March 2017 - Blog Post 2

Looking back at our CAS project, I am proud of our accomplishment. We prepared for this long journey and so many people thought it was a crazy idea, but it was so much fun and a really unique learning opportunity. We were able to get through this walk by venturing through beautiful and safe neighborhoods, accompanied by music from our phone, and a backpack. We still had more resources than the children we wanted to represent. They have a much more difficult time getting to their destination and they do so on a daily basis, while we only did so for a day and with way more entertainment options to get us through. It was a very cool experience and it makes me more grateful for the resources I have access to. We have asked a few adults to donate a few dollars for every mile we walked to donate to a charity, Water Mission, which will help provide the resources for children in other countries. This CAS project enabled us to learn in a really exciting and creative way!

February 2017 - Blog Post 1

We walked to school today! It was truly and exciting experience and went much more smoothly than I imagine. My friend spent the night at my house and we left in the morning at 7 AM. We reached the school an hour and a half later at 8:30 AM. The beginning of the journey was tedious and a little hopeless because we ventured down an incredibly long road and we did not have a conversation going. Our backpacks were gradually growing heavier and making our shoulders more sore. After crossing the first stoplight, things started looking up because we realized we had made more progress than we thought and we started distracting ourselves with music and conversation. Before we knew it, we were in Friendly Center, which is only a few minutes from Grimsley. We stopped to take a few pictures of the gardens near us and we grew slightly sad because our adventure was almost over. We had so much fun on this walk and it was an exciting learning experience.

January 2017 - Blog Post 2

In preparation for our CAS project, I collaborate with a classmate, Catriona Dick. We have been brainstorming different ideas and thinking up different plans of actions for completing the assignment. We ultimately decided to walk to school, which is considerably a long distance considering neither of us live in our school district. We wanted to raise awareness and experience what children in other countries experience daily. Some children have to walk an average of four miles to obtain necessary resources, like water, or education and the distance from my house to Grimsley was four miles, so it seemed like a perfect opportunity. We planned for Catriona to sleepover at my house, so we could leave bright and early and begin our trek. We tried to map out how long it would take and when we should leave my house, but we decided to just leave at 7 to give ourselves 2 hours. I am so excited to see how it goes!

January 2017 - Blog Post 1

I have been playing basketball since I was five years old. I have been a member of various organizations including the Spears YMCA, Proehlific Park, the Greensboro Lady Gaters AAU team, and currently, my school’s women’s basketball team. This year, as a member of the women's varsity team for my school, I participated in the HAECO tournament, which is a basketball tournament at the coliseum in which most Greensboro varsity high school teams participate in. The entire experience was exciting and truly a fun way to end my last basketball season ever. My team and I practiced daily, and even some weekends, for hours perfecting plays and scrimmaging like crazy. Although we lost in the first round, my girls and I played so hard and I definitely enjoyed the experience. It was heartbreaking to suffer so many losses, but we worked hard and it strengthened our team. I had fun going out to eat with my team and watching our boys do well. It was a wonderful end to a last season!

December 2016 - Blog Post 1

Every year, my family volunteers at Urban Ministry as part of our Hindu temple organization. We cook meals and feed them to the homeless. We set up the tables and clean the kitchen and dining room. It is so satisfying seeing all of the people in need who are receiving the resources they need and are not able to access on a daily basis. It is also very disappointing to see that there are so many people in Greensboro who are without a shelter and necessities. We volunteer here every Christmas Eve and it's been a tradition of my family since I was younger. I am thankful to have grown up learning to give back to my community and it has been an inspiration to me and assisted in my personal development and growth. I always seek out opportunities where I can help make the life of someone easier. Besides helping out, I genuinely enjoy helping with the cooking and serving because it allows me to work on time management, organization, and communication. We create an assembly line and it's nice to feel like I have a purpose.

October 2016 - Blog Post 1

This past month, I received the amazing news that I would be a part of the Youth Leadership of Greensboro Board. I was in the organization as a leadership member last year and tried for board, but unfortunately did not make it. However, a vacancy opened up and I was the first one to be called! I was so excited, because I had faced many rejections from other programs I had signed up for and it was nice to finally see something work out. It is also pretty funny and ironic how last year, I did not originally make the position as a member in the organization but a month after the program started, a vacancy opened up and I was also the first one called for that. I am a believer that everything happens for a reason, so I am grateful to ultimately receive this opportunity! I had my first meeting with the other board members and it was exciting to see the thinking process and amount of organization needed to plan the meetings. We have to have a lot of ideas, contacts, and plans to make sure the day events are successful. I also noticed how much reflection is emphasized to ensure the next meetings are even better, if possible! I was a little overwhelmed, but my excitement only grew for being a part of this amazing organization and a promising group of leaders.

Youth Leadership Greensboro: Batch of 2015 - 2016

September 2016 - Blog Post 1

Recently, I performed in the National Folk Festival! It was truly the most amazing experience. I did not have the opportunity to visit the folk festival last year, but I had heard about how colorful and lively the event was, so I was extremely enthusiastic when I found I would be able to go (and even perform!!) to it! I performed a classical Bharatnatyam dance at the Greensboro Historical Museum; this dance was one of the hardest dances because of the time (10 minute dance!!) and amount of footwork and hand gestures implemented. It was an honor to perform in a room full of people, who were intrigued and appreciative of the art form I practiced for the last eight years. The dance I performed was a dance I learned years ago, so it was a frustrating process to remember it on top of the bazillion other things I needed to do aside from dance. However, after practicing it a few times, my muscle memory took over and I was effortlessly able to perform it multiple times. I was ecstatic the week before the performance and I was unable to think about anything else (even the ACT on the same day... yikes!). It was a surreal experience and the venture I went on to explore the festival after my performance was incredible. I saw so many other beautiful performances, a street market, and the most number of food trucks I have ever seen. Along the way, I had three people photograph me because of my costume; I wonder if that was what a celebrity felt like!! Truly, one of the most exciting experiences in my life and I am so thankful to have had that amazing opportunity.