Students Accepted to the Study of the US Institutes 2022 Based on Deep Involvement in Community Action Projects

Three undergraduate students from the Amrut Mody School of Management, Shalvi Shah, Honey Adtiya, and Kairavee Dave, were accepted to this year's Study of the US Institutes (SUSI), a programme organised by the US Department of State for talented young students. Shalvi, Honey, and Kairavee were selected based on their academic excellence and entrepreneurial spirit to create societal impact.

Along with the trio, Ahmedabad Alumna Kalyani Bhow, accepted in her final year of graduation to the SUSI Programme 2020-21, was invited to attend the Programme this year as Covid restrictions disallowed participation in person last year. 

Funded by the US Government, this intensive short-term educational programme aims to provide undergraduate student leaders with a deeper understanding of the US while enhancing their leadership skills. The students were hosted for five weeks by universities across the US, including an academic residency, an educational study tour to another region of that country, and opportunities for participants to engage with American peers. The Programme also included community service activities and leadership development.

Shalvi Shah, BBA (Hons) with Major in Finance and Economics, Class of 2023, was a part of SUSI's Young Women Leaders in Public Policy Making programme. She participated at the University of Kansas in a conversation to Elevate Women's Global Leadership alongside over 79 other young women from around the world. Her selection was in recognition of her association with an NGO called U&I, a platform that invites students to join forces with them to make education accessible to girls.

For Honey Adtiya, being involved in voluntarism in his hometown, Surat, towards promoting religious tolerance and acceptance of all faiths has been a passion project. "I grew up in a community with individuals from about half a dozen different religions, including Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Jains, Sikhs, and Zoroastrians. Due to this, I have first-hand experience of the importance of religious pluralism and acceptance in communities," he says. Honey, BBA (Hons) with Major in Marketing, Class of 2023, was selected for the Religious Pluralism and Interfaith Dialogue programme at Temple University in Philadelphia.

Kairavee Dave, proactive in the space of non-profits since high school, was part of the Education and Future of Work programme at the University of Washington, Seattle. Studying BCom (Hons) with Major in Accounting, Class of 2023, she got an opportunity to work with an NGO named High on Life Foundation, thanks to Ahmedabad University. Kairavee is an aspiring CA and her community action project is creating a wealth camp for NGOs thus equipping them to obtain funding in an organised, strategic manner.

The SUSI Impact
Ahmedabad Alumna, Kalyani Bhow, BBA with Major in Economics and Human Resource Management, Class of 2021, was thrilled to have been able to attend a two-week Capstone programme in Kansas. She was accepted to SUSI last year due to her initiative Laal, which primarily works towards the cause of accessible and sustainable menstrual hygiene among rural women. Kalyani also received the Student Excellence and Commitment to Community Award for the same last year at Ahmedabad University. She currently works at Teach for India.

"I went in, unsure what I would get out of the Programme. Little did I know that this would be the most transformative experience for me. Being in a safe and enabling space allowed me to find myself. I found peace in diversity. I was gifted with a sense of possibility. As we spoke to each other about how we wanted to change the world, I became a better version of myself - one who was more confident and more sure of her purpose and place in the world. I couldn't be more grateful to have been part of something so transformational!" says Kalyani.

Shalvi says that having been a part of the process offered her a wholesome perspective on the challenges and the impact of women assuming leadership roles worldwide. "I learned more about the issues faced by women in each participating country and what policies could be designed to uplift them. I am deeply committed to working towards two causes: rape and education. My idea behind studying management is to found an NGO," she adds.

For Honey, the idea of an inclusive society is worth striving for. "I wish to apply my learnings from the Programme at the grassroots level to promote the idea of religious pluralism and create a more inclusive society in our country. I believe accepting and embracing our religious diversity is necessary to make India a developed, prosperous nation."

Ten of our students have experienced the power of shared and unique perspectives through the SUSI Programme since 2017, each highly impacted by it and deeply motivated to make a lasting change in their community.