Deepsha Dhal, a law student, is a volunteer and a student leader. She has been volunteering at the Bakul Foundation in Bhubaneswar for four years and is also the co-founder of Broken Scooter, a popular online magazine in Odisha. Community service is an organic extension of her work, she believes, as her parents also work in the social work sector.
The 21-year-old joined Bakul Foundation in 2009 and has worked towards the spread of education, slum development and the safety of the environment. Presently, Deepsha is pursuing BBA (LLB) from KIIT University.
To acknowledge her efforts in the field of social work, she was selected as the only Indian student for a five-to-six week long study of the United States Institute (SUSI) programme for undergraduate women leaders. This will bring leading undergraduates from Asia and Africa to the University of Kansas, USA, in June.
The programme is being organised by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at the US State Department. The participants will learn key stewardship skills and tools, gain an understanding of themselves as leaders and public servants, and engage in foundational theories of gender and leadership. It will also focus on the history and participation of women in public life in the United States. “I am pretty excited about this programme as it focuses on women’s leadership,” says Deepsha, who hopes the programme will help develop her critical thinking, communication, decision-making, and managerial abilities.
— diana@newindianexpress.com