Local LEADERS! Our Amazing 2022 Pleasanton USD Scholarship Awardees
This year’s Local Leaders scholarship awardees in our home district have a lot to be proud of!
Together they conducted city-wide outreach for water conservation and waste reduction and diversion compliance, spoke at City Council meetings, joined forces with senior district administrators to optimize recycling and organics programs on campus, and so much more. Take a look at all our Pleasanton USD Local Leader awardees accomplished this school year.
Scholarship recipients Sanika Newadkar and Julianne Ng conduct a Local Leaders meeting at Amador Valley High School.
Amador Valley High School Local Leaders
2022 Amador Valley High School Local Leaders scholarship recipients Anusha Rapuru, Julianne Ng, Sanika Newadkar, and Dhruvi Mehta.
Sanika Newadkar
Amador Valley Local Leaders President Sanika Newadkar was a student representative to the District Green Team, where she worked with senior district administration to collect feedback on our district-wide programs and represent the Pleasanton Unified student body to administrators working toward sustainable operations. Sanika supported in the club’s Youth Outreach efforts, training bin monitors and leading sorting lessons at Fairlands Elementary School. As a head of the Policy Advocacy team, she developed a proposal for water conservation outreach with the City of Pleasanton that the club will advance in the upcoming school year. Sanika was also a lead intern in the Go Green Initiative’s 2021 summer internship program and spoke at a City Council meeting on the topic of reducing short-lived climate pollutants. Next year, she will study Political Science at UC Santa Barbara.
Julianne Ng
Julianne Ng went above and beyond here role as club Secretary to pursue and deliver on high-impact projects for the Amador club. The tenacious leader of the Youth Outreach team, she developed relationships with school administrators across the district, producing shareable resources and lesson plans, and leading successful field trips to local elementary schools. She also collaborated with the District Green Team members to collect data on sustainability programs across the district. Julianne was a lead intern for the Go Green Initiative and spoke at City Council meeting together with Sanika Newadkar on programs to increase resident compliance with SB 1383. She worked numerous community outreach activities throughout the school year, including the Farmers Market and the Hometown Water documentary screening. Next year, she will be attending UC Davis to study Environmental Policy Analysis and Planning.
Scholarship awardee Julianne Ng leads a Youth Outreach bin monitoring training at Fairlands Elementary School.
Anusha Rapuru
As a member of the Media Outreach team, Anusha Rapuru developed educational content for the club’s social media, including the Sustainability Sundays campaign. She also participated in the Video Media team during her tenure in the club and produced videos on proper waste sorting. Anusha was also a participant in the Go Green Initiative’s 2021 internship program, where she studied waste reduction and diversion, contributed to a city-wide outreach campaign, and used her experience to inform her work and outreach in the club. She will attend UC Santa Cruz to study Computer Science.
Dhruvi Mehta
Amador Valley High School Local Leader Dhruvi Mehta participated in the club’s Policy Advocacy team, working on a water conservation proposal for the City of Pleasanton. She also supported recruitment efforts to ensure the club continues to its impact on campus and in the community for years to come. Dhruvi will study Chemistry at UCLA.
Foothill High School Local Leaders
2022 Foothill High School Local Leaders scholarship awardees Emma Lim, Hira Raghavan, and Olivia Terrell.
Hira Raghavan
As President of the Foothill Local Leaders club, Hira led the club’s involvement with the campus Green Team, including waste tracking, compliance programs, and bin monitoring. She was also a student representative to the District Green Team and worked with senior district administration to collect feedback on district sustainability programs. Hira was a lead intern for the Go Green Initiative and shared her outreach strategy alongside fellow interns in a webinar for the Northern California Recycling Association Zero Waste Schools Committee. She spoke at the Hometown Water Documentary Screening, educating community members on water supply and conservation in Pleasanton. Hira will be attending the Ohio State University to study Pharmaceutical Science.
Scholarship awardee Hira Raghavan speaks onstage at the Firehouse Arts Center together with other Pleasanton Local Leaders.
Olivia Terrell
Olivia Terrell was part of her campus bin monitoring effort, working to help Foothill High School reduce greenhouse gas emissions on campus by complying with SB 1383 and mandatory commercial recycling laws. Olivia will go on to the University of Georgia to major in Environmental Economics and Management.
Emma Lim
Foothill Local Leader Emma Lim also supported the bin monitoring and SB 1383 compliance programs at Foothill High School, educating classmates to sort properly and prevent contamination. Next school year, she plans to attend Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo to major in Environmental Management and Protection.
Congratulations to all of our Pleasanton USD graduating seniors and scholarship recipients! We’re so proud of your contributions to your clubs and community. The future looks bright with these Local Leaders at the helm!
Awardees Sanika Newadkar and Julianne Ng welcome audience members at the Local Leaders’ water conservation documentary screening.
Learn more about Local Leaders of the 21st Century and Internship programs.
