Rustic Spirit Spotlights: Sudharsan

At Rustic Pathways, we know high school students have the power to change the world. They have the potential to make dynamic and lasting impacts on the lives of countless individuals.

Those who have the desire to help others and get involved in their communities have what we call “Rustic Spirit”. They want to make the world a better place and their actions speak louder than words.

Students using their time to make a positive impact have accomplished amazing feats. We interviewed a student who exemplifies true Rustic Spirit. Read how Sudarshan is making a difference in the world.

Responses have been edited for clarity.

Sudharsan Gopalakrishnan
Age 16
The Quarry Lane School
Dublin, California

Tell us about your impact project.

When I had the opportunity to attend and learn facts about GMOs during the National Agriculture STEM Summit held in Maryland in January 2020, I immediately felt the need to spread awareness about GMOs in my community. I created the “Get to Know GMOs” outreach awareness project due to misconceptions around the “non-GMO” label added to food products.

I started by conducting surveys with neighboring communities, schools, farmers markets, and other local grocery outlets to understand assumptions about GMOs. As anticipated, the majority of responders had a bad impression about GMOs.

I felt I needed further validation from experts in the field and initiated an online interview campaign with professors and eminent scholars from the University of California, Davis, Alliance for Science, the Managing Director from Cornell University, and the biotechnology professor from my school. In these interviews, I collected facts about GMOs to dispel the misconception, specifically around GMO labelling.

Next I set up zoom meetings with our community to educate them about my findings. The challenges thrown by the pandemic further established the mindset that what I have started was the right thing to pursue and lead technology-inspired programs to address various challenges – including the food crisis that requires containment as well as innovation.

Were you able to continue your impact work during the pandemic?

With the stay-at-home order enacted in California, I had more time as everything became virtual. I initiated free STEM workshops– virtual coding classes for 4-H youth members across counties–to bridge the gap in computing and technology.

As a Teen Project Leader and STEM educator at California State 4-H Advisory committee, I initiated a multi-county programming project for Python programming language (beginners to advanced level) for 4-H adult educators across California so that they could introduce programming in their local 4-H Clubs for youth members across multiple counties.

I also had an amazing opportunity to implement an English learning program via a non-profit named “Lotus Petal Foundation” to educate girls from underprivileged communities from remote villages in India. I designed the curriculum, recruited other students, and also taught the girls via the Lotus Petal Foundation.

I am taking this program to the next level this year by introducing “Computer Science” to the school via the same foundation for the benefit of students in 8th, 9th, and 10th grades.

Are you involved in anything new this year?

I am fortunate to have been selected to serve as a GeoMentor for the National 4-H GIS/GPS Leadership team as a Teen Project Leader representing California this year.

I am currently working on a project to fight “Food Insecurity” among communities of color and low-income families by working with my city officials and my county food bank. I hope to progress more in the coming months on this initiative.

I applied and got selected to serve as my city’s “Teen Council Ambassador” position for me to get in touch with my City Officials to help with my food insecurity project.

My work is just the tip of the iceberg and much more to come. I am excited, inspired and motivated to go to the next level.

Do you have advice for other students who want to make a positive impact?

As a teen volunteer and educator, I have learned so much about the way a community functions and how much there is to learn from every single member of a community.

I have learned how to not only initiate mutually beneficial partnerships, but how to also foster those. I went into the volunteering experience thinking I would be sharing my skills and teaching young students and other peer educators about STEM concepts, but little did I know, I would be learning just as much from them.

My advice and request to aspiring youngsters: find your inner calling first and be passionate about doing something that not only fulfills your own ambitions, but also brings meaningful contribution to the society wherever possible. There are many things in your control so you can positively shape things the way you want it.

What do you enjoy doing for fun?

Being with my family and friends is what I enjoy the most. I also love to watch both my niece and nephew or watch the Tom and Jerry videos for some time.

Other times, my mind is constantly occupied in learning new programming tricks or improvising an existing programming code for better efficiency and results. I also prepare curriculum, flyers, and homework for the volunteering activities that I am involved with teaching young and aspiring youths.

Do you want to share a fun fact about yourself?

I enjoy building gaming robots and have been a part of the national championship followed by an opportunity to compete in the state championship the next year before COVID altered the plans.

What do you plan to major in?

I plan on taking STEM related majors in my undergraduate, especially Computer Science/Artificial Intelligence/Robotics, to further my foray into technology-assisted solutions for social wellbeing and efficiency.

What are your career aspirations?

I aspire to become a CEO of a technology company in the future. I want to keep green footprints in mind where I get to make decisions and employ neurodiverse employees to live with a mission of diversity and inclusion.

Do you have any parting thoughts to share?

I’ve learned an important life lesson: No matter how tough you think your life is, there’s always someone who has to face challenges that are even tougher than yours. After interacting with a diverse group of young students across counties with a variety of backgrounds, I realized how blessed I was and how grateful I should be for everything that I had.

I also learned the importance of taking on initiatives and truly striving to make a difference in something that you are passionate about.

As a volunteer, I began to appreciate the little opportunities I had received in life, and this truly changed my mindset. Overtime I developed gratitude thinking, a sense of purpose, and empathy after meeting people of all backgrounds. In caring for others I found an opportunity to make a difference, and this fosters a sense of belonging and togetherness…A pathway to inner engineering. As per the great saying, “Be the change you want to see”!

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Make Change

Interested in creating change in your community? Check out our guide and learn how to make an impact as a student.

At Rustic Pathways, our goal is to make positive contributions to the communities we visit through responsible travel operations and community service projects that contribute to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.