Global Indianstory Global Indian ExclusiveBasketball player Ryan Agarwal wishes to represent India in the American landscape

Basketball player Ryan Agarwal wishes to represent India in the American landscape

Compiled by: Team GI Youth

(February 25, 2023) The news was as exciting as it was historic. One of the most prominent basketball teams in the USA, Dallas Mavericks, had picked Satnam Singh to be their team member, making him the first Indian-born player to be selected in an NBA draft in 2015. Little did the world know that Satnam’s entry in the NBA would open doors for an aspiring Indian American basketball player, Ryan Agarwal, who at the time was just another sixth grader at a Dallas middle school.

Player | Ryan Agarwal | Global Indian

Now a Stanford freshman, Ryan is one of the only Indian-American players on the Division I level and wishes to represent India in the American basketball landscape. “Even as I play today, I just have to keep in mind the fact that I help represent such a big community, and only a few people have the ability to do what I’m trying to do,” the basketball player said in a recent interview, adding, “It’s amazing to see how many people support me and have my back.” The Stanford player, who is also deemed as the rising star of US basketball, is fully aware that his game could push him to be greater on the court, but it doesn’t pressure him. “Basketball is just kind of fun for me. I don’t really feel like it’s a burden on me,” the Global Indian shared.

A star in the making

Ryan’s parents had emigrated from India, and he was born in a Dallas suburb. While the young kid never saw someone playing basketball or considered it as a career path, it was the selection of Satnam in the Dallas Mavericks that encouraged him to start playing. In 2017, Ryan and his cousin had a chance to watch Satnam in an NBA G League game, and it was there that Ryan realised he wanted to play just like him. And once he had made up his mind, there was no looking back. The youngster started playing at his school and was soon picked up to be a part of the local team. Standing at 6’7 and a slender 175 pounds, the Indian American player is a certified bucket.

Ryan with his family

While he loved playing the sport and spending several hours mastering the skill, Ryan credits his parents for supporting him throughout the journey. Even though they were initially unsure about the rigorous world of recruiting and elite sports, watching their son play gave them immense confidence. Eventually, Ryan shared, that several families started reaching out to them to ask for advice, partly on how to encourage their children in sports and get them noticed by college coaches. “I’m blessed with the parents I have, because they put me in every sport possible to just try to see what I love, which honestly, not a lot of Indian parents do,” Ryan said, adding, “I think that’s the biggest thing for me. If it wasn’t for the support from my parents, who knows where I would be.”

More mountains to climb

The 18-year-old, who is a part of the Standford team now, understands how rare it is to see Indian basketball players playing at the Division I level and also realises his responsibility to encourage other South Asian kids, who aspire to be basketball players. “We didn’t really have a lot of players that were Indian-American playing Division I basketball that we could all look up to,” Ryan told in an interview, adding, “In AAU travel ball, I didn’t see any Indians at all. Even in Texas, playing travel ball against other teams, I didn’t see a lot. It was just kind of on my own team if anything.”

However, the teen player didn’t shy away from a certain amount of pressure that comes with people judging an entire culture based on his play. In fact, a few months back, Ryan also shared a video highlighting the efforts of his coaches and relatives who helped him during his journey, saying that he wants “to set an example for a whole heritage and prove that we can do it, too.”

So far this season, Agarwal has come off the bench for Stanford in nearly two-thirds of its games, averaging roughly eight minutes when he plays. Rivals.com once ranked Agarwal as a top-20 shooting guard, but Stanford Coach Jerod Haase believes that Ryan is a more complete player because of his size at 6-foot-6 and his passing ability. “I want to continue getting better and better and ready for the next level. I’ll be in the gym probably more than ever with my trainers and by myself,” the player shared.

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Published on 25, Feb 2023

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Kiara Nirghin: Indian-origin South African fighting drought through innovation

(July 5, 2023) At the age of 13, Indian-origin South African Kiara Nirghin found herself confined to a hospital bed for over a year due to droughts as she was diagnosed with Bilharzia, a parasite-induced disease and a few months later with bacterial meningitis, inflammation of the membranes surrounding brain and spinal cord. It was also the onset of one of the worst droughts in South Africa, and unable to attend school, Kiara spent hours writhing in pain. "I remember lying in the hospital bed and thinking to myself if this is the immense pain that my mind can endure, just imagine the possibilities if this powerful machine is used for something more productive," she said on her TEDxPretoria talk. Those months in the hospital were spent not only on self-reflection but also understanding the power of knowledge and putting it to use to find solution for bigger world problems. This powerful through process and months of experimentation led to the solution to the problem of drought by developing a cost-effective "super-absorbent polymer" that helps soil retain water. The invention won the Stanford graduate the 2016 Google Science Fair, and also got her a place on Times 30 Most Influential

Most Influential Teens list.

[caption id="attachment_31612" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Kiara Nirghin[/caption]

Growing up in the town of Alberton with her three other siblings, Kiara was always interested in science, especially chemistry. As young as seven, she would experiment with vinegar and baking soda solutions in plastic cups in her kitchen. "My natural curiosity and questioning nature have sparked my everlasting love of science," she said in an interview.

She was keen to look for potential solution to problems, and one such issue that she couldn't turn a blind eye to was drought. South Africa was experiencing a severe drought, and it was agricultural areas that were massively hit, leading to a decrease in agricultural production and a rise in food prices, affecting both farmers and consumers. Seeing the worrisome situation, Kiara took it upon herself to find a plausible solution. Despite much effort, she did come across many stumbling blocks initially until she saw her older sister change her baby daughter's diapers. "I was surprised how much liquid a low-cost diaper could absorb. These are what called superabsorbent polymers which are essentially powders which can retain large amount of water relative to their weight. And if applied to the soil of a plant, when rain does fall, create a reservoir of water and through a period of droughts would allow the plants to sustain its life," she added.

[caption id="attachment_31613" align="aligncenter" width="700"] Kiara Nirghin[/caption]

Upon research, she found that such solutions were already applied to the agricultural industry, however, they were non-bio degradable, chemical-based and expensive. "We had a possible solution that was not solving the problem. So, I decided to emulate a commercial SAP but make it biodegradable and make it low-cost, ultimately looking at my solution to the problem," said United Nations Young Champions of the Earth who came up with a superabsorbent polymer made from waste products like orange peels and avocado skin. Her invention increases the chance for plants to sustain growth by 84 percent during a drought and can increase food security by 73 percent in disaster-struck areas.

In 2021, she partnered with an international agricultural firm, to bring her product to market that's set to revolutionise water conservation and sustain crops through periods of drought, thus increasing food security across the globe. "I like to think of the issues of the world as problems that have not yet been partnered with a solution," she added.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_U7PfFpHSo

A champion of girls in STEM, Kiara believes in crucial representation in fostering a positive environment in STEM. "I always get asked why girls should get involved in science and technology? And I always answer the question by saying, ‘Why should they not?’ Suppose we’re trying to find a solution to curing cancer, and you bar women from science fields. In that case, you’re already decreasing the ability to find that solution by 50 percent because fewer people are thinking about it," she told Mission.

The 23-year-old took up Computer Science in Stanford University "to understand how we can leverage artificial intelligence technology and bio computation to solve large-scale problems." This led her to co-found Chima in 2022 to power scalable generative AI for the world's most important institutions. Over the years, Kiara has moved towards inventions and work that provide solutions. "For me, it started on that hospital bed when I realised I have a machine in my brain just as powerful as my favourite scientist and if they can use it to do amazing things, so can I."

Follow Kiara Nirghin on LinkedIn

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Agnishwar Jayaprakash: Making the drone industry soar

(October 1, 2022) On September 29, 2022, Garuda Aerospace received its DGCA approval as a remote pilot training organisation. It will enable the startup to train some 1 lakh drone pilots across 755 districts, a target it aims to meet by the end of 2025. It's a huge leap forward, both in terms of technology and regulation. Founded by serial social entrepreneur and Global Indian Agnishwar Jayaprakash (Agni Foundation), who went from swimming to champ to entrepreneurship and studying in Harvard Business School, the startup received funding from MS Dhoni in June 2022. Back in 2014, Francesco's Pizzerias in Mumbai created quite the stir when it used an unmanned drone to deliver pizzas. Unfortunately, it also ruffled the feathers of the Mumbai police, who called it a security risk. The Indian government has been quick to catch on to the many uses of drones, from defense surveillance to mapping rural landholdings. The forest department also uses them to keep an eye out of poachers. By 2030, India's drone industry is all set to hit a market-size of $23 billion and capture 25 percent of the global drone market, according to journalist Shereen Bhan on Young Turks. With the government going

With the government going full throttle on easing regulations, Garuda Aerospace, founded by serial social entrepreneur Agni Jayaprakash is the 31st RPTO to get the government nod since the regulations were eased on August 26 this year. Two months earlier, it burst into the limelight when cricketer M.S. Dhoni invested an undisclosed sum in the startup and became its brand investor. "I'm happy to be a part of Garuda Aerospace and look forward to witness their growth story," Dhoni said at the time.

As for the young entrepreneur himself, he was over the moon about it. Growing up, Agnishwar was an award-winning swimmer, his eyes set on the Olympics. At 14, he became the youngest Indian to represent his country at the World Championships in Indianapolis in 2004. At 22, he brought home medals in six categories at the world Short Swimming Course Championship in Istanbul, becoming the youngest Indian to achieve the feat. By this time, he had stepped fully into his entrepreneurship role.

Inspired by former president APJ Abdul Kalam, Agnishwar founded Ignite-India, a nationwide platform to promote innovation and entrepreneurship in schools and colleges. The platform reached out to over 7000 schools and was recognised by the United Nations. "I started swimming at the age of three and it became a passion because I was getting really good at it," he said, in an interview at Harvard Business School. "It was good, it let me travel the world, have many new experiences and meet new people. But it was very individualistic. All I thought about was what I could do for myself. Now, as an entrepreneur, the work I do impacts thousands of young people in India and South East Asia. It's been a very satisfying transition."

[caption id="attachment_22464" align="aligncenter" width="409"] Agnishwar Jayaprakash[/caption]

In 2019, he became Vice Chairman at Agni College of Technology in Chennai. "I wanted to leave a mark on the education system," he told Guindy Times in 2020. "Our system has become rudimentary because our kids are just expected to reproduce content after absorbing it in class. We test our kids only on one aspect of intelligence. You score good marks but you're not really learning." Agnishwar stepped in with the intention to bring innovative and entrepreneurial learning into the education system. Their acceleration programme funds startups and works with the government to inspire children and students as well.

Seven years after its founding, Garuda Aerospace has "scaled to a 200-member team having the largest drone fleet in India with over 300 drones and 500 pilots operating in 26 cities," Agnishwar said, in an interview with Industrial Automation India. "We have also expanded to Malaysia, Africa and South America." The team aims to spearhead what Agnishwar calls a "Drone Revolution" with a "vision of manufacturing 1 lakh Made in India drones and cement the market dominance on 2 major multi-billion-dollar segments - Precision Agri Tech and Industry 4.0."

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A post shared by Agnishwar Jayaprakash (@agnishwarjayaprakash)

Currently, Garuda Aerospace manufactures around 30 different kinds of drones and offers over 50 types of services across a range of industries. This includes warehouse management and delivery for Flipkart, seed dropping, project monitoring and drone delivery of medicines for hospitals. They are also working with Swiggy which is looking to expand to drone delivery in Bengaluru and Delhi.

Back in 2017, his interviewer at Harvard Business School asked Agnishwar his views on failure. "It's a cliche but it is a stepping stone," he said at once. "I learned that as a swimmer. I wanted to be in the Olympics, but I couldn't make it. With entrepreneurship, it's always a hit-and-miss. I tell young entrepreneurs not to lose motivation and to remember that ideas can only be sustained with the right modules and strategy. All we see in the media are the success stories but never the failures from which we can truly learn."

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Wizards of maths: NRI prodigies Raghav & Madhav’s fab formula – brilliance, philanthropy & extracurriculars

(April 22, 2022) Number whizzes, Dubai-based brothers Raghav and Madhav have turned numerals into more than just that, with their social endeavours. For them, it’s evident that charity begins with numbers! The brothers with roots in Chennai are not only maths wizards but dedicated philanthropists who have raised close to 40,000 dirhams as part of their philanthropic initiatives for Al Jalila Foundation (an initiative of Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai) and Smile Train, Dubai (world's largest charity for children with cleft). They have other charity initiatives too. At just 12 (Raghav) and nine (Madhav), the genius prodigies also have a cartload of awards and accolades. “Not using the abilities that we have is useless. We have learned that we should use our talent for a noble cause,” says the older sibling Raghav in an interview with Global Indian. [caption id="attachment_15387" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Raghav and Madhav, maths wizards[/caption] Since 10, and seven, Raghav and Madhav have been helping special needs students, the have-nots, and the pandemic saw them raise funds to help those affected. "Since we couldn't really meet face-to-face, we met people online to showcase our mental math abilities firsthand and raise funds," says Madhav.

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Since 10, and seven, Raghav and Madhav have been helping special needs students, the have-nots, and the pandemic saw them raise funds to help those affected. "Since we couldn't really meet face-to-face, we met people online to showcase our mental math abilities firsthand and raise funds," says Madhav.

A big brother who showed the path

Raghav, who was felicitated by Dr Abdulkareem Sultan Al Olama, CEO, Al Jalila Foundation for his humanitarian efforts, has been conferred the coveted Hamdam Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Award for distinguished student 2020-2021. The then consulate-general of India to Dubai awarded him the Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas Award, 2020. A math wizard and Diana awardee, there is a depth to his talent and abilities. He represented the UAE national team in the IMSO Olympiad (Indonesia), and is among the top 5 in the Junior Mental Calculation World Championship held in Germany. Dubai Cares has awarded Raghav, the Young-Philanthropist Award in 2019.

[caption id="attachment_15395" align="aligncenter" width="620"] Raghav Krishna Seshadri Sumanth[/caption]

Yet, of paramount importance is his dedication towards developing his mathematical acumen. Raghav took up an algebra honours course meant for seniors at the North-Western University at the Centre for Talent Development, US. Unsurprisingly, he passed with a whopping 92 percent, though still in grade six. The consecutive two-time gold medallist in the math Olympiad, UAE brushes off these brilliant accolades, as his interest lies in using his talent to help others.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gl6pVsFJTVw

Both Raghav and Madhav enrolled in UCMAS (a worldwide skill development programme promoting the universal concept of a mental arithmetic system) at age five. The course laid a solid foundation for their extraordinary mathematics skills. “There is one competition - Flash in UCMAS, wherein numbers flash on screen, and you’re supposed to add them quickly. In that style of competition, I am the flash champion in UAE,” smiles an excited 12-year-old Raghav.

Private coaching from world-renowned experts, both in India and the UK, Raghav even trained himself in advanced mental math abilities. "We would like to do more charity for causes like teaching visually impaired about astronomy," says Raghav.

The little boy genius

Madhav is an ardent fan of his older brother, and loves emulating him. The UAE national level first ranker in the Ignited Mind Labs Mental Math competition in 2021, he is also a national level gold medallist in the Mathematics Olympiad conducted by IOF in 2021-2022 (UAE).

[caption id="attachment_15396" align="aligncenter" width="617"] Madhav Krishna Seshadri Sumanth[/caption]

With three awards in the UCMAS National Abacus Mental Arithmetic Competition 2019 (in visual calculation, flash mental calculation, and listening mental calculation in the junior 4 category), Madhav’s prowess follows closely behind Raghav’s. An international champion at the UCMAS International Abacus competition (Cambodia, 2020), Madhav also learned to spread his wings. The avid cricketer started training at the International Cricket Council Academy in Dubai at five. He won the ICC Academy ADIB Warriors U-7’s coveted One to Watch Award 2019. An exceptional talent as a stylish left-handed batsman, Madhav is determined to take the sport further.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BMeqi409VQ

Fundraising through mathematics

The brilliant brothers, Raghav and Madhav set up the YallaGive campaign to raise funds for Al Jalila Foundation’s Ta’alouf (harmony in Arabic) programme which empowers children of determination (special needs kids) by equipping parents and teachers to develop necessary skills to hone potential. The pandemic saw them raise funds (online) by posting videos, and setting up virtual meetings asking mental math questions to potential donors – the better they performed, the greater the donors contributed. Raising 30,000 dirhams for children with Down Syndrome and autism, they facilitated scientific training for 73 teachers across 23 schools in the UAE in 2020.

Chain of Initiatives

Raghav and Madhav's math acumen is spectacular, and that has given them an impetus to use it to help others. Sponsoring the education of an orphan girl child in India, Raghav is also the Youth Ambassador of Water Alliance, and often conducts webinars to propagate handwashing techniques, and water conservation. As youth ambassadors of Smile Train, they bore medical expenses of children suffering from cleft in the MENA region.

Strong roots

“Learning something and developing talent is good. But using that talent for a noble cause is even better, so we figured out that we should do something good with the skills we have,” says Raghav thoughtfully.

[caption id="attachment_15390" align="aligncenter" width="645"] Raghav and Madhav[/caption]

Their father Sumanth Seshadri is head of compliance at Gulf Islamic investments. Their philanthropic urgings were nurtured by a charitable upbringing through generations with their grandfather helming a charitable trust in India as well. While Sumanth encourages and motivates his sons on charity, or specialised courses, and often brainstorms on ideas, their mother, Vedavalli, a Bharatanatyam dancer, guides them in studies, and life.

Shining bright

Not ones to rest on their laurels, Raghav is now keen on taking up astronomy, and wants to become an astronaut or space scientist. “I would also like to be an astronaut because I always like to follow in the footsteps of my brother,” Madhav smiles.

Child prodigies, medals, and 99-100 percent marks is a norm. However, all maths and no play is not what the brothers are about. They hold a brown belt (Kyu 3) in karate, and are set for a black belt test soon. They paint. Are religiously inclined - with the first prize (thrice consecutively) in the Bhagavad Gita chanting. Oh, and the Carnatic music students love reading. “I read many books regularly. Until now, I’ve read almost 100 to 200 books, I’ve won the voracious reader award in school too,” pipes the brilliant Raghav.

[caption id="attachment_15391" align="aligncenter" width="422"] Raghav and Madhav with parents[/caption]

Their interests and lives are a lesson in time management. “With careful planning, we manage time. We schedule plans early, and are persistent on what and when to do things. We put extra effort in whatever we do, with our whole mind in it,” enthuses Raghav as Madhav nods in affirmation. They study in Delhi Private School, Sharjah in class 8 and New Delhi Private School, Sharjah in class 5 respectively. For siblings of such stellar acumen and talent, their parents are their inspiration, even as world looks on in awe at their brilliant and well-rounded achievements.

Follow Raghav and Madhav on Instagram

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Young Indian entrepreneur Nikhil Kashyap’s 1st startup has 20,000 members, 2nd startup uses brain waves to power devices

(January 17, 2022) A 16-year-old with the confidence to quit school to start up and succeed - Nikhil Kashyap is in a league of his own. Not many teens have the conviction to succeed on skillsets and belief alone. The young entrepreneur from Bareilly (UP) passionately believes that in today’s world, skills trump certifications and he has gone on to prove just that by turning entrepreneur at an age when his peers are poring over textbooks. As a student too Nikhil participated in and won several competitions at the international level - a project on eutrophication for the New York Academy of Sciences of which he is now a young member. In 2021, he was also selected as the national finalist for IRIS. When Kashyap quit school to launch his maiden company Micro Electronics, a community for like-minded techies, the young entrepreneur raked in revenues worth $4,000 (Rs 2.9 lakh) within the first two months. His clients included JLCPCB, Bitblocks, Stampedia, and Drona Aviation, etc. With interests that include AI/ML, brain computer Interface (BCI), cybersecurity, blockchain, and all things space related, Nikhil has taken to self-teaching with aplomb. Though he might have dropped out of school to pursue his passion for

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With interests that include AI/ML, brain computer Interface (BCI), cybersecurity, blockchain, and all things space related, Nikhil has taken to self-teaching with aplomb. Though he might have dropped out of school to pursue his passion for technology, he spends a large chunk of time self-learning and doing certificate courses online.

“I am a self-learner. The internet is a treasure trove of knowledge and there are plenty of courses online for me to explore,” says this young entrepreneur, who does courses from Udemy and YouTube. “In this era, I believe skills are more important than certifications and I am working to hone my skills in my interest areas,” this self-learner reveals to Global Indian Youth.

A boy with a lab in his room

Born in Bareilly to Mahipal (a private company executive) and Meera (a housewife) Kashyap, the young Indian entrepreneur was interested in electronics and technology from an early age. In fact, he was always tinkering, and had a small lab in his room. His sister Neha, a 12th grader, wants to do civil services.

“My achievements gave my parents the confidence that I would indeed do well even after quitting school,” reveals the teen, explaining his move to quit school to turn his focus on entrepreneurship in 2020 when he was 15-years-old. It was around this time that he founded his first startup Micro Electronics, a community for people interested in electronics and technology. “It was also a platform to educate more people on technology and all its aspects,” says young Indian entrepreneur, adding that soon Micro Electronics became a platform for tech companies to advertise their services, thus generating revenue for the bootstrapped startup.

Today, Micro Electronics has over 20,000 tech enthusiasts from across the world as its members. “We’re essentially an open-source hardware community. People come onto our platform to learn about electronics, technology and robotics. There is also a big focus on Internet of Things,” explains Nikhil, adding that most members on this knowledge sharing community are within the age group of 15 to 35.

A neuro corridor to gadgets

Nikhil incidentally is also deeply interested in the concept of brain computer interface, which is a direct communication pathway between the brain’s electrical activity and an external device. While BCI has been used to establish connections between the brain and a computer or a robotic limb in the past, Nikhil is exploring the possibility of using the concept to power devices and appliances using brain waves. To this end, he founded NeuraliX in August 2021.

“When I learnt about BCI I was extremely interested in the concept. But I found that BCI products are usually quite expensive and also there weren’t any development boards for BCI in India. NeuraliX is my attempt to bridge that gap,” says the young Indian entrepreneur, adding that Neuralix is one of the first startups in India to be founded by a high school senior. The company now has four team members, each located in different parts of the country and working remotely.

The team is currently developing an open source development board for BCI, and users can use the NeuraliX kit to make DIY projects to solve real world problems. “For example, many people today are comfortable using smart devices and appliances such as lights, cookers and washing machines. What if you could now control these using brain waves? BCI can be used to connect the brain with these machines,” explains Nikhil.

While the concept might seem futuristic, Nikhil says that it could soon turn to reality given the advancement in the field.

Nikhil himself has been working on some BCI projects – one where he tried to control light switches using brain waves, and another where he played a ping-pong game using BCI. Currently, NeuraliX is bootstrapped and Nikhil is working to sell BCI kits on cloud platforms.

As he continues to work to grow both Micro Electronics and NeuraliX, he aims to grow his first startup to a 50,000 strong member community by 2022-end. “As far as NeuraliX is concerned, I’d like to build a headset to record EEG data of the brain and in the next five years collaborate with BCI giants for further development and research in the field. I’ll probably also look at organising hackathons to spread more awareness about this exciting concept,” says Nikhil, who loves to unwind over rounds of badminton, and has also played competitively at the district level. Prod him about studying later, and he declares, “I believe in self learning as skills are what matter,” ending all discussion.

· Follow Nikhil Kashyap on LinkedIn

Reading Time: 8 mins

Inspired by tragedy: Ishika Binu is working on making roads safer for everyone

(November 11, 2022) It was a usual day for the then 13-year-old Ishika Binu and her younger sister, when both of them stepped out with their caretaker to attend their daily Bharatnatyam class. While they were on their way a vehicle rammed into their car, throwing it completely off-balance. "It was a horrible accident," recounts now 17-year-old student, as she connects with Global Indian, from Washington. "When the car collided, I was shouting my sister's name. She was very still and I feared that she was dead. She was shifted to the Harborview Hospital in Seattle, while I remained at Evergreen due to my concussion. She stayed in the Intensive Care Unit for several days with multiple spinal fractures, a sternum fracture, and internal spleen bleeding." [caption id="attachment_24083" align="aligncenter" width="522"] Ishika Binu[/caption] While the accident left a lifelong scar on Ishika's memory, it did force her to realise the importance of road safety measures. Her recovery period gave Ishika the time to do a lot of research about road accidents across the world. The high school student found that millions of people lose their lives - either on spot or waiting for medical assistance - after meeting with an accident.

he importance of road safety measures. Her recovery period gave Ishika the time to do a lot of research about road accidents across the world. The high school student found that millions of people lose their lives - either on spot or waiting for medical assistance - after meeting with an accident. "We were lucky to be fully under my father's insurance. However, several people cannot afford their medical bills, and that pains me," shares the teenager.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4CSSnbrkw0

Inspired by the tragedy that struck her family, Ishika decided to focus on safe driving for her Girl Scouts project. Earlier this year, the Washington-based student won the National Gold Scholarship Award for her Safe Drive project - which is the highest award in Girl Scouts. She is also the founder of an NGO, Arts4Assistance, which supports families who have any unexpected medical needs.

A passionate youngster

Born in Washington to two young computer engineers from Kerala, Ishika was always attracted to performing arts - especially Indian classical dance forms. "I am heavily invested in performing arts and dancing. I have been taking formal classes since I was just four years old, and have performed on various platforms as well." Proud of her Indian roots, Ishika shares that her family celebrates Onam every year in a grand fashion.

[caption id="attachment_24084" align="aligncenter" width="589"] Binu sisters, during a Bharatanatyam performance[/caption]

For someone who finds silver linings even in the most tragic situations, she reminisces that it was the paramedic, who helped her and her sister, that played a catalyst in changing the way she thinks. "He told me that he had to be calm, to be able to help people. If he panicked, the people who are already scared might lose all hope. I was very inspired by that and today I completely base all my thought processes around that. Even when I was in the hospital, I was aware of the various issues the patients and their families were facing. Those small things motivated me to start the safe driving Girl Scouts project," shares the student.

After years of rehab and therapy, both Ishika and her younger sister, Rithika, are not only fine now, but have also performed Bharatanatyam at various events. To be able to use her art form to help others, Ishika started the NGO, Arts4Assistance. "We loved performing on the stage, and it is a big part of our lives. I plan to become a doctor when I grow up but don't want to stop doing things that make me happy due to work pressure. And I figured, many young people still like to pursue their hobbies despite having a tight work schedule. And what better than to use those performances to help other people. With that thought I started Arts4Assistance, a platform where artists can submit art pieces and performances to help raise funds for families who have any kind of unexpected medical needs," says the student.

Giving back to the society

Around the same time that Ishika was working on her Girl Scouts project, another unfortunate incident shook her. Her grandfather, who lived in Kerala, suffered a heart attack and wasn’t able to make 911 call to get an ambulance like in the US. "Having been in an accident, I knew what important role ambulances play in the patient getting timely treatment. My father made me more aware of the healthcare situation in India."

[caption id="attachment_24085" align="aligncenter" width="596"] MLA D.K. Murali flagging off the ambulance service in the Kallara village[/caption]

The youngster, with help from the Girl Scouts of Western Washington, worked remotely to implement ambulance services in the Kerala village, which was flagged off on April 2, 2022. "I realised that just spreading awareness on the prevention of road accidents is not enough. We must find a way to provide emergency medical services. I identified places that lacked proper medical transportation services in Kerala and contacted the Kallara panchayat to help improve their medical infrastructure. I raised funds for the ambulance service with the help of volunteers, and other art shows and performances in Washington," shares the young student, who is currently working on a similar project in Africa.

Follow Ishika Binu on LinkedIn
Follow Arts4Assistance on Facebook

Reading Time: 6 mins