Young Change Makers: Why and How Anika Chebrolu Is Helping To Change Our World
An Interview With Penny Bauder
Network! Do not be afraid to start conversations with other people and build your contacts! You never know when someone’s skillset might come in handy to you and your organization. Not long ago, I used to be extremely wary about approaching other individuals. However, I have learned to overcome that challenge and have met so many amazing individuals since then and many of them have helped me later onwards to expand the reach of AcademyAid.
As part of my series about young people who are making an important social impact”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Anika Chebrolu.
Meet Anika Chebrolu, winner of the 2020 3M Young Scientist Challenge from Discovery Education. At 14-years, Anika used in-silico methodology for drug discovery to find a molecule that can selectively bind to the Spike protein of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in an attempt to find a cure for the COVID-19 pandemic.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit. Can you tell us a bit how you grew up?
Thank you for inviting me! I am Anika Chebrolu and I am fifteen years old. I grew up in Frisco, Texas, and continue to live there today with my older brother, younger sister, parents, and grandparents. Since I was young, I’ve always been curious to learn more about the world and have, hence, been interested in science for a long time. Fortunately, I have had all the support and materials that have allowed me to pursue my passion. In my spare time, I love to read, practice Bharatanatyam (an Indian classical dance), and hang out with family and friends.
Is there a particular book or organization that made a significant impact on you growing up? Can you share a story or explain why it resonated with you so much?
Growing up, I was an avid Nancy Drew reader. I was first introduced to these by my father who read it during his childhood, and after reading one, I quickly blocked the rest of the series for myself in the library. I loved how Nancy and her friends were always asking questions with the end goal of helping other people. More importantly, I admired how she never gave up.
How do you define “Making A Difference”? Can you explain what you mean or give an example?
I believe that “Making A Difference” is when you use your abilities or resources to benefit others. I would also like to add that the “difference” you make does not have to be world-changing in order to benefit others. Things as simple as recycling or donating old clothes instead of throwing them away can make a difference in the world.
Ok super. Let’s now jump to the main part of our interview. You are currently leading an organization that aims to make a social impact. Can you tell us a bit about what you and your organization are trying to change in our world today?
Yes! A couple of years ago, my brother, Aditya, and I started AcademyAid, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that aims to provide underrepresented children around the world with the supplies and materials they need to pursue a well-rounded education. Our biggest accomplishment yet was our recently finished project where we planned, fundraised, and built a multipurpose sports court in an under-equipped public school in Secunderabad, India. This will benefit more than 10,000 school kids over its lifetime, and we are working on launching a new project soon!
Can you tell us the backstory about what inspired you to originally feel passionate about this cause?
My brother and I have always considered ourselves to be fortunate. We are able to go to school without restrictions, afford clothes and food, and have the support and resources we need to achieve the goals that we put for ourselves. In the summer of 2017, my brother and I visited a publicly funded high school in Secunderabad, India by chance and we were taken aback by the conditions: the girls in the school could not afford proper uniforms, there were no proper utensils to serve lunch for the midday meals, and the lack of proper playground for the school students and many other things bothered us. We met with the principal of the school, who informed us about the limitations faced by his students due to the lack of proper infrastructure. As my brother and I walked back to my grandparents’ apartment in India, we discussed what we had seen and how we can make a difference, and about six months later, we started our organization AcademyAid.
Many of us have ideas, dreams, and passions, but never manifest it. They don’t get up and just do it. But you did. Was there an “Aha Moment” that made you decide that you were actually going to step up and do it? What was that final trigger?
Initially, my brother and I started by saving our pocket money and making small, informal donations to the school and arranged for uniforms and utensils to help the kids; The effects of the small donations on the school were visible and we were really enthused that we could impact someone so profoundly; after discussing the impact of our donations with each other, we decided to create a formal non-profit organization in which we could plan for the bigger projects.
Many young people don’t know the steps to take to start a new organization. But you did. What are some of the things or steps you took to get your project started?
I believe the first step is discussing your idea for an organization with a variety of people. It is important to get the viewpoints and perspectives of other individuals because they can help you refine your ideas to put forward something better than you had initially started with. I participated in the Youth Entrepreneurship Academy program in Frisco and this mentorship and educational program helped clarify and better our ideas of AcademyAid.
Before we registered our organization, my brother and I made a twenty-page business plan that held detailed information about our non-profit including our timeline, goals, mission, and our economic summary. In spite of the fact that many aspects of the plan ended up changing over time, making an initial business plan allowed us to explore different parts of our non-profit from various angles and have a foundation to build off of.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began leading your company or organization?
My brother and I launched our first large project for building the multi-purpose sports court for the school students early last year. Shortly after its launch, in spite of our extensive marketing to our friends and connections, we reached a point where our fundraising plateaued, and we were short of our goals for the project implementation. We became worried that our efforts at crowdfunding had not gone successfully, but we decided to wait before making any further moves. Surprisingly, over the next 2–3 days, our donations shot up suddenly and we were able to reach our goals. Through this experience, we both realized how important belief in oneself, and patience are when running an organization.
None of us can be successful without some help along the way. Did you have mentors or cheerleaders who helped you to succeed? Can you tell us a story about their influence?
Yes, both my parents have been extremely supportive throughout our organization’s journey. Since AcademyAid was working with a school so far removed from where we are, we had to figure out the logistics of not only how to implement the project but also how to judiciously use the funds and make arrangements to pay for the contractors on the ground. After researching with my brother about the best ways to manage this, we talked to our parents who helped us edit our plan to make sure that it worked efficiently. Of course, this is only one of the numerous times my parents have shown support to our goals and we both are extremely appreciative to them for all their help.
I would also like to thank the 3M Young Scientist Challenge from Discovery Education which allowed me to gain a platform on which I could speak about AcademyAid and its cause.
Are there three things the community/society/politicians can do to help you address the root of the problem you are trying to solve?
Yes, definitely! The first thing that I believe everyone should start doing is educating oneself. There are so many problems that are waiting to be solved in this world and so many people that could use our help, yet we are unaware that these problems even exist. We need to ask questions and it is important to use our resources to investigate and understand problems so that we can help solve them in the best possible way. AcademyAid is trying to solve a very small problem in the bigger picture of providing all children access to a well-rounded education.
Secondly, spreading awareness. This is something everyone can do! Tell your friends and family about the barriers of education across the globe and make sure they spread awareness as well.
Finally, if possible, help people involved in solving problems! Now that you have understood and have helped others understand the importance of the cause, you can do your part in helping to solve the problem.
Fantastic. Here is the main question of the interview. What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why? (Please share a story or example for each).
Number one: Network!
Do not be afraid to start conversations with other people and build your contacts! You never know when someone’s skillset might come in handy to you and your organization. Not long ago, I used to be extremely wary about approaching other individuals. However, I have learned to overcome that challenge and have met so many amazing individuals since then and many of them have helped me later onwards to expand the reach of AcademyAid.
Number two: Continue to educate yourself.
Even after you start your organization, it is important to continuously look into new methods to improve it. There is always new information piling in about information surrounding your cause and it is helpful to be abreast of all the new developments and see if it can be of any help to you. My brother and I continue to learn new ways to expand the capacity of AcademyAid. Since we still have much to learn about running an organization, we look at how other, more prominent, organizations are running and try to use them as our inspiration.
Number three: Understand why.
It is always important to inquire, whether you are asking why things are going well or why things are going wayward. It helps us understand our situation better so that we can create better plans and decisions in the future. For example, consider two ice cream stand owners. The owner that questions why people are buying certain ice cream flavors will be more likely to increase their sales rather than a person who does not ask why because they are able to understand what is necessary to make their products likable and appealing.
Number four: Ask for help!
It is very important to ask multiple people for help so that you can receive multiple viewpoints that you can analyze to determine what the best course of action is. When my brother and I first started AcademyAid, we asked multiple individuals of different backgrounds what they thought about our idea and everyone offered different opinions on how we could change our idea for the better. We are thankful for all the advice that we received because it helped us greatly refine our cause to create a clearer goal and pathway for AcademyAid.
Number five: Believe in yourself!
You can accomplish your goals if you believe in yourself and do not give up!
If you could tell other young people one thing about why they should consider making a positive impact on our environment or society, like you, what would you tell them?
A society is made up of all the people inside of it, not just a select group of individuals. Every individual in a society, including you, should be striving to do their best to make a positive impact because your help not only makes you a better person but also echoes throughout the rest of society to make the entire world a better place.
Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would like to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. :-)
Though she is not alive right now if, given the chance, I would definitely like to have a private meal with Marie Curie who was a physicist and chemist and the only woman to ever win two Noble prizes! I would like to discuss her amazing scientific achievements and her courage in fighting gender norms through her endeavors during her time.
How can our readers follow you online?
My twitter handle is @anikachebrolu. Please feel free to contact me or follow me there!
This was very meaningful, thank you so much. We wish you only continued success on your great work!
