In this episode, I along with the incomparable Navya Singh talked with one of the stars of Netflix's Indian Matchmaking and College Counselor Extraordinaire, Vyasar Ganesan. Coming off of the recent Supreme Court hearings, Students For Fair Admission v. Harvard and SFFA v. UNC, the future of affirmative action and other race-based admissions policies are hanging in the balance. We wanted to learn more about affirmative action and get the perspective of a South Asian college counselor with a unique perspective on the issue.

To learn more about affirmative action, check out these links:

https://www.aclu.org/news/racial-justice/what-you-need-to-know-about-affirmative-action-at-the-supreme-court

https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/affirmative_action

https://www.edweek.org/affirmative-action

It's senior year, and that means there's going to be a new structure to this podcast. The same focus on civic engagement, just a different style. Instead of having experts on the podcast talk about civic engagement itself, we're going to hear interesting discussions from a variety of people. A discussion is an important form of civic engagement and it's a way that everyone can be civically engaged. Going back and forth on relevant topics not only enhances awareness and understanding but can also develop more complexity in your opinions through hearing new perspectives.

We start this off in this episode with one of my friends, Natalia. We talk about race, identity, and how that plays into our experiences with the school system, particularly living in Texas.

In this episode, my friend Sophia and I discussed a few of the issues we felt most passionate about. We grew an interest in many of these issues through our involvement in the Austin Youth Council, which we discuss more in the episode. Join us in our conversations about infrastructure, youth mental and physical health, and youth civic engagement to learn more about these issues and how you can take action. 

Find more info about the Austin Youth Council HERE.

In this special episode, three generations of people come together to reflect on the experiences and legacies of British colonialism in India. Inspired by Shashi Tharoor's An Era Of Darkness, this episode features an in-depth discussion about the realities of this long period in history. What does that have to do with civic engagement, you ask? This episode encapsulates why it is important for people of all generations to be civically engaged and educated, and how we must be informed about history to impact change in the present.

In this episode, I talk with Mackenzie Davison, who works to involve young people, particularly high schoolers, in community service. As a continuation of Episode 2, we discuss many of the same topics from the adult and organizing perspective. Mackenzie and I explore the interaction between community service and civic engagement, the ways in which adults and young people should interact to make the community a better place, and the pros and cons of service hours.

in this episode, I talk to Anna Beatty and Ornith Jahid, two avid and accomplished volunteers, about what community service means to them. Community service is a big part of the lives of young people: it's something to put on college applications, a way to get hours for clubs and organizations, or a resume filler. However, why should young people really participate in community service? At its core, what is community service? 

Learn more about Generation SERVE.

In this episode, I talked to two students at my school, LASA high school, a few months after a controversial article in the school newspaper generated a lot of buzz. One of my guests is Beck Williams, a junior at LASA and commentary editor on the Liberator, the school's newspaper. In October 2021, he authored an article defending Texas’ Heartbeat Act and arguing for the pro-life cause. The article in question generated a passionate response from the student population, through social media, conversations between friends, or general hallway chatter. My other guest, Jaelin Su, is the founder of LASA’s Activism Club and an involved member of the LASA and greater Austin community. She along with co-authors of many different clubs joined to write a response article and promote a campaign against abortion restriction. I had the chance to sit down with them for a discussion on the situation and the broader lessons that need to be highlighted when it comes to speaking out on an issue you’re passionate about.

Welcome to Let's Get Engaged!, a new podcast dedicated to inspiring young people to be civically engaged. In this trailer, hear about what inspired this podcast, what to expect, and why you should follow along!