Janelle (she/her) is an Indian American middle school student! She sat down to answer some of our questions — keep reading on to learn more about her.

Let’s begin with the most popular question. What’s your favorite food?

Shrimp curry with okra or any type of seafood.

What sparks joy within you?

I love to read, draw, travel, taste new foods especially desserts, spend time with my family, and hang out with friends.

What is capturing your interest these days?

I recently started playing soccer on my school's JV Team and I am really enjoying playing the games and hanging out with my teammates.

Is there anything you’re currently working on?

Currently, I am working on improving my public speaking skills. I have done this by trying to push myself out of my comfort zone and try out new things. This year I joined many different after-school activities like mock trials, field hockey, and soccer. They have all been great experiences and have allowed me to connect with so many different people.

Name a role model and/or name a woman in your life who you look up to and tell us why.

My mom is my role model as she is always so encouraging, caring, and supportive. My mother has gone through so many challenges as an immigrant new to this country and always continues to not only thrive but succeed and get stronger. She always inspires me to try new things and step out of my comfort zone. She loves America and embraces the culture while retaining her own Indian identity and traditions which I think makes our lives so enriched and unique. She always encourages me and my sister to follow our dreams.

What’s your favorite part about being an AAPI girl?

I had the opportunity to experience different cultures and traditions like celebrating the Lunar New Year and understanding its significance, and have also learned to make dumplings. My favorite part of being an AAPI girl is not only being able to dig deeper and understand my heritage and culture better, but also being able to connect different traditions and festivals to different AAPI countries and seeing how they are so similar and yet so different. I love being able to explore things like this.

How do you like to celebrate or care for yourself and others?

I love hanging out with my family, friends and doing outdoor activities. When celebrating/caring for myself I like to spend time doing outdoor activities, while also hanging out with family and friends. When caring for myself I like to just take deep breaths each day and try to learn at least one new thing each day. When celebrating and caring for others I try to indulge in activities they many like, for example baking, or swimming and just spending time with them.

What does AGI mean to you?

I love AGI, and to me AGI is an uplifting community, safe space, and somewhere you can go to always learn new things and feel inspired. AGI has impacted my life so much, because it made me realize that I was not alone, and that there are so many girls just like me. AGI has allowed me to expand on my culture and hear other peoples experiences and journeys to where they are today. AGI has really helps me know and trust myself better, as well as it has helped me gain more confidence.

What’s your favorite AGI memory or event?

All AGI events are super fun in my opinion, but one of my favorite events was the Lunar New Year Social. It was really memorable to me, because not only was it so fun, I was able to learn about a different Asian culture and tradition that I did not know much about. This is one of the things that I love about AGI, you always learn really amazing new things.

What would you want to ask or know about other AAPI girls?

I would love to know about other AAPI girls growing up experiences, challenges that they had to face, and past thoughts they may have had during these experiences and challenges. I believe that by sharing these experiences we can all learn new things and grow. I love hearing these stories and really feel so inspired by hearing these stories.

Is there an organization or project you’d like to elevate?

Yes, I would like to help in the growth of organizations that contribute to poverty and homelessness because growing up visiting India I would see poverty and homelessness and I think that everyone deserves to get benefits even if you can't afford much. Organizations that help stop poverty can help make huge differences to people's lives and help them get better education, health and even food sources. I believe if there is enough help provided we can help change people's lives from living on the streets to being able to get a second chance at life.

Is there anything else you’d like to share?

I really enjoyed listening to the storytellers and it gave me an insight as to the impact of their ethnicity and culture on their life experiences. It inspires me so much and gives me more confidence in myself and my actions. I am truly so grateful to be a part of such a wonderful organization that helps grow so much as a person.

Asian Girls Ignite’s “Student Spotlight Series,” in collaboration with Colorado Equity Compass, shines a light on student members. Students answer a series of questions using any format or platform they desire. The intention is to showcase how diverse AAPI girls’ stories truly are.

Student Spotlight: Janelle A.