Through her nonprofit, Bodhi Tree Foundation, Ashweetha supports first-generation college students in rural India to explore their potential through education, life skills and opportunities.
Why you should listen
As a girl in a poor orthodox community in a south Indian village, Ashweetha was constantly told that her birth was not celebrated and that she would be a liability to her family. The social norms prescribed for her identity silenced her dreams, thoughts and aspirations. But through the power of education, she became a first-generation college graduate and had a chance to rewrite the possibilities for her life. As she says: "I always wanted to add my bit to their inspiring journey."
