How can relationship building and interpersonal connection play a vital role in English learners developing a love of reading? What can educators do to encourage students to move outside of their comfort zone at school, especially when it comes to reading academic content? How can providing students with leadership opportunities enhance learning and inspire students to think in new ways?

We discuss these questions and more with Shreya Rohatgi, a first-year college student at the University of Oklahoma who earned one of Ellevation’s scholarships last year. Shreya is a biochemistry major with a minor in psychology. She is also intentionally taking classes that invoke her creative side, which she feels is an important part of a well-rounded education. She is also a member of the Presidents Leaders Club, where she has been lucky to be part of what she calls patchwork of people whose individual talents and experiences come together to create something powerful.

We caught up with Shreya in the middle of our application period for Ellevation’s 2022 scholarship. We hope our conversation with her inspires you to encourage your students to apply. We’ll accept applications through May 12th and you can find all the information you need on our Community page. You can also find multimedia resources - including a transcript of this episode, accompanying blog posts, videos, collaboration opportunities, and more - on our learning community. 

As always, thanks for listening to Highest Aspirations.