Global Indianstory Global Indian ExclusiveMeet Maya Neelakantan, the 11-year-old ‘rock goddess’ from America’s Got Talent

Meet Maya Neelakantan, the 11-year-old ‘rock goddess’ from America’s Got Talent

Written by: Minal Nirmala Khona

(July 25, 2024) To rephrase a line from the Academy Awards, the year American Beauty was nominated, ‘A ten-year-old will never be viewed as just a ten-year-old kid ever again!’ Making India proud, and the world sit up and take notice of her talent, is now 11-year-old Maya Neelakantan who was ten when she performed earlier this year on America’s Got Talent [AGT]. Maya Neelakantan tells Global Indian about music, her performance on AGT, and plans for the future.

Resplendent in a brocade maxi dress with a matching dupatta pinned across, and traditional Indian jewellery including a waistband, bangles, jhumkas, a bindi and multiple braids in her long hair, Maya’s Indian appearance belied the music she played on stage.

Starting with a Carnatic raga, the Natabhairavi, the audience was confused initially as is visible in the now viral reel. But, what followed had everyone roaring in approval. She effortlessly transitioned to heavy metal, playing her version of Last Resort, by the band Papa Roach. She kept improvising, leaving even the judges stunned with her performance and added Carnatic gamakas, metal, rock and blues highlights to finish to a standing ovation.

Overnight, Maya became a global sensation with everyone sharing her AGT performance, Simon Cowell calling her a rock goddess, and Anand Mahindra calling her a rock goddess from the land of goddesses.

A Self-Taught Child Prodigy

However, Maya was amazingly composed when she spoke to Global Indian over the phone. Born to a Tamilian father and an Australian mother, both entrepreneurs, Maya recalls, “My appa [father] used to play music in the car. He played Carnatic and heavy metal and I loved both genres. When I was six, I started learning the songs I liked online. I was learning vocal Carnatic music also but I have stopped going for those classes. So yes, I am self-taught but I can’t read music because I didn’t go for normal classes.” Maya is currently receiving formal training online from Guitar Prasanna, a well-known New York-based guitarist since the past two years.

Maya’s passion and talent with the electric guitar have made her idols sit up and take notice of her. Adam Jones from the band TOOL was her first follower on Instagram after he watched her rendition of his song 7empest. This heavy metal band composes complex songs that are longer than the norm. He even sent her a guitar from the US which, for Maya was the ultimate recognition of her music. She even met Danny Carey from the same band who gifted her a signed drum head.

Other metal greats she has met and is in touch with include Alex Skolnick of Testament and Gary Holt (Slayer) who gave her an autographed guitar after they had a jam session together. Testament’s Eric Peterson too gifted her an autographed amplifier. Maya met Jessica Pimentel of Orange is the New Black through Adam Jones and Jessica trained her via Zoom. Maya reveals, “Jessica taught me how to improve my movements. I was anxious but she helped me gain a lot of confidence. For me, she is like my big sister. They all are my gurus and constantly talk to me.” Maya even got to play on the most legendary guitars made by Gibson, when Cesar Gueikian, the CEO invited her to visit the Gibson Garage in Nashville.

Maya Neelakantan | America's Got Talent | Global Indian

Maya Neelakantan with Cesar Gueikian, CEO of Gibson

Devoted to her Passion

Considering that she is all of 11 and regularly interacts with legends of rock music, how does she stay level-headed through it all? “I stay grounded through the 45 minutes of meditation that I do every morning. It helps me remember where I started from.” Wise words from a child who taught herself to play the guitar through YouTube videos. And now has a channel of her own.

Maya studies at an online school because the family travels frequently. She loves to read and watch documentaries on animals with her younger brother Rudhra. But music is the primary passion she avers. “I practice for six hours a day, longer on days I don’t have school.”

Watch her reels on Instagram; you can see her face radiant with incandescent joy as she plays the electric guitar. She played on the AGT stage with similar emotion. She admits, “I was nervous though I had rehearsed it so many times. But I also wanted to have fun and treated it like it was a party. AGT had called and asked me if I was interested in performing. This is not something that happens to everyone and there are so many talented people around. It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and I decided that I was going to enjoy it.”

Maya Neelakantan with her guru, Guitar Prasanna

Maya believes she still has a long way to go and plans to delve further into the music she loves. Whether it is the Carnatic ragas or the thrash metal hits, she is clear about her future goals. She says, “I want to create my own genre of music where I combine thrash metal and Carnatic music complete with the alapana and ragas. I want to go deeper into both forms of music.”

She has been contacted by the folks at Mahindra Group for her to perform at their annual blues music festival and talks are on. Whatever the future holds for this talented young girl with AGT and beyond, one hopes her passion leads her to unsurpassed creative milestones. A talent like hers merits nothing less than greatness.

You can follow Maya Neelakantan on Instagram, YouTube and Facebook

Name*

Email*

Name*

Email*

0 Comments

Inline Feedbacks

View all comments

Published on 25, Jul 2024

Share with

ALSO READ

Race queen: Athlete Jyothi Yarraji is on a winning streak

(February 7, 2023) A new year, and a new record for one of India's latest additions to the world athletics. 23-year-old sprinter and hurdler, Jyothi Yarraji has created yet another record - this time in the 60 m hurdles event. The young athlete has broken the national record once more and claimed the second position at the Elite Indoor Meeting Miramas 2023, a World Athletics Indoor Tour Bronze level meeting, in France. Jyothi clinched the silver medal, reaching the post at 8.17 seconds in the finals - losing to Cyprus athlete Dafni Georgiou by just 0.145 seconds. It was only last year in November that the Indian athlete established a new national record for 100 m hurdles at 11.51 seconds. Regarded as one of the rising stars of Indian athletics, Jyothi - despite the several setbacks she has faced - is currently the fastest women’s 100m hurdler in India. Going by her records, this young athlete has all the potential to be a superstar in track and field, and put Indian athletics on the world map. Global Indian takes a look at the glorious journey of this athlete who is winning despite the odds stacked against her. Fighting her way

he potential to be a superstar in track and field, and put Indian athletics on the world map. Global Indian takes a look at the glorious journey of this athlete who is winning despite the odds stacked against her.

Fighting her way

Born in 1999 in Visakhapatnam, Jyothi grew up with limited resources. Her father, Suryanarayana, works as a private security guard while her mother, Kumari, is a domestic help who works part-time as a cleaner in a city hospital. Combined, they earn less than ₹18,000 per month. Jyothi, however, was destined for greater things.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7H0_5AQ08rI

The path was set during her school days when her physical education teacher saw the potential in her and encouraged her, due to her height, to become a hurdler. Since then, there has been no looking back for the girl who came into the spotlight after winning a gold medal at an Andhra Pradesh inter-district meet in 2015. Interestingly, fearing that her parents would deny her request to participate in the event, Jyothi didn’t inform them about it. It was only after she won the medal and people started flocking to their house that her parents got to know about their daughter's talent. This was the beginning of a career that saw her win various medals in junior and senior national meets.

After the athlete started winning state and inter-state level medals, she was hand-picked by James Hillier, a British coach, at the Odisha Athletics High-Performance Centre in Bhubaneswar in 2019. However, the journey was hardly rosy.

Rising despite setbacks

Hillier’s confidence in her talent did start reflecting in Jyothi's progress as well. In January 2020, the athlete clocked 13.03 seconds to win gold at the All-India Inter-University athletics meet in Moodabidri, Karnataka. Even though the mark was enough to hand her the Indian women’s 100m hurdles national record, the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) and Athletics Federation of India (AFI) had failed to test her before the championship, making her feat ineligible for the official record books. While she wasn't very pleased with the situation, the young athlete didn't break down. "Every competition is important because it helps me run faster. To run good timing is a gradual build-up and my body needs to adjust and go with the flow. Every run gives me a lot of experience and helps with improving my speed consistently," she told answering a press question.

[caption id="attachment_27246" align="aligncenter" width="574"] Jyothi with her coach James Hillier[/caption]

Her fight didn't end just here. The same year, as the athlete was preparing to represent the country in her maiden international tour for the South Asian Youth Games, COVID stuck the world and all the competitions were called off. With other events like the Indoor Asiad and World University Games also called off in 2020, Jyothi had to wait for her international bow. Things took a bad turn after the athlete sustained a serious back injury, and took a while to return to the track and field.

"She had no confidence because she had injury problems,” James Hillier had told a media outlet during an interview, adding, "She was scared of hurdling at that time. In our first session, the single hurdle was at the lowest setting. She didn’t even want to go over that.”

A rising star

Almost missing the 2021 season, the athlete made her presence felt in 2022 - and how! Jyothi clocked a national-record-setting time of 13.09 seconds at the Federation Cup in Kozhikode but was yet again denied the official mark because it was a wind-assisted run. Refusing to bow down, she made her international debut at the Cyprus International athletics meet in Limassol in May 2022, finally pocketed the women’s 100m hurdles national record with a timing of 13.23 seconds, shattering the previous mark of 13.38 set by Anuradha Biswal way back in 2002. And this win was despite the athlete starting a fraction of a second later than the other participants.

“In India, they use a manual gun to start the race but in Europe, they use an electronic starter. I was not familiar with the sound it makes so I didn’t realise when the race had started. I only started running when I saw the other athletes start,” Jyothi shared during an interview. With a reaction time of 0.243 seconds, Jyothi was the slowest runner off the blocks at the meet by a big margin.

The athlete ended the 2022 season with a flurry as she won gold in the 100m hurdles at the National Games with a new personal best of 12.79s, which made her the first Indian woman to dip below the 13-second mark in her discipline. Unfortunately, however, this win too couldn't make it to the national record.

Olympics in her sights

"My next aim is to win a medal for India in the Olympics," the athlete said, after her most recent win in France, adding, "I aspire to get more young kids to take us athletics as their career. We have an abundance of talent in India and I hope I can help in inspiring youngsters to represent the nation on various international platforms."

Reading Time: 6 mins

Umasri Pujyam: An NRI teenage crusader’s fight against pollution in Godavari

(May 24, 2023) The Godavari River, winding through the scenic Konaseema district, is a vital lifeline for its residents. Over time, however, pollution has been steadily chipping away at its vitality. Umasri Pujyam, a 15-year-old Memphis-based NRI, has been combating this very issue and has become the voice of the river, making waves in her passionate fight against pollution. In a short span of two years, the young crusader has already conducted over 100 river clean-up days in the Godavari, by bringing together volunteers from the local community to address the grim issue of water and plastic pollution and promoting access to clean drinking water for those affected by this existential threat. Even though she left for the US when she was just four, her ties to her native place (Ponnamanda village) have always been strong. It was the sight of the once-pristine Godavari river stretch near Razole in the Konaseema district that compelled her into action. "I found that river Godavari, which is central to the livelihoods of millions of people, is facing a range of threats, including water and plastic pollution," says the teenager, who is also worried about the impact of agricultural practices on the local environment

he local environment as her village Ponnamanda is largely agriculture-based. Moreover, explaining her mission, she said, "The heavy use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides in farming has led to runoff that contaminates streams and rivers, further exacerbating the problem of water pollution. This made me take up the river cleanup and environmental protection mission."

Journeying to the Godavari River

Leaving the comfort of her home in the US, Umasri, who is currently studying in Class X, embarked on a journey to protect the Godavari's ecosystem, setting an exemplary model for youth across the world. From organising cleanup drives to rallying local communities, Umasri’s contributions towards reviving the river have been nothing short of extraordinary. She has transformed her journey into a movement, inspiring locals and authorities alike.

When she collected plastic waste from Godavari for 100 days, the act not just inspired the panchayat staff but also created a sense of responsibility among the youth. This led to the formation of ‘Youth Against Water Pollution’, an organisation that's raising voices against the water issues faced by the people of Konaseema.

[caption id="attachment_30314" align="aligncenter" width="662"] Umasri Pujyam cleaning the banks of Godavari river[/caption]

It was in 2021 that she began working on the mission while attending virtual classes. Since then, the movement has expanded and so has her outreach. Apart from her fieldwork in India, she is also creating awareness through social media.

Raising awareness

Umasri has also been instrumental in raising awareness about the hazards of pollution, not just to the river, but the overall ecosystem. Educational workshops, public awareness campaigns, and open dialogues have become commonplace in the Konaseema district, thanks to Umasri's initiative. She stresses the importance of sustainable practices and responsible waste disposal, emphasizing that change must start at the grassroots level.

For the last few years, she has been raising alarm against the untreated sewage and plastic - which is the key cause behind the river’s pollution. Moreover, Umasri has been guiding the locals on proper waste disposal and ways to reduce their impact on the environment and water sources. She cleans the river mostly on her own but often finds help from the locals in the form of volunteers. "I have collaborated with local officials and politicians including Amalapuram MP Chinta Anuradha and Razole MLA Rapaka to help work towards better environmental policies and conditions as well," the Global Indian added. This collective effort has removed tonnes of waste from the river, reducing pollution levels significantly and making a visible impact on the water quality.

In the pipeline

For someone passionate about environmental engineering and technology, she envisions the implementation of waste management systems and the introduction of eco-friendly alternatives to curb pollution. Besides, Umasri also aspires to engineer innovative and effective sewage treatment solutions that will help priortise access to clean water for all.

Her ultimate goal is to have a bright future for the villagers, wherein the health and prosperity of local communities are sustained. Umasri’s campaign is not just about restoring the Godavari River; it's about empowering the people who depend on it, building a better, sustainable future for them, and the generations to come. This dynamic young leader has shown that every small step matters.

Reading Time: 4 min

Rohan Varinakaval: Indian-American teen finds solution for schools amid air quality crisis

(February 17, 2024) It was in December of 2019 that while navigating through the bustling streets of Delhi, New Jersey-based Rohan Varinakaval had to hold his breath to avoid a cloud of smog. His tryst with Delhi's smog during his visit to India to meet his sick grandfather in a hospital left him shocked. It was a paradox - he could see that the capital was home to the best healthcare but at the time it was imprisoned by pollution, a result of farmers burning crop residue which was leading to an environmental health crisis. He found that this pollution is lessening the lifespan of an average Delhiite by nearly a decade. "Amidst this haze, thousands of students persistently attended school, their commitment to education unwavering. Students, even those with conditions such as asthma, were subjecting themselves to these toxic surroundings," said Rohan, who saw a void in the realm of air quality monitoring. This led him to take action, and he developed myAQI. Unlike regular monitors that only give air quality readings, myAQI does more. It gives schools easy advice based on current data. Instead of just knowing pollution levels, principals can get helpful tips like 'Keep students inside

Keep students inside during recess' or 'Open windows.'

[caption id="attachment_35898" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Rohan Varinakaval[/caption]

It began when Rohan realised that smog permeates through classrooms and even makes indoor learning environments safe, and the absence of air conditioning and filtration systems, it accelerates the risk. "Discussions with friends and family indicated that despite this grim scenario, the severe pollution was not being accorded priority, and school administrators were unable to address the health risks involved," he added.

On delving deeper, he found that air quality monitoring devices only provide data but do not interpret air quality data. Moreover, their usage in Indian schools was almost negligible. "They received current air quality figures, but no practical steps to counter the problem," revealed Rohan.

Passionate about engineering solutions, he was keen to find a solution. He spent countless hours talking to school leaders in both the US and India, making the app fit their needs, and fixing problems that popped up during testing the first version. So, using a particulate matter sensor and microprocessor, he created myAQI - a small, affordable air quality monitoring device designed especially for Indian schools. But what makes it different is its adaptability as Rohan understood that pollution affects people differently. Those who already have health problems like asthma, allergies, bronchitis, and COPD are more likely to get sick from bad air. His device helps provide customised recommendations for these sensitive groups, thus ensuring that everyone in the school, even those with health problems, stay safe.

"School administrators can install a myAQI device within their premises, register via an Android app, and obtain summaries of the air quality data. The most significant feature of the app, though, is its ability to offer recommendations for appropriate action based on the prevailing air quality and trends. It also allows administrators to view separate sets of suggestions tailored for different student populations with specific respiratory conditions such as asthma, allergies, bronchitis, and COPD," he added.

The Indian-American teen wants school leaders to use myAQI to help shape school rules, make smarter choices about dealing with air quality, and understand pollution levels inside their buildings better. His device can sit in a classroom and gather data from a small area, so leaders can put it where it's most needed.

Till now, the student at the Pingry School in New Jersey has distributed the device to ten schools in India, which include a total of over 16,000 students and is flooded with requests from many more schools. In the future, he wants to expand his project by providing several devices to each school. Additionally, he aims to inspire more young innovators to address environmental challenges globally.

[caption id="attachment_35901" align="aligncenter" width="368"] myAQI[/caption]

It was in December of 2019 that while navigating through the bustling streets of Delhi, New Jersey-based Rohan Varinakaval had to hold his breath to avoid a cloud of smog. His tryst with Delhi's smog during his visit to India to meet his sick grandfather in a hospital left him shocked. It was a paradox - he could see that the capital was home to the best healthcare but at the time it was imprisoned by pollution, a result of farmers burning crop residue which was leading to an environmental health crisis. He found that this pollution is lessening the lifespan of an average Delhiite by nearly a decade. "Amidst this haze, thousands of students persistently attended school, their commitment to education unwavering. Students, even those with conditions such as asthma, were subjecting themselves to these toxic surroundings," said Rohan, who saw a void in the realm of air quality monitoring.

This led him to take action, and he developed myAQI. Unlike regular monitors that only give air quality readings, myAQI does more. It gives schools easy advice based on current data. Instead of just knowing pollution levels, principals can get helpful tips like 'Keep students inside during recess' or 'Open windows.'

Follow Rohan Varinakaval on LinkedIn

Shahan Ali Mohsin becomes the first Indian to win FIA Formula 4 car racing Indian series

(December 23, 2023) When most kids of his age were glued to cartoons on television, Shahan Ali Mohsin would watch motorsport racing. But his visit to the Indian Grand Prix changed it all for the teenager. Looking at the fast-speed cars, he knew he wanted to be on the track driving one. And now a few years later, he has become the first Indian to win the FIA Formula 4 car racing championship. The 19-year-old, who represents the Hyderabad Black Birds team, picked up the trophy at Madras International Circuit in Sriperumbudur, a town panchayat some 35 km away from Chennai. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Shahan Ali Mohsin (@shahan_racing) It's nothing short of a dream come true for the teenager who has spent a considerable amount of his life on racetracks. It was in 2011 that he first visited Indian Grand Prix, and was determined to make a career in motorsports. Seeing his passion, his father Shahroo Mohsin, a shoe exporter based in Agra, did some research and soon enrolled Shahan at the Meco Motorsports Karting Academy in 2012. He adapted to it pretty soon. "In my first time driving a go-kart I

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Shahan Ali Mohsin (@shahan_racing)

It's nothing short of a dream come true for the teenager who has spent a considerable amount of his life on racetracks. It was in 2011 that he first visited Indian Grand Prix, and was determined to make a career in motorsports. Seeing his passion, his father Shahroo Mohsin, a shoe exporter based in Agra, did some research and soon enrolled Shahan at the Meco Motorsports Karting Academy in 2012. He adapted to it pretty soon. "In my first time driving a go-kart I was already pretty fast. Mr. Ebrahim (Akbar Ebrahim) coached me over the years, which helped me learn racecraft. In the first year itself, I was in the top five. And by the end of my first year in the national championship, I already had a podium. By the second year I was already in the top three, and I was leading the championship for a brief while as well," he said in an interview.

The very next year, Shahan began competing in the Asian Rotax Championship. By the second season, he already managed a few podiums. At the age of 12, he won the Asian Championship's Micro Max category and even had his first race in Europe at the Rotax Grand Festival. "In 2018, I returned to Europe to do the Central European Championship. I got one podium, a second place, there. I did the Rotax Grand Festival in 2017 as well, finishing fourth that year," he added.

In 2018, Shahan faced a major setback while racing (Trofeo Andrea Margutti) in Italy when he felt a sudden pain in his ribcage. Upon his return to India, the MRI revealed a fracture in his left rib, which was caused by an injury in 2017 when he had a crash in the national championship. The injury kept him off the tracks for four months which Shahan describes as a difficult time. "I had to stay away from racing. I couldn't do anything. There was no gym, no fitness, which was very boring for me. But in the first race after the injury, I was already on the pace. And the second race after that I won," he revealed.

It was in 2019 when Shahan turned 15 that he switched from karting to single-seater with MRF F1600, making him the youngest single-seater driver in India. "The transition was difficult, but I adapted to it in one or two races. You're moving from a kart of 80kg to a single-seater which is 500kg. It's a big difference. And then you have aero, suspension, etc. Plus, in karting, you've got 30bhp, and in single-seaters you have 140-150bhp. It was a big difference in terms of engine and power. Then there was the gearbox. It took some time, but I adapted to it. There was a lot to learn," he said in an interview.

Shahan credits his dad for the journey that he has been able to undertake in motorsports. The racer says that his dad always had a blueprint helping him navigate the course for the next few years. "He always had a plan, and he built me up from scratch. He moved me from the Indian national scene to Asia, then to Europe, and then to single-seaters," added the teenager.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Shahan Ali Mohsin (@shahan_racing)

For the next three years, he kept clinching awards that have cemented his position in the world of motorsports. In 2019, he was awarded Best Driver of the Year and in 2021, he won the Indian National Car Racing Championship followed by becoming the first Indian to race in the Indian Racing League in 2022. And now, he has become the first Indian to win the FIA (Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile) Formula 4 car racing championship.

The F4 cars, sanctioned by the FIA, are imported from France and are equipped with turbocharged Renault engines, allowing them to attain speeds of up to 250 km/hr. The Indian F4 Championship comprises a field of 12 drivers, including three from India, as well as representatives from various countries such as Australia, the US, Tasmania, England, UAE, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, and a female driver from India.

"I have set a goal to make India proud by giving my best in the remaining races of the championship," Shahan said.

Follow Shahan Ali Mohsin on Instagram and X

Indian American scholar Sadhana Lolla aims to make AI accessible to all

(March 07, 2024) As a young kid, Sadhana Lolla was fascinated with machines and various equipment. But, growing up whenever she would visit India with her parents, she would observe her grandmother's toil without the availability of any assistive technology. "The experience greatly inspired me to delve into artificial intelligence solutions aimed at delivering robotic assistive technology to marginalised communities," the young scholar shared during an interview. Fueled by a desire to make a global impact through her innovative work, Sadhana secured the Gates Cambridge Scholarship. This scholarship allows students to pursue graduate studies in their chosen field at Cambridge University in the UK. "I'll be delving deep into the intricate connections between technology, public policy, laws, and governance," shared an elated Sadhana, adding, "This intersection is pivotal in an era where every process is digitising, and the significance of AI is continually growing. I hope that my studies could significantly contribute to the global discourse on technology and its profound impact on society." ALSO READ: Meet Vaibhav Mohanty – an accomplished scholar and musician Of hard work and grit A curious kid from the beginning, Sadhana took part in various academic and cultural competitions. "In high school, I was

ology and its profound impact on society."

ALSO READ: Meet Vaibhav Mohanty – an accomplished scholar and musician

Of hard work and grit

A curious kid from the beginning, Sadhana took part in various academic and cultural competitions. "In high school, I was the captain of my Scioly team and competed in biology and Earth and Space Science events. I was also on the competitor logistics committee and also helped out with events," the scholar shared. Soon after finishing school, the youngster joined the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where she is a fourth-year undergraduate, majoring in computer science and minoring in mathematics, "And literature. I have quite a busy schedule, but yet outside of school and planning committees that I am a part of, I still find time to bake, cook, and read," the Global Indian shared.

A part of MIT's Distributed Robotics Laboratory, Sadhana has been working day and night on her research under the guidance of Professor Daniela Rus, focusing on safe and trustworthy robotics and deep learning. Her investigations encompass debiasing strategies for autonomous vehicles and streamlining the design processes of robots. Said the scholar, "My research focusses broadly on the application of deep learning to robotics and on designing and deploying uncertainty-aware artificial intelligence with Dr. Ava Amini."

ALSO READ: Dhruv Gaur is working towards drug stigma and inequality

Also, at Microsoft Research and Themis AI, I have contributed to the development of uncertainty-aware frameworks for deep learning, with applications spanning computational biology, language modeling, and robotics," shared the scholar, who has showcased her research findings at prestigious conferences such as the Neural Information Processing Systems (NeurIPS) and the International Conference on Machine Learning (ICML). "Through this SuperUROP project, I want to become more involved in applying deep learning algorithms to robotics. I hope to apply knowledge from previous machine learning classes and research to an exciting new area of study," she added.

Scaling heights

While she might sound like a nerd, the young scholar is involved in tonnes of activities outside academics as well. Despite a very tight schedule, the young scholar is leading initiatives at MIT to make computer science education more accessible globally. "I instruct class 6.s191, MIT's Introduction to Deep Learning, a course that reaches millions of students globally. As the curriculum lead for Momentum AI, I contribute to the only U.S. program offering free AI education to underserved students. Additionally, I've had the privilege of teaching hundreds of students in Northern Scotland through the MIT Global Teaching Labs programme," she said.

Sadhana also serves as the director for xFair, MIT's largest student-run career fair. Furthermore, she holds an executive board position for Next Sing, where efforts are made to increase accessibility to a cappella for students from various musical backgrounds.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GvUo1E38ZvY

When asked about her future plans, the young scholar said, "I aspire to spearhead discussions on deploying and developing technology for marginalised communities, including the rural Indian village my family calls home. Simultaneously, I am engaged in research focused on embodied intelligence."

Follow Sadhana Lolla on LinkedIn

Reading Time: 5 mins