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About Us

Striving for rights

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Malcom X, Rosa Parks, and many more have dedicated their lives to fabricate a society with indispensable equality; however, their efforts are flowing down a stream of vain. It is the responsibility of not only the youth, but everyone to works towards guarantying the fundamental human rights ubiquitously that have been ruthlessly stripped by erroneous mindsets. To achieve these goals, Youth for STEM Equity follows three core principles: Equity, Engagement, and Education.

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Equity

No matter the socio-economic background, race, gender, religion, sex, age, and more, everyone is as capable as the other to achieve greatness. By maintaining equity in all stages of society, the world will ride a train of prosperity.

Engagement

The most integral manner of achieving enhanced expansion of the STEM field, individuals need to rigorously engage in creating environments supporting the needs of all. They need to voice their opinions and spread cognizance over prominent societal issues breaking the avenue of happiness. Furthermore, the public should engage in taking self-initiative and exploring the STEM community to bolster the knowledge economy.

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education

Education is the utmost salient action required for the creation of analytical and critical thinkers. By educating society, individuals will have a higher propensity to be reflective of their actions, and  take initiative to achieve their STEM endeavors in an all-inclusive environment.

Our Story

Youth for STEM Equity is directed to be a student-led, non-profit organization based in Columbus, Ohio that works towards proliferating academic opportunities available to individuals, allowing for increased engagement within the STEM field, by reducing racism and discrimination through arduous activism, essential education, and influential initiatives. We want to foster diversity within the STEM community regardless of personal identity to enhance the growth of the international knowledge economy.

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As individuals, we are extremely passionate in exploring careers within the field of STEM. Coming from well-privileged environments, we have had all the resources and opportunities available to us for maximizing career involvement.

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It greatly saddens us to see that individuals cannot be passionate about their STEM interests due to their socio-economic backgrounds, gender, race, and other forms of identity. Diversity and authenticity is what is critical for innovation and creativity within STEM. Furthermore, everyone should enjoy the opportunity in reaching their true potential within a sector, which is only possible in an equitable environment.

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As a result, we decided it was time to take action and let people take advantage of the same opportunities that was made available to us. It greatly pleasures us to give back to and support the same community which has supported. We hope to see the same individuals we help work alongside us in STEM someday!

Meet The Team

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Laksh dhir

Chief Executive Officer and Chairman

 

Laksh Dhir is a Honors student at The Ohio State University studying Neuroscience with a minor focus on Economics. He is a visionary and bipartisan thinker who emphasizes the collaboration between equitable and multidisciplinary education in the development of the knowledge economy. He founded YSE after analyzing the discrepancies in education administration within underserved communities throughout the nation. The impact of interactive learning techniques innovated by local students is a novel concept with far-fetching potential. Applicable and exciting learning ensures long-term engagement.

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SNeha prabu

Chief Operating Officer

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Hi all! I am Sneha Prabu, a student at Ohio State University. A couple of my accomplishments include becoming Co-President of INTERACT Club and representing Ohio at the HOSA Community Awareness ILC. Some of my hobbies include painting and playing competitive chess and badminton. These hobbies keep my mind and body active and give me a positive outlook and drive to achieve my goals. It is vital to fight for social change and to advocate for equity worldwide. Through my position on the Youth for Equity team, I hope to do this exact thing. Let’s make change, together!

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Kavya Jayanthi

Chief Learning Officer

 

Kavya Jayanthi is a student at The Ohio State University's Fisher College, obtaining a BSBA with a specialization in Marketing. Beyond academics, she is a passionate advocate for educational equity and public affairs. At YSE, Kavya drives transformative strategies and spearheads educational leadership, while her background as an intern at Huntington National Bank, a pedagogy-focused research assistant at tOSU, a teaching apprentice, and tutor reinforce her commitment. Balancing her pursuits, she relishes time with family and friends, engages in her business fraternity Delta Sigma Pi, travels, explores new foods and cultures, and fuels her love for learning.

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Anurag Kejriwal

Chief Financial Officer

 

Hello everyone, I'm Anurag Kejriwal and I'm from Dublin, Ohio! I am a Honors computer science engineering student that is minoring in business at The Ohio State University! I love working out, playing guitar, and late-night hangouts. Also, I like listening to music and some of my favorite artists right now include J. Cole and The Weeknd. Especially with innovative fields such as AI & machine learning, STEM interests me as it brings such vast opportunities along with the many disciplines that it combines. I am very excited to be a part of the Youth for STEM Equity team!

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Natalie Stover

Director of Fundraising

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Hello there! I am a sophomore at The Ohio State University studying Neuroscience on a pre-PhD track. Growing up in a low socioeconomic rural area, I had to advocate for opportunities like Science Fair, which enabled me to find my love of research and helped define my career pathway. During my senior year, I worked with students to build Science Fair projects off of their interests. Seeing their eyes open to possibilities in a diverse range of STEM fields was incredible, and further adds to my belief that the barriers to STEM education need to be broken to allow all individuals to pursue their passions.

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Varshini Chennupati

Director of Outreach

 

Hi everyone! I am a student at the Ohio State University. Outside of academics, I am involved in TEDxOhioStateUniversity, volunteering, research, and tutoring young children in mathematics. In my free time, I love to dance, journal, and spend time with friends and family. Through Youth for STEM Equity’s platform, I want to bring valuable, hands-on STEM opportunities to students of all identities. I believe that diversity builds the strongest team, so I strive to induce important conversations acknowledging diversity, and how we can use each of our diverse backgrounds as strengths to make valuable contributions to innovation and knowledge in STEM.

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Krutika Mishra

Kevine Alfred

Director of Marketing & Media Relations

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Hello! I am a sophomore Neuroscience student pursuing my Bachelor of Science on the pre-medical track. I am very passionate about STEM, and providing opportunities for students to learn about STEM, which is why I joined Youth for Stem Equity. As a child I was a part of North South Foundation that allowed me so many opportunities to delve into STEM related aspects which motivated me and I still volunteer there. I hope to continue to help provide everyone opportunities to explore the STEM field and learn as much as they can to help nurture their future. A fun fact about me is that I love Taylor Swift!

Secretary

 

Hi Everyone! I am currently a second-year Neuroscience major at Ohio State University. During my time at YSE, I hope to play a role in creating dialogue around what STEM equity looks like and also empower underrepresented individuals in STEM fields to succeed. When I’m not hitting the books, I can be found biking, cooking new recipes, or listening to music outdoors.

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