Vanesha Hari, who is a student at Redmond High School, was recently inducted into the “100 High School Students America Needs to Know About,” which was announced by Workforce Career Readiness.

Students were recognized across the nation for demonstrating perseverance and rebounding from challenges over the last several years. The awarded students also reflect the best in regional excellence.

From a young age, Hari initiated and led challenges with the goal of wanting to leave the world in a better place than she found it. When she was 10 years old she noticed girls in India were not given equal education opportunities, and instead did chores at home. Hari knew awareness was needed.

When she later came back to Seattle, she noticed her mother assisting homeless shelters and foster homes, which was when Hari realized disparities and lack of opportunities persist on a global scale.

Hari co-founded the nonprofit, Joys of Giving, which focuses on educational equity and combating gender disparity in STEM fields. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Hari recognized how her classmates didn’t have access to free lunches. Hari brought awareness of fighting youth food insecurity as part of the nonprofit initiative.

In the past several years, Hari has helped raise $20,000 and volunteered over 1,200 hours through more than five large scale baking fundraisers, over 25 STEM workshops, and over 500 meals to homeless shelters.

For more information about the recognition click here.