Seven teenagers of Indian origin were among the 20 gifted young people who were recognized by the Davidson Institute with fellowships last week for their breakthrough discoveries that have potential to benefit society.
Each of the 20 students was awarded fellowships worth $50,000, $25,000 or $10,000 depending on their rankings at an event in Washington D.C. Sept. 22.
The Indian-American fellows include Meena Jagadeesan of Naperville, Ill. and Sriharshita Munsunuri of Mill Creek, Wash., both of whom got $50,000 each; Anurudh Ganesan of Clarksburg, Md., Raghav Ganesh of San Jose, Calif., Maya Varma of Cupertinio, Calif, all of whom got $25,000 each, and Surabhi Mundada of Olympia, Wash. and Kavita Selva of Houston, Texas, $10,000 each.
“We are thrilled to recognize the 2016 Davidson Fellows not only for their incredible projects, but also for the journey they forged to reach this point,” said Bob Davidson, founder of the Davidson Institute. “Every year I am amazed by the depth of the fellows’ accomplishments. Through encouragement and recognition, the Davidson Institute for Talent Development anticipates that gifted students like these will be among the pioneers who will solve the world’s most vexing problems,” he said in a statement.
Davidson Fellows not only represent some of the brightest young minds in the country, but they also represent kindness, compassion and a strong desire to improve the world around them. Many of the fellows’ projects are inspired by personal experiences that drive them to find a solution to a problem, and each fellow is driven to use their passion and intelligence to make the world a better place.
For instance, Anurudh Ganesan, 16, has a passion to help others. As an infant in India, Ganesan’s grandparents carried him nearly 10 miles to a remote health clinic to receive a vaccination. When they arrived, there were no viable vaccines left due to lack of refrigeration. Fifteen years later, Ganesan discovered this is still a serious problem, and created VAXXWAGON, a non-electric vaccine transport system.
Anurudh’s ultimate goal is to see VAXXWAGON in the field actively saving lives. It can do much more than safely store and transport vaccines. It can reduce the burden on many remote villages that need the scarce resources often used for last-leg vaccine transportation such as water and electricity. “It’s a social equalizer. No matter what age, race, or gender, viable vaccines can save lives,” the institute noted.
Named one of the most prestigious undergraduate scholarships by U.S. News & World Report, the Davidson Fellows program seeks to recognize young people who have developed significant projects that have great potential to benefit society.
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