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ab="" data-ogsc="" data-ogsb="">Aryan rattles of a long list of hobbies without pause. Evidently, he likes to explore new things, from "basketball to tennis, I have tried it all." His desire for discovery is constant, even if he doesn't always excel at everything he does. It's all part of the journey of self-awareness - in Aryan's mind, understanding the self is the most important part of all. It's also why he founded Optiverse, as a means to help students from all over the world find themselves and realise their potential.

A whiteboard stands behind him and Aryan often pauses during the conversation to make a note or two, handwritten into a book on the table beside him. "People ask me how I balance school and work and everything else. I always say, there is so much time and we waste it without realising we're doing so," he says, adding, "I have a bunch of books for different things."

How it began

Aryan had just finished his 10th grade exams and, "felt there was something missing in the students around me." The pandemic had just begun and Aryan found himself cut off from his old friends. "My peers were always talking about the things that got them down - terms like depression and anxiety were part of daily use." Pointing out that Optiverse does not in any way deal with mental health or psychological therapy, Aryan explains, "There was a lot of focus on the negative things in life. And I thought, why don't I do something to help?"

He also recalls a short composition by a junior in school, was asked to write a paragraph describing himself. The boy had written his name, his favourite food, his age and his favourite sports. "I thought, this kid probably has a good idea of who he is but he never shows it nor applies that potential. There's more to life than just academics, after all," he tells Global Indian.

This is where he returns to the Socratic idea of self-awareness. Optiverse is run by students, for students and provides mentees with a six-hour course, divided equally into six sessions. They are put through a set of activities, discussions and questionnaires, acquainted with life maps and design thinking, identity building, decision making and the other parameters "necessary for character development."

Finding recognition

A group of students not yet out of high school are bound to have a hard time proving themselves - a challenge Aryan and the Optiverse team have faced many times. "A lot of our work involves making organisational pitches to potential stakeholders," says the teen changemaker. They have networked with organisations, schools, colleges and NGOs around the world. This includes Lady Gaga's The Way Foundation and a George H.W. Bush Points of Lights Awards.

Recognition comes from all over the world not just because Aryan works with students in foreign countries. Instead, the idea that is the essence of Optiverse, has merit and application that far transcends conventional borders. "Run by students, for students, we give our mentees a better perspective of their skills, strengths and talents," Aryan explains. While most of their mentees are teenagers, they do meet the occasional thirty-something too. "It's about gaining insights positively," he remarks. Optimism and positivity are their core values - baked right into the organisation's name. "We believe it's the foundation of whatever you dream of achieving," he adds.

The system itself is completely free and an advantage, Aryan says, is that the mentor and mentee are almost the same age. "Usually, you have adults counselling children and there is a sense of a gap there. With Optiverse, that is not the case - students feel safe and are willing to open up to someone their own age," he proffers. The mentor and the mentee usually do the course together, too. "The students who have benefited from us promote our work," he explains.

Collaborations are the backbone of what Optiverse does, as is training young people to put the programme forth. Trainers are brought on board by Aryan, after a month-long selection process. "They do the course themselves during that time. By the end of it, they know what question to ask and when. They know how to respond to the questions that come their way," says the entrepreneur. Through this method, the team has grown to a strength of 250, compounding the number of those who have been impacted. "We don't keep track of how many mentees we have," Aryan explains, adding, "We make note of those who were happy with the programme."

Optiverse will always be part of his life. "I see so many students starting up organisations and closing them after school or college. I don't want to do that. 30 years from now, Optiverse will remain part of my secondary life, if not my primary life," adds the teen changemaker.

What the future holds

“The biography of Steve Jobs was the first big book I read," Aryan smiles. That happened soon after his tenth grade, around the time he started Optiverse. "He is a visionary." Then there's Elon Musk, the unpredictable billionaire who dabbles in everything from space to social media - a maverick quality that Aryan no doubt admires. "Entrepreneurship is where I see myself," the teen changemaker speaks with great conviction. "I see myself being part of many startups which also work on the UN Sustainable Development Goals."

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Finding recognition

This summer, he will head off to LaunchX to build a startup from scratch. "I have a 100 percent scholarship," adds the teen changemaker. During the programme, he will begin with a business pitch and have a business that's ready to launch by the end of the month-long programme. With mentorship from experts all through.

OptiverseX is his latest endeavour, an ambitious bid to bring 50 student organisations together around the same table, fighting for all SDGs under one proverbial roof. "Lots of people and businesses focus on one or more SDGs. Here, will be working with all at the same time," he concludes.

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hours and 30 minutes and securing a place in Assist World Records. However, their motivation transcends mere record-breaking; their swim is for a bigger purpose - to raise awareness about ocean pollution and environment conservation. Tharaagai was only three when she began accompanying her father to weekly beach cleanups and soon learnt about ocean pollution, leading her to take charge as an eco-crusader. Even during the 30-km long stretch between Talaimannar in Sri Lanka and Dhanuskodi in Tamil Nadu, the trio remained committed to their cause, gathering 6 kgs of plastic waste. "Every piece of plastic we spotted floating on the ocean's surface, we made sure to retrieve and stow away in the boat," recalls Tharaagai.

Enduring nearly 12 hours in the water is no easy feat, especially for a nine-year-old who was accompanied by her seven-year-old cousin Nishvik. "I have been swimming since I was three. All these years of water adaptation have helped me stay put for a very long time. With each challenge, I push outside my comfort zone and that's what I did with the Palk Strait swim too. At times, we have to face strong currents or daunting waves but we adapt to the challenges and face them," smiles the eco-crusader.

The 30-km swim

The journey began from Dhanuskodi after getting clearance from both the Indian and Sri Lankan governments. "We boarded a mother boat in the afternoon of April 2 to reach Talaimannar in four hours. The big boat provides essential amenities like beds, food, and restroom facilities. It also carries the support crew consisting of doctors, physiotherapists, and their assistants, two support swimmers, and a kayak," reveals Aravind, who is a scuba diving instructor. To ensure their safety, they were accompanied by a mother boat, a rescue boat, a backup boat, and a kayak.

Starting in the wee hours of April 3, Aravind, Tharaagai, and Nishvik, who were waiting for the weather to clear out, braced themselves for a long day ahead. "It's a non-stop journey without any breaks," explains Aravind, adding, "You can drink water or eat a banana or dates or nuts from the accompanying kayak." However, setting off before dawn had its perks as they had the opportunity to witness bioluminescence, (emission of light by living organisms), which captivated the two kids. "That's one of the things we love about night swimming," smiles the girl.

[caption id="attachment_37127" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Swimming across the Palk Strait[/caption]

Given their years of swimming experience, the duo didn't undergo any special preparation for the 30km swim. "We have been constantly swimming and gymming - for stretching to avoid any cramps during swimming along with some cardio," reveals Aravind for whom mental fortitude was equally important as he recognised the unpredictability of the ocean.

With decades of scuba diving experience under his belt, Aravind felt relatively prepared for the challenges. "Throughout the swim, I kept the kids motivated by engaging in small talk or plays so that they don't fell the fatigue. I kept them distracted so that they dwell on how far is the finishing line," he laughs. However, the final four hours proved to be the most challenging as they had to swim against the current. "If we stop swimming, the current would push us back. So, we kept moving forward despite the strong current," adds Tharaagai, who was welcomed by a cheering crowd at Dhanuskodi.

Swim for a cause

Aravind calls himself "a proud father" seeing his daughter create an impact as an eco-crusader. "Till now, she has collected 2000 kg of plastic waste from ocean and beaches," beams Aravind, adding, "More kids are getting inspired and joining us for future adventures to create awareness. The idea is that if my daughter can do it, everyone can do it." Aravind firmly believes that the future generation has the power to create change. "If we ask the government to stop manufacturing plastic bottles, it won't happen. But these young kids are witnessing the harmful effects of single-use plastic on the environment. In the future, one of them would ascend to positions of influence - be it Chief Minister, Prime Minister, or Forest Officer. That's when these efforts will truly matter," says Aravind.

An eco-crusader

The Chennai girl's love for water is a gift from her father who started adapting her to water when she was all of three days old. By the time, she was nine months old, she began floating and in the next two years, she was swimming like a pro. Her bond with water kept strengthening with each passing day, and at the age of five, she started training for scuba diving in shallow water.

[caption id="attachment_37128" align="aligncenter" width="562"] Aravind with daughter Tharaagai[/caption]

Growing up near the sea made her aware of the marine pollution and the plastic menace on the beaches. At a young age, she understood "how plastic and abandoned nets were adding to the pollution and affecting marine life." With some hand-holding by her father, she sat through awareness programs and training, absorbing every bit of information about endangered marine species, especially the Dugong (sea cow). "With 150 dugongs left in India, she decided to save them from plastic pollution. She is creating awareness among kids through presentations in various schools," says Aravind, who founded South India's first-ever scuba diving center Temple Adventures in Pondicherry in 2007.

His passion for protecting the environment has rubbed off on his daughter as the two are now working as a team of eco-crusaders. "Every week, we clean up the beaches and the ocean beds. I then segregate the plastic and send the one that can be upcycled to the recycling plant. While the other is taken care of by the government who dispose of it properly," reveals Aravind.

Tharaagai, who is being home-schooled, wants to be a scuba diver when she grows up. But the nine-year-old is currently enjoying her work as an eco-crusader and wants more kids to join hands. "I alone cannot clean marine plastic, everyone has to participate," she signs off.

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