Five students from Sitare Foundation make it to top US universities

Five bright stars from Sitare Foundation have made it to top colleges in the USA — University of Minnesota, Virginia Tech, Ohio State University, University of California- Santa Cruz, Case Western Reserve University and Arizona State University.

Edugraph caught up with the five students from Sitare’s first batch.

Kusum Chaudhary

Daughter of a farmer, Kusum aspires to be a software engineer. Her acceptance to a reputable college in the US to pursue a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science has taken her a step closer achieving to her dream.

“In my community, women are seldom sent to school, but my parents believe in education. They knew that education, especially women's education, is the only way out of poverty. For me, the path to education was never easy. From a young age, I have had to work on the farm work, till the fields, milk cows and cook. I did whatever was needed to help my family,” said Kusum.

Mahendra Kumar

Hailing from a family of barbers, Kumar has the chance to excel in a different, more lucrative career. He was accepted by Ohio State University, where he will pursue a degree in Computer Science.

“I got an opportunity to be a part of the organisation where I met some of the most motivated young people, who were nurtured by the Sitare Foundation to dream higher,” Mahendra said.

Milan Ramdhari

Joining Euro International School, a partner school for Sitare Foundation’s education initiative in Jodhpur, transformed Ramdhari’s life.

“I've noticed a lot of changes in myself after joining the Sitare Foundation. Earlier, I had no vision but with constant support and nurturing from Sitare, I have gained a lot of confidence in myself. In future, I want to work in the field of Computer Science and eventually build my own start-up,” Ramdhari said. The son of an auto-driver has been accepted to an undergraduate course in Computer Science at Virginia Tech.

Nisha Chaudhary

Joining Sitare Foundation was a turning point in Nisha’s life. Having lived her entire life in a small village, in a family of poor farmers, she had to look after her younger siblings while her family worked.

But with help from Sitare, Nisha moved to the city and started going to an international school. She now aspires to be a software engineer.

Nisha, who has bagged places in multiple colleges in the US, is a step closer to having a career working with leading technology firms by getting accepted to a US university.

Tanisha Nagori

With firm support from her mother, who had Nagori at the age of 16, the daughter of a tea-stall owner will continue her higher education at Case Western Reserve University.

“I have always been a firm believer in the fact that nothing can stop us from achieving our aspirations. If we work hard with determination, no one can stop us from achieving our dreams and aspirations. Sitare Foundation has constantly supported me over the years and this continuous support has been key to my growth so far,” said Tanisha.

Sitare: The guiding star

Sitare Foundation began its journey in 2016 and has since been committed to changing lives with education.

Founders Amit and Shilpa Singhal are passionate about education and firmly believe that it has a major role to play in the growth of a nation.

“All human beings deserve a high-quality education, but few can afford it,” said Amit Singhal. And that is what Sitare Foundation set out to change.

“My deep involvement with my children’s education and my volunteer work in schools led me to realise the advantage privileged children have over the underprivileged just because they won the birth lottery,” Shilpa Singhal saod.

To help bridge the gap and provide academic support to deserving underprivileged children, the duo founded Sitare Foundation which currently has over 400 students. The organisation’s goal is to educate over 50,000 students by 2050.