What impact do you want to have on the world and why?
I come from a very small town in India. Growing up, my family underwent severe financial crisis but I never thought of myself as poor because I never wanted for food or basic amenities. However, I did face severe learning difficulties in school which caused anxiety and trouble in social interactions. I lived in my own bubble, struggling in school while pursuing joyful entrepreneurial projects on the side like selling self-made bracelets, flags, keychains to make some money.
Looking back, I realize that I faced those challenges in school due to ADHD and dyslexia which was overlooked and unidentified till recently. Getting diagnosed has helped me identify my strengths and weaknesses as well as areas of interest. Nevertheless, in a developing country like India, mental health challenges still remain undiagnosed and undetected in children since most often, the school professionals or parents are either ignorant or tend to overlook it. These enabled children are then labeled as dullards or lazy and ignored by the school.
One of the most heart wrenching events occurred during my volunteer time at a primary school in rural Ahmedabad, India. I came in contact with parents of a young girl who was being pulled out since she was doing poorly and seemed disinterested and inattentive in school. Her parents considered her a dullard and were unwilling to let her continue despite our efforts to convince them otherwise. Many young girls like her, especially from poor families, are then forced to marry or do house chores instead of being helped to overcome their challenges and pursue a career.
I have been down that road and understand the challenges and constraints that one faces in school, though I have been blessed to have supportive parents who despite my challenges and financial constraints motivated and supported me to pursue my dream of becoming a designer.
Thus, I want to give back to the community and create an impact by designing an education system that help young students identify their areas of interest and passion and embrace their strengths while making learning easier and fun in school especially for the learning challenged.