Pranitha Kandikal
Gifted Gabber Intern
About Myself
Hi, I'm Pranitha Kandikal! I am a junior at Spring-ford High School. I am interested in Computer Science and Engineering and hope to pursue a career in these fields. I love exploring new technologies, like AI, and learning code. I am a Social Media intern at Gifted Gabber and I learned a lot from this unique experience. Below is a look at some of my projects!
Canva Carousels
Instagram Reels
Advice I'd give My 30-year old self
Dear 30-year old Pranitha,
I am 16 years old as I write this and I am about to enter my junior year of high school at Spring-ford. I hope you are successful, have a good job, many friends, and are happy in 30 years. But wherever you are, or however you are feeling about life, I hope to offer some words of encouragement.
My first piece of advice is to keep going. Wherever you are in life, you should continue forward. You should keep learning, keep striving for better, keep helping others, keep making friends, and always keep being happy. If you are feeling down or stuck in life, just keep going, you will get out of the mud eventually and you can harvest the fruits of your labor. Even if you are doing well, and think you are “done” with your to-do list, you're not, you can always aim to do something more and go that extra mile. Keep up with your old friends, don’t let time or distance isolate you, but also keep making new friends. Grow your social circle and create connections, so life doesn’t get lonely or boring. But always keep yourself happy, don’t let small issues sink your spirit and drown all your hard work and efforts; instead, listen to dory and “just keep swimming” you will reach happiness by continuing your journey.
My next piece of advice is to not let others' opinions make you insecure. Don’t listen to them, their opinions should not get to control your life and how you see yourself. Don’t let them be the reason you are not happy with your ambitions, life, or looks. If they don’t like something about you they are given the chance to either tear you down for it or focus on what they do appreciate about you because not everyone has to 100% love you but they also don’t get the right to bring you down. And based on their choice you will know the kind of person they are and whether that makes their opinions and judgement worth anything. So don’t be discouraged by the opinions of those who are unworthy to judge you.
Finally, always remember your roots. Stay true to yourself. You will change over time, but that’s a part of growing older, what's important is to remember who you are at your core. At your core you should remember everything that makes you the brilliant woman you are today. Your family, your friends, your memories, your values, and your ideas. All of these should remain a part of you and not force you into a box but rather allow you to break out of those walls and be your guide as you make your way through life. When you are lost or stuck you should remember who you are to be your compass and go down a path that truly shows who and what you have become. Remember your past and reminisce who you have grown to become. Your identity is something that is yours and solely yours. While many may share your name or have the same birthday on their passport, your identity is much more than that and you should be celebrated for who you are, because there will only be one of you.
Good luck and lots of love,
Pranitha Kandikal
Beyond the Classroom: My Journey of Contribution and Discovery
Classroom education is important in an individual’s life as it provides a base of knowledge and encourages us to learn multiple subjects and find our passions and interests. But to go into the real world, we must study more than just textbooks. We must study our community and the people around us and create connections and soft skills such as teamwork, leadership, and empathy.
The first thing to consider when trying to go beyond academics is clubs. Clubs are a great way to make connections with other people, especially when there is already a similarity between you two! By engaging in clubs you get to share interests and be a part of something that interests you and connects you to similar individuals. For example, in 9th grade I joined an art club at my school. I enjoy painting and sketching and got to meet more people who enjoyed art as much as I did. In this club I not only met new people but also learned from them. I got to see other’s art styles and learn their techniques, some of which I implemented into my own work to get an improved unique style that had elements of people who helped me and inspired me.
Community service is also a great way to interact with your community and engage in activities outside of school. It helps both the community and the individual. By providing your support for simple or complex tasks around your community, you get to meet the people in your community and take part in their missions to better the community around all the members of the community. One of my favorite places to volunteer at is my local library. I have been volunteering there since 8th grade, so about 3 years and I plan to continue helping out in the next few years. When I go I help organize books, set up crafts, or manage small holiday events. I find it fun and relaxing and believe it is good to give back to such important institutions as they provide many utilities and books to help cultivate knowledge for people of many ages. I got to help the kids who came to the library and by interacting with them I had a deeper understanding of empathy and understood them better. In addition, I got to develop better leadership skills when I had to lead little projects or games during holiday events. I instructed the kids and helped avoid conflict and provided solutions.
Another event I enjoy participating in the Diwali Food drive near me. This is a food drive where we collect donations from local communities and use it to buy non-perishable food to donate to food banks. This has not only made me feel closer to my community but also to my culture. By giving back for a festival that celebrates light and happiness, the time and money invested into this cause is more meaningful to me as an individual. In addition to helping me better understand and express my culture, this experience has helped me improve in being more social. I had to push myself to communicate the Diwali Food drive organization’s goals to encourage people to donate for a good cause.
In conclusion, having meaningful activities outside of education is important as it can open one’s eyes to the real world and encourage change for the better. It can help many people discover new interests and make connections with people that have similar passions. Not only does it help individuals grow and find themselves but by contributing to organizations that help improve the community, many people can make a little change that will overall benefit the world and its future.
