Srinija Darapureddy and Jahnavi Avula are two young women attending Carmel High School in Carmel, Indiana, currently in their senior and junior years, respectively. Much like other high schoolers at Carmel High, they enjoy a range of hobbies such as traveling, reading, and dancing. They are also the authors of a newly released self-published picture book Women of Color in STEM, available for purchase on Amazon. Srinija and Jahnavi have written and published the book to raise awareness – and funds – to support girls and women of color hoping to pursue science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields (STEM). They are donating all profits raised by selling their book to support the initiatives of the National Girls Collaborative Project.

I had the exciting opportunity to interview Srinija and Jahnavi about their book and their passion for supporting women of color in STEM. When asked what motivated them to write their book and start a fundraiser, Jahnavi explains, “Srinija and I both want to pursue STEM fields. And while we were researching, we came across many articles that highlight the large gender disparities that still exist in these fields. We wanted to shed light on that fact and help encourage young girls to follow the STEM path and to empower young girls to follow their dreams.”

Together, Srinija and Jahnavi embarked on researching, writing, and publishing a book that would do just that. They have compiled a book, which they explain is ideal for children 7 years and older, that introduces readers to women of color, from both the past and the present, who became successful in STEM. Srinija states, “Even though it is the 21st century, there are still significantly less women working in STEM compared to men. As a woman myself, I wanted to have an impact on the number of women that choose to go into STEM, and the best way to do that is to inspire girls from a young age.”

Diversity, representation, and having access to relatable STEM role models matter to young women like Srinija and Jahnavi. Srinija explains “I hope readers can get a role model and someone they can look up to through reading the book. Having a role model can be very insightful for young girls.” Jahnavi elaborates saying, “Diversity and representation is crucial in every single field, and it's no doubt extremely important in STEM fields as well. Fellow Indian women inspire me and it matters to me that every young girl can find a role model who inspires them.” She mentions growing up learning about strong Indian women such as Janaki Ammal and Kalpana Chawla. “Their stories inspired me and gave me the strength to believe in myself. I hope that by writing this book, young girls will learn about these impactful STEM women and be inspired by them in the same way I was.”

Jahnavi and Srinija also knew, from the beginning of their work on this project, that they did not want to keep any profits from the book for themselves. Instead, they wanted to find an organization doing work to support girls and women in STEM. Srinija tells me “I knew since the beginning that I wanted to donate all profits to charity so that I can help other people. We chose NGCP because the mission they stood for was very inspiring, and the work they have done in the past to help many young girls was very aligned with the mission I wanted to accomplish.”

Inspired by their passion and hard work, I asked Srinija and Jahnavi if they had any words of wisdom or advice for younger girls interested in STEM. Srinija suggests that young girls keep an open mind and be willing to try and learn new things. Jahnavi wants young girls to know that no matter what anyone says or no matter the hardships they face, they should continue to believe in themselves. “They need to know that they can achieve anything and everything they put their mind to.”

What is next for these two talented young women? Srinija’s plan after high school is to go to Purdue University to study Electrical Engineering and later go to UCLA for graduate school. Jahnavi dreams of going into medicine. “I am interested in neurology as well as a couple of other medical fields, and I hope to specialize in one of them. In the future, I want to continue to do my part to positively impact the livelihood of women and children.”

All of us at NGCP congratulate Srinija and Jahnavi on their advocacy for girls and women of color in STEM! We know we will continue to see great things from them in years to come.

Contribute to Srinija and Jahnavi’s Fundraiser:

Support Srinija and Jahnavi in their mission to raise funds for supporting women and girls in STEM! Your donation helps NGCP support programs working to increase girls’ interest in STEM by providing collaboration support, professional development, curriculum, and helpful evaluation and assessment techniques.

• Purchase Srinija and Jahnavi’s book Women of Color in STEM on Amazon - Profits will be donated to NGCP.
• Donate to NGCP Directly - Make a direct donation, specifying how you want your gift to be used.