohit Chakka
This freshman at the University of Texas, Austin, TX has already published a book titled “The Unofficial Guide to Personal Finance: For Teens, By Teens” to help educate low-income and low-access high school students on personal finance management. Rohit has another distinction – he was a top 40 state-ranked player for multiple years.
Sachi Singh
Sachi’s passion is educating underprivileged children in India and protecting the environment. This Senior at West Windsor High School, Plainsboro, NJ, has started a nonprofit organization called ‘SayNoToPlasticBags’ in 2019 and they received sponsorship from Century Bank, Century 21st, and Nationwide.
Sathvik Sankaranarayanan
A Senior at Ridgepoint High School, Missouri City, TX, Sathvik successfully started the Ekam Houston chapter, encouraged participation among Houston youth, and helped raise over $30k, to have a material impact on Covid relief, women’s and children’s health, and undertook various other initiatives involving clean water which have helped hundreds of families in India. He also enables one of the key interfaces between districts in India and chapters in the US to ensure maximum impact. And, that’s not all, he is also an accomplished mridangam player.
Sathya Padmanabhan
This Senior at BASIS Chandler school in Pheonix, AZ, won the Youth of the Year Award for Community Excellence for the impact Brillianaire made for students in India that helped 510+ students, served 1000+ hours, and established 5 global chapters. As the Student Wing Secretary for the World Federation of Tamil Youth Sathya also showcased his leadership skills at various cultural events that featured many prominent people of the society.
Vedant Shukla
Vedant is an outdoor person and he loves to care for fellow humans. Playing golf, tennis, and volleyball for his school’s team is his passion. This Sophomore of High School at Schaumburg, is a leading volunteer for SEWA International with 150+ hours of community service. He has also been instrumental in organizing fundraisers for school clubs
Vidhi Arora
Vidhi is a singer, songwriter, and producer too. She has already released her songs online. The Senior at Neuqua Valley High School, Naperville, IL, also likes playing Lacrosse.
Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi honors 18 Indian American achievers under 18
