Siya plans to attend North Carolina State University and double major in Computer Engineering and Electrical Engineering. She hopes to delve into the research opportunities NC State has to offer to its engineers and pursue a graduate education as well. It is her dream to pursue a career in robotics and become a successful engineer that can simultaneously automate a robot’s code while also devising a design implementation, to have flexibility to channel her inner creativity as it comes, and utilize her methodical and logical manner of thinking to create something that can give back to the world.
“Bracelets, necklaces, and more -- come get them while you can!” I chanted at the top of my lungs from the middle of my Hindu Center’s pavilion. I had spent several long nights crafting these trinkets by hand, and my spirits soared as I watched a bustling line form alongside my booth. Mothers were picking our matching necklaces for themselves and their daughters. Friends were stopping by to snag the ever-popular keychains I saw dangling from their backpacks in school the next day. People were ooh-ing and aah-ing over the charity their purchases supported, with countless requests on how they could contribute more. As I watched my local community step up to the plate and raise nearly $700 in donations, we embarked on the lifelong journey of making small, intentional changes to bridge the gap between what we know about global problems and what we do to conquer them.
I began fundraising for Sindhutai Sapkal Ashram (SSA) to make a difference in my hometown state in India. SSA is an orphanage in Pune, Maharashtra, that works towards providing the children of tribal villagers with necessities such as shelter, rehabilitation, and access to educational opportunities. I used the fruits of my fundraising to purchase school supplies like pencils, notebooks, and erasers. I delivered them to the children last summer, providing over 75 orphans with the supplies they'd need to pursue a quality education.
I spent my time at SSA teaching the younger children how to use tablets and computers, engaging them in brain-stimulating and academic games online. I taught the older kids how to surf the web and use it as a resource for their learning journey: showing them reputable websites to reference for information, providing them tips on conducting research, and encouraging them to document their knowledge in the form of a journal. Pencil by pencil, child by child, I hope to continue serving as the liaison between my local community’s efforts to increase education equity on a global scale.
My work at SSA was undoubtedly rewarding, but it brought to light a much bigger issue. SSA is just the tip of the iceberg: barely 50% of the 444 million children in India receive an education. The orphans I worked with are in dire need of a safety net that provides them with the financial and socioeconomic support needed to attend -- and excel -- at school. How on earth do we even begin conquering a problem as complex and extensive as education equity? How do we ensure every child on this earth gets to go to school and receive the blessing of learning?
The answer to these questions lies at the center of the mantra: think globally, act locally. My experience with SSA revealed to me the merits of maintaining a global mindset while taking action in my local community. I learned for myself how our strength as mankind relies on accepting that there is no singular grand breakthrough that will “fix the world.” Rather, by integrating socially responsible solutions into our everyday actions and decisions, we can begin to make rapid progress at a local level that is strong enough to conquer global issues. I witnessed this in action as I saw something as simple as a bracelet lead to a $10 donation to charity, which turned into me purchasing a notebook and pencils, which transformed into the key a child used to unlock a world of knowledge and learning opportunities. The only way we stand a chance at chipping away at global education inequity is by leveraging our power as individuals and employing grassroots efforts at a local level. The efforts we take in our local environment must never be discounted as “not good enough” because these small acts will slowly but surely add up to make a world of a difference.