ANTA Scholarship Award Showcase

Since its inception in 2005, the Association of Nepali Teraian in America (ANTA) has consistently promoted the identity, integration, and empowerment of the folks from southern Nepal. Apart from this, one essential aspect of the organization is fostering young talents inside and outside to reach their full potential. Second-generation immigrants want to know their history and where their family comes from, and ANTA provides them with such an unparalleled platform. They are the real rockstars who cope with many situations at a very young age. For example, they must do well in academics, respect and inherit cultural heritage from their parents, and at the same time fit in society. Sometimes, it can take a toll on mental well-being, but kudos to these young minds facing all the situations with so much grace.

ANTA recently hosted a webinar with the young talents who won the educational scholarship announced in July of 2023. It was based on academic excellence and their contributions to the community through various extracurricular activities under the leadership of ANTA’s spokesperson, Mr. Prabhat Jha, along with the panel of three executive members as a Scholarship committee. Mr. Jha has been instrumental in channeling the young talent into the community.

This webinar provided an excellent platform to share unique stories and inspire other students within the community. The four awardees shared their remarkable journey as seniors (Grade 12) at school, which was inspiring and emotional. The four awardees who graced the webinar are as follows:

Adya Jha (ANTA Education Scholarship Award): Ms. Adya Jha is an outstanding senior at Princeton Day School. Ms. Jha is a recipient of the Gold President’s Volunteer Service Award (2021), the Princeton Day School Gold Service Award (2021), the Gold Medal, the National Latin Exam (2021, 2022, 2023), and Best Delegate, Model United Nations to name a few. Ms. Jha also writes articles and has the National Gold Medal and Scholastic Art & Writing Awards (2020). She received a Gold Key (2022) under her belt for a critical essay on the rise of Hindu nationalism in India. Adya participates in mock trials and has represented the State of New Jersey at the 2023 National High School Mock Trial Competition. She won State Champion at the 2023 Vincent J. Apruzzese High School Mock Trial Competition. Apart from all these academic achievements, she is also actively involved in different volunteer activities organized by ANTA and various clubs in her school. Adya loves reading books and spending time with her two sisters. Ms. Jha wants to pursue economics at university and aspires to be an attorney.
Sudiksha Chaudhary (ANTA Education Scholarship Female Award): Ms. Sudiksha Chaudhary is a highly motivated senior at Elkhorn South High School, Elkhorn, Nebraska. Ms. Chaudhary has received the Honor Roll and Presidential Education Award throughout four years of high school and is ranked semi-finalist in The National Merit Scholarship. She also received a scholarship in her junior year of high school and ranked 4th. She also conducted research at the University of Nebraska to learn molecular biology techniques. Apart from these academic achievements, Sudiksha is also a member of the National Honor Society, Student Council (Secretary), Health Occupations Students of America, and School Choir, to name a few. She loves to play tennis and advocates for the mental health of teenagers/adolescents. She volunteers at Methodist Women’s Hospital, Public Library, and ANTA. Ms. Chaudhary aspires to be a doctor.
Sumitra Kumari Yadav (ANTA Education Scholarship Award): Ms. Sumitra Yadav is a senior at Jack E. Singley Academy in Irving, Texas. She has continuously pursued an academic path through her placement in honors and Advanced Placement (AP) courses. Sumitra is active at HOSA (Health Occupations Students of America), ACC (Asian Cultural Club), Science Olympiad, Destination Imagination, and Spirit Club. She is certified in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and is currently obtaining certification in ECG to pursue the medical field. Apart from these, she is a professional hip-hop/cultural dancer and has performed on several platforms. Sumitra aspires to be a cardiologist.
Susma Chaudhary (ANTA Education Scholarship Award & Dream Foundation Award): Ms. Susma Chaudhary is a unique Dublin Scioto High School senior and a College Credit Plus (CCP) student at Columbus State Community College. Ms. Chaudhary is a recipient of the Gold President’s Volunteer Service Award (2023). She is already taking university-level classes, which is quite remarkable. She is also a trained Bollywood choreographer and has performed at organizations, including ANTA. Susma volunteers at the local Hindu temple and other local events, including the clubs at her school. She loves to dance, and it is her way of expression. Susma recently joined an organization that works for women’s empowerment. Ms. Chaudhary aspires to be a pediatric surgeon.
One thing that stood out during the webinar was their take on different aspects of high school career and life. They are very accomplished seniors but have their own vulnerabilities, too. They have friendship issues, hectic schedules, and sometimes mental days. They were open with suggestions on how to say “no” or “ask for help when needed”. They gave a big shout-out to their support system, a must in any age group. We do focus on the accomplishments when we celebrate the awards, but the motto of this webinar was to dive into their challenges, too. All the awardees are leaders in their unique way and are always ready to give back to the community by volunteering.

The webinar was one of its kind, as all the panelists were young yet prudent. The webinar was graced by many ANTA central executive committee members and chapter executive members like Mrs. Aprajita Jha (Immediate Past President), Mr. Santosh Sah (Treasurer), Mr. Prabhat Jha (Spokesperson), Mr. Tauleshwar P. Chaudhary (General Secretary), Dr. Mridula Gupta (President), Mr. Amiri Mochi (President-ANTA GA Chapter), Mr. Anil Chaudhary (President-ANTA Houston TX Chapter), Mr. Pradip Sah (Senior VP-ANTA Houston TX Chapter), Mrs. Shyamli Sah (Member), Mrs. Pratibha Karn (Member), Mr. Mukesh Karna (Advisor), Mr. Dhiraj Chaudhary (Advisor) along with the family and friend of the awardees, and folks from Nepal as well, and was hosted by Dr. Namrata GR Raut (Member).

The webinar always requires lots of planning and proper amalgamation of the formal conversation and personal experiences, which was planned by Mr. Tauleshwar P. Chaudhary, Mr. Santosh Sah, Mrs. Aprajita Jha and guidance from the president Dr. Mridula Gupta along the process. We would also like to thank all the donors and the selection committee who played a pivotal role in winning these awards and our star volunteer, Mr. Raunak Sah, for designing the flyer for the webinar. We at ANTA take pride in hosting these fantastic talents and can’t wait for them to achieve what they want. The webinar can be streamed at the ANTA Scholarship Awardee Showcase.
[2:27 pm, 23/12/2023] Dipak Jung Thakur: Since its inception in 2005, the Association of Nepali Teraian in America (ANTA) has consistently promoted the identity, integration, and empowerment of the folks from southern Nepal. Apart from this, one essential aspect of the organization is fostering young talents inside and outside to reach their full potential. Second-generation immigrants want to know their history and where their family comes from, and ANTA provides them with such an unparalleled platform. They are the real rockstars who cope with many situations at a very young age. For example, they must do well in academics, respect and inherit cultural heritage from their parents, and at the same time fit in society. Sometimes, it can take a toll on mental well-being, but kudos to these young minds facing all the situations with so much grace.

ANTA recently hosted a webinar with the young talents who won the educational scholarship announced in July of 2023. It was based on academic excellence and their contributions to the community through various extracurricular activities under the leadership of ANTA’s spokesperson, Mr. Prabhat Jha, along with the panel of three executive members as a Scholarship committee. Mr. Jha has been instrumental in channeling the young talent into the community.

This webinar provided an excellent platform to share unique stories and inspire other students within the community. The four awardees shared their remarkable journey as seniors (Grade 12) at school, which was inspiring and emotional. The four awardees who graced the webinar are as follows:

Adya Jha (ANTA Education Scholarship Award): Ms. Adya Jha is an outstanding senior at Princeton Day School. Ms. Jha is a recipient of the Gold President’s Volunteer Service Award (2021), the Princeton Day School Gold Service Award (2021), the Gold Medal, the National Latin Exam (2021, 2022, 2023), and Best Delegate, Model United Nations to name a few. Ms. Jha also writes articles and has the National Gold Medal and Scholastic Art & Writing Awards (2020). She received a Gold Key (2022) under her belt for a critical essay on the rise of Hindu nationalism in India. Adya participates in mock trials and has represented the State of New Jersey at the 2023 National High School Mock Trial Competition. She won State Champion at the 2023 Vincent J. Apruzzese High School Mock Trial Competition. Apart from all these academic achievements, she is also actively involved in different volunteer activities organized by ANTA and various clubs in her school. Adya loves reading books and spending time with her two sisters. Ms. Jha wants to pursue economics at university and aspires to be an attorney.

Sudiksha Chaudhary (ANTA Education Scholarship Female Award): Ms. Sudiksha Chaudhary is a highly motivated senior at Elkhorn South High School, Elkhorn, Nebraska. Ms. Chaudhary has received the Honor Roll and Presidential Education Award throughout four years of high school and is ranked semi-finalist in The National Merit Scholarship. She also received a scholarship in her junior year of high school and ranked 4th. She also conducted research at the University of Nebraska to learn molecular biology techniques. Apart from these academic achievements, Sudiksha is also a member of the National Honor Society, Student Council (Secretary), Health Occupations Students of America, and School Choir, to name a few. She loves to play tennis and advocates for the mental health of teenagers/adolescents. She volunteers at Methodist Women’s Hospital, Public Library, and ANTA. Ms. Chaudhary aspires to be a doctor.

Sumitra Kumari Yadav (ANTA Education Scholarship Award): Ms. Sumitra Yadav is a senior at Jack E. Singley Academy in Irving, Texas. She has continuously pursued an academic path through her placement in honors and Advanced Placement (AP) courses. Sumitra is active at HOSA (Health Occupations Students of America), ACC (Asian Cultural Club), Science Olympiad, Destination Imagination, and Spirit Club. She is certified in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and is currently obtaining certification in ECG to pursue the medical field. Apart from these, she is a professional hip-hop/cultural dancer and has performed on several platforms. Sumitra aspires to be a cardiologist.

Susma Chaudhary (ANTA Education Scholarship Award & Dream Foundation Award): Ms. Susma Chaudhary is a unique Dublin Scioto High School senior and a College Credit Plus (CCP) student at Columbus State Community College. Ms. Chaudhary is a recipient of the Gold President’s Volunteer Service Award (2023). She is already taking university-level classes, which is quite remarkable. She is also a trained Bollywood choreographer and has performed at organizations, including ANTA. Susma volunteers at the local Hindu temple and other local events, including the clubs at her school. She loves to dance, and it is her way of expression. Susma recently joined an organization that works for women’s empowerment. Ms. Chaudhary aspires to be a pediatric surgeon.
One thing that stood out during the webinar was their take on different aspects of high school career and life. They are very accomplished seniors but have their own vulnerabilities, too. They have friendship issues, hectic schedules, and sometimes mental days. They were open with suggestions on how to say “no” or “ask for help when needed”. They gave a big shout-out to their support system, a must in any age group. We do focus on the accomplishments when we celebrate the awards, but the motto of this webinar was to dive into their challenges, too. All the awardees are leaders in their unique way and are always ready to give back to the community by volunteering.

The webinar was one of its kind, as all the panelists were young yet prudent. The webinar was graced by many ANTA central executive committee members and chapter executive members like Mrs. Aprajita Jha (Immediate Past President), Mr. Santosh Sah (Treasurer), Mr. Prabhat Jha (Spokesperson), Mr. Tauleshwar P. Chaudhary (General Secretary), Dr. Mridula Gupta (President), Mr. Amiri Mochi (President-ANTA GA Chapter), Mr. Anil Chaudhary (President-ANTA Houston TX Chapter), Mr. Pradip Sah (Senior VP-ANTA Houston TX Chapter), Mrs. Shyamli Sah (Member), Mrs. Pratibha Karn (Member), Mr. Mukesh Karna (Advisor), Mr. Dhiraj Chaudhary (Advisor) along with the family and friend of the awardees, and folks from Nepal as well, and was hosted by Dr. Namrata GR Raut (Member).

The webinar always requires lots of planning and proper amalgamation of the formal conversation and personal experiences, which was planned by Mr. Tauleshwar P. Chaudhary, Mr. Santosh Sah, Mrs. Aprajita Jha and guidance from the president Dr. Mridula Gupta along the process. We would also like to thank all the donors and the selection committee who played a pivotal role in winning these awards and our star volunteer, Mr. Raunak Sah, for designing the flyer for the webinar. We at ANTA take pride in hosting these fantastic talents and can’t wait for them to achieve what they want. The webinar can be streamed at the ANTA Scholarship Awardee Showcase.