Kavya’s Story
Kavya, a 13 year old based in USA, was a member of the Design Team for the first ever Youth STEM Summit.
In her own words, this is her story.
Happy International Volunteer Day! Over the past few months, I have been involved as one of the 9 Design Team members behind the first ever Youth STEM Summit. Aligning with STEM and vision of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, our 3-day event was aimed towards boosting the confidence, passion, and power of youth so that we can impact the world together. With 450+ attendees and 40+ speakers, it was truly an incredible experience to lead, collaborate on, and organize this inspiring summit. I will be taking you on my journey as a Design Team Member.
Why I Applied
Famous physicist and Nobel Prize Winner Albert Einstein once said, “In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity”. The current global pandemic has posed a challenge to youth all over the world with limited in-person opportunities. But when young people are engaged, empowered, and equal partners, any positive step or change even during such circumstances is possible.
With that inspiration, I applied to be on the Design Team for the Youth STEM Summit. I believed this would be a great opportunity for me to repurpose my skills in a meaningful way and empower youth all over the world to spearhead change in their own communities. A few weeks after submitting my application and being shortlisted to the top 20 for an interview, I was informed that I had been selected to be on the final team. I felt honored to be part of such a great initiative and was looking forward to collaborating with my teammates to make a difference in the lives of youth.
First Impressions
The first team meeting was the most memorable one for me. We kicked it off with some icebreakers that provided us the unique opportunity to network with each other. As we are each from different corners of the globe, it was quite interesting to learn about each other’s interests, hobbies, and STEM experiences. After getting to know more about each other, we started laying out our vision of the summit and bouncing ideas off each other. Before we knew it, the entire virtual whiteboard was completely filled with our thoughts, goals, and ideas!
“After that meeting, I knew that I was going to be working with some passionate students who were as enthusiastic and driven as me to empower youth in STEM”
This discussion really illuminated the common thread we all had, which was the passion to bring more inclusion in STEM. Inclusion soon became one of the key objectives of the summit as we wanted to present a well-rounded picture of STEM and provide the platform to diverse speakers. We especially strived to focus on some of the unique and interdisciplinary aspects of STEM that youth from all over the world have made innovative contributions to. Another remarkable aspect of our collaboration was the different perspectives we each brought. We were all aware of a variety of issues in our own communities that we wanted to shed light on such as the digital divide and mental health, and this inspired some of the sessions in our summit.
After that meeting, I knew that I was going to be working with some passionate students who were as enthusiastic and driven as me to empower youth in STEM. I was looking forward to collaborating and learning from each of the Design Team members.
The Final Summit
As the days led up to the summit, we all kept working on different aspects of the event, and we were so excited to see our vision transform into reality in a few more weeks. Personally, I was looking forward to seeing how the attendees interacted with the variety of topics presented, speakers, and each other.
When the summit finally came, it was truly inspiring to see so many students and seasoned professionals from all over the world join together and bring their enthusiasm, stories in STEM, and ideas with them. One of my most vivid memories from the summit was seeing students asking the speakers intellectual questions throughout the event and discussing how they plan to apply the knowledge they gained. This impact that I was a part of creating has given me a sense of purpose that I will continue to carry with me no matter whatever I do and wherever I am.
“It was truly inspiring to see so many students and seasoned professionals from all over the world join together and bring their enthusiasm, stories in STEM, and ideas with them.”
Reflection On My Experience
The biggest thing this experience taught me is that there is no limit to the age, distance, or time necessary for giving back to the community. Our actions are powerful instruments for change, and this was a recurring theme throughout my journey on the Design Team. Especially during the current pandemic, it was incredible to reach out to hundreds of students around the world with an impactful, virtual event.
“Organizing the summit has shaped my identity as a global citizen and leader”
Along with that, organizing the summit has shaped my identity as a global citizen and leader. Through volunteering to make a difference, I realize that I find the power and opportunity to spread awareness about critical issues like climate change, the digital divide, and food insecurity. The more informed people are, the more conversations we can have on coming up with solutions together that STEM can be a part of. This empowerment I gained will drive me to continue dedicating my time to helping and educating others.
Finally, being part of the Design Team provided me valuable opportunities I would not normally have had. Being able to interact with like-minded people from vastly different backgrounds was inspiring and taught me how to think from diverse perspectives. Leading a global event also allowed me to develop several transferable life skills such as problem solving and collaboration that I will apply in my academic, community, and personal life. I definitely will continue to learn, share, and work in alignment with my values and goals.
I am grateful to Youth STEM 2030 for the opportunity to be a part of this initiative and empower so many creative, young minds. This experience has fueled my personal growth and driven me to continue inspiring young people all over the world to challenge the status quo wherever they are. Remember, there are 1.8 billion young, creative minds in this world who have a lot to offer for society. Each of us is like a droplet in the ocean, and when a challenge comes, we need to rise together like a tide. As youth, our involvement and STEM-driven solutions are critical towards building a more sustainable, inclusive, and better tomorrow!
“There is no limit to the age, distance, or time necessary for giving back to the community. Our actions are powerful instruments for change.”