Vinesha Shaik

A junior at West-Windsor Plainsboro High School South, Vinesha Shaik is a STEM advocate passionate about using technology to create change. Being the president of a SWENext club and earning leadership on her school FIRST Robotics Competition team, she introduces new programs for students in her district and regularly organizes symposiums for youth from underrepresented groups to explore their interests in STEM. Selected as a Helene-Cody Scholar, she collaborates with non-profit organizations in Central Jersey to lead Social Entrepreneurship Coding camps. Her experiences in teaching young girls from local underserved communities and rural villages in India highlighted the subconscious inhibitions of many girls in STEM. This realization inspired her to found Coding for Community, a nonprofit aiming to make STEM education more accessible and bridge the digital divide, for her Girl Scout Gold Award. Looking to the future, she aspires to further her education in STEM and use her opportunities to make a positive social impact in the communities that have shaped her.