About Me
I am a 17-year-old Year 12 student in Melbourne with a deep-rooted
passion for STEM, space technology, and civic leadership. Born in
Sydney to Indian-Australian migrant parents and residing in the City
of Knox, I bring a unique multicultural perspective and a strong
commitment to community advocacy and technological innovation. I
strive to challenge myself through leadership roles, academic
excellence, and active involvement in school and community
initiatives. I take pride in my ability to collaborate, solve problems
creatively, and manage responsibilities independently and efficiently.
Experience & Projects
National Work Experience at Australian Signals Directorate (ASD)
(2025)
Selected out of 16 students nationwide as the youngest—and one of
only two girls—for a highly competitive national work experience
placement in Canberra. Engaged in intensive hands-on learning
exploring cybersecurity operations, robotics, and open-source
intelligence (OSINT) methodologies within a real-world defence
environment.
NASA International Space Apps Challenge (2020–2025)
Participated in this global 48-hour hackathon five times, creating
educational games and apps designed to solve real-world challenges.
Three of my projects were globally nominated and two received the
local People's Choice Award. This experience has nurtured my skills
in creativity, coding, problem-solving, and teamwork under time
pressure.
Work Experience at Swinburne University / KIOSC (2024)
During Year 10, I completed work experience at Swinburne University
where I contributed to the development of engaging STEM activities
for school students. I supported the planning and delivery of
science and technology programs, refined my teamwork and
communication skills, and worked with a variety of STEM tools and
resources in an educational environment.
Leadership Roles (2021–2026)
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SRC President & STEM Captain (Year 12, 2026):
Leading the Student Representative Council, driving structural
transformations for inclusivity, facilitating open student forums,
and steering campus-wide STEM initiatives.
-
SRC Vice President & Maths and Science Captain (Year 11,
2025):
Co-led student leadership teams, mentored younger student leaders,
and coordinated student-driven campus solutions like the outdoor
seating project.
-
College Council Student Representative & SRC Executive for
Publicity & Communication (Year 10, 2024):
Represented student perspectives at governance levels and managed
communications strategies.
-
Year Level Captain (Year 9, 2023): Coordinated
year-level activities, supported student advocacy, and built
community spirit.
-
Class Captain (Year 8, 2022) & Scholarship Leadership Roles (Year
7, 2021):
Undertook initial student representation tasks, supporting peers and
assisting with school events.
-
Knox Youth Advisory Committee Member (2023–2026):
Representing over 17,000 young people aged 12–25, co-hosting the
Knox Youth Summit, facilitating multicultural advisory committee
meetings, and presenting policy recommendations directly to the
Mayor and city councillors.
Volunteering
I actively support my school community through volunteering at
Discovery Nights (4 years), Open Days (4 years), Orientation events,
Year 7 Family Fun Nights, fundraising initiatives, cultural events,
daily flag-raising duties, and Peer Support mentoring for Year 7
students. Beyond school, I have actively volunteered with the City of
Knox, including serving as an area warden at Knox Fest and
participating in National Tree Planting Day (helping plant 3,000
trees), alongside facilitating multicultural advisory committee
meetings.
Recent Awards & Honors
-
Tilly Aston Achievement Award (2025): Presented by
the Federal Minister for Aston for significant contribution to
citizenship.
-
Kwong Lee Dow Young Scholar: University of
Melbourne.
-
ADF Future Innovators Award (2024): Recognises
excellence in STEM and alignment with Defence values and innovation.
-
Knox City Council Collier Award (2023): Awarded for
outstanding contributions to citizenship and community leadership.
-
Elgin Marriott Award (2021): For embodying the
values of Mind, Body and Spirit in Year 7 through academics, sports,
music, and kindness.
-
Endeavour Award (2020): Recognises achievements
across academic, performing arts, PE, and community service.
-
High School Subject Awards: Earned in Languages and
Art, plus numerous special recognitions in Year 7.
Education & Academic
Pathways
I currently attend Wantirna College (2021–2026), where I have been
actively involved in academics, performing arts, and extracurricular
activities. Completing VCE with an advanced academic load, I
successfully completed VCE Mathematical Methods early and am currently
studying Physics, Specialist Mathematics, English Language, and
Software Development. I am also undertaking university-level Higher
Education Studies (HES) through Swinburne University focusing on the
Space Industry. Furthermore, I have been selected as a prestigious
Kwong Lee Dow Young Scholar at the University of Melbourne, and have
completed rigorous courses at the Centre for Higher Education Studies
(CHES). My creative background includes training in diverse dance
styles (jazz, tap, ballet, Bollywood, and Kathak), singing Carnatic
music, playing guitar and clarinet, and performing in school
productions.
Skills
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Communication: Public speaking, peer mentoring, and
collaborating with diverse teams.
-
Leadership: Organising events, leading student
bodies, mentoring peers, and coordinating communication strategies.
-
Technical: Cybersecurity fundamentals, open-source
intelligence (OSINT), robotics, Python, basic SQL, basic C#,
block-based programming (Scratch), Microsoft Office Suite, video
editing, and digital presentations.
-
Problem-solving & Organisation: Creating structured
routines and handling tasks under pressure.
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Time Management: Building effective personal
schedules to balance academics and responsibilities.
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Interpersonal: Building rapport, working across
different personality types, and fostering team strengths.
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Adaptability: Thriving in new environments,
learning quickly, and navigating unexpected challenges.
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Languages: Fluent in Telugu; basic understanding of
Chinese, French, and Hindi.