Director

Nikhil, an Adlai E. Stevenson High School rising junior astonishing leadership and steady, right-up communication. Nikhil’s passion and grit for sports truly show in his results. When Nikhil was 12, he was regionally ranked 19 for boys 12 and under. Now that Nikhil is 16 and after various late-night practices with coaches, other Midwest players, and physical trainers, he has broken the top 500 nationally for Boys 14 and under. He is currently an 8 UTR player and recently reached the finals of high-level doubles tournaments in both South Dakota and Texas.

He spends time learning about the stock market and enjoys tracking market trends and building mock portfolios. His passion led him to compete in FBLA, where he placed second in the Northern Area competition. Whether in the classroom, on the court, or in a business setting, Nikhil continues to lead with heart, persistence, and purpose.

Director

Saairam (Saai) is a rising junior at Adlai Stevenson High School and enjoys mathematics, business, volleyball, and traveling.

Saai has achieved remarkable awards, such as a silver award in the IJAS State Science Fair as well as the Frank Houser award, a special grant award of $50 for his study in Water filtration.

Although he excels in his academics, he finds time to fit in sports. He has consistently played volleyball throughout his middle school career.

He also started a couple of his own businesses such as a tutoring program where he tutored kids from the age of 11 and under, helping out the community excel along with him.

Director

Tejas is a rising junior at Adlai E. Stevenson High School freshman member of the Model United Nations, KIVA club, Future Business Leaders of America, and Student Council. I have had a profound desire to give back right from a young age, participating in several charities within my middle school, Daniel Wright, as well as being a member of clubs that raise money for charity within Stevenson, one of them being KIVA, which helps businesspeople in developing countries succeed. Additionally, I am experienced with leading and assisting those who are younger than me as I have taught young 6th Graders about Social Emotional Learning as a member of my school’s Leaders in Learning program, as well as children who are younger in my Taekwondo school.

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Shrihan Patnaik serves as one of the Directors at Empowering Humanity. Shrihan is a freshman at Adlai E. Stevenson High School that spends lots of time on his interests and hobbies. He has a very high enthusiasm for sports and athletics, and it shows through his hard work during his time on his middle school volleyball and wrestling team. He has participated in volleyball and wrestling for 2 years, yet he is still doing wrestling on the Stevenson team. Shrihan is also in many clubs such as Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA), Startup Businesses and Technology (SBT), and Kiva club. He also exceeds in his classes even though some of them are accelerated and challenging. He has always had a passion for his studies winning the bronze award in the IJAS Science Fair for State at Bradley University as well as a gold award for the Regional competition as well as the winner of the Rebecca Caudill Reading Competition in middle school. However, Shrihan has also excelled in his talents of the fine arts. His vocal capacity has met the likes of the former Indian president Ram Nath Govind as well as the consulate general of India, and has also performed for temples, malls, and venues of different traditions. Shrihan has also participated in lots of art shows. But his best characteristic is how much he contributes to the community. He has volunteered for any programs such as Feed My Starving Children, Bernie’s Book Bank, Fill a Heart 4 Kids, and more. Shrihan has had so much love for his community and his peers and is a great role model for kids that he has decided to teach art in Empowering Humanity.

Director

Rohan Manchikalapati is a rising freshman at Adlai E. Stevenson High School and is very indulged in athletics and academics. Rohan’s involvement and passion for sports has lead him to be placed on one of the tops teams in the state for volleyball.

Rohan also has a desire to partake in many activities and clubs that support the community. He does this by volunteering at many places so his contribution can better help the people in need.

However, as Rohan develops lots of skills and excels through his passion to play sports he also at very high levels of education through his academics. Rohan has always been a level ahead as he is advanced in mathematics and enjoys writing.

Rohan is also a very talented musican as he is in the stevenson marching band drumline and is also in the freshamn band. He is in the percussion section meaning he plays many varies different instruments the most notable ones being the snare drum and the cymbals. Being in band and involved with music has helped Rohan in many ways as it helped him keep and open mind to trying out new things.

Another thing about Rohan is that he has been passionate about learning about stocks ever since he was little. He was very curious about how the stock market works and the in depth thinking its takes to understand the stock market.

Rohan continues to live life with curiosity and intends to use his constant passion for academics and sports to drive him to help shape his community to become better for the people.

Director

Pranav Samineni is a student at Adlai E. Stevenson High School known for his strong leadership skills, high energy, and attentive listening. He has accumulated over 100 hours of volunteering, showcasing his dedication to helping others and giving back to the community. Pranav’s academic excellence and passion for learning are evident through his gold award at the IJAS State Science Fair in Environmental Science.

Pranav is actively involved in multiple clubs, including FBLA, Student Council, Catalyst Club, and Pickleball Club. He is also a member of the Stevenson JV Tennis team. In FBLA, he demonstrated his technical expertise by earning 4th place at regionals in Website Code Development. His interest in finance drives his enthusiasm for the stock market, while his love for technology fuels his enjoyment of coding in both Python and Java.

In addition to his academic and extracurricular pursuits, Pranav has played the violin for over five years, developing discipline, creativity, and dedication through music. Whether he’s competing on the court, coding a project, or volunteering his time, Pranav strives to lead with integrity, inspire those around him, and continue building skills that will make a lasting impact on his community.

Director

Siddharth (Siddu) Sanchula is a sophomore at Adlai E. Stevenson High School who is recognized for being a hardworking, collaborative, and focused individual, both in academics and athletics. He has actively engaged in service and volunteering, contributing over 60 hours to a variety of community projects that reflect his dedication to giving back and making a positive impact.

Siddu is also a strong communicator and team player, with public speaking skills developed through his middle school debate club and further sharpened by his involvement in several organizations at Stevenson. He is an active member of Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA), Student Council, Hindu Club, and Catalyst Club, all of which have allowed him to strengthen his leadership, organizational, and interpersonal skills while collaborating with peers toward shared goals.

Athletics are another area in which Siddu excels. Previously, he earned a spot on Stevenson’s competitive badminton team and has participated in chess tournaments both in and outside of school. He distinguished himself as one of the top freshmen last year in fencing by placing in the top eight of his very first competitive bracket. Beyond his own accomplishments, Siddu has shared his passion for chess by tutoring younger children, demonstrating qualities such as leadership, responsibility, patience, and the ability to teach effectively.

Looking toward the future, Siddu aspires to pursue a career in business and finance. He has already begun preparing for this path by enrolling in relevant coursework and consistently seeking opportunities to expand his knowledge. His ability to actively listen, absorb information, and apply it thoughtfully enables him to advance his skills and deepen his interest in the field.