Hey, y’all! My name is Thrisha Kalpatthi and I use she/her pronouns. I am a freshman at NACA this year. I am super passionate about women’s rights, specifically in stem fields. Why? One, we need more women in stem fields, and two, because I am a confident, math-loving girl who wants other girls who are interested in math (or stem) to be confident in themselves and not be taken aback by the male-dominated field. As I said, I love math and I do a lot of math competitions such as the AMCs and have qualified for the AIME (the top 2.5% in the nation).

Other than math, I participate in National Science Bowl, am an activity associate for Anatomy Club, and am on the quiz bowl team. Weirdly, even with all of my love for math, I do want to pursue a career in the medical field, most likely a neurosurgeon. Outside of academics, my world is composed of dance (Bharatanatyam), singing, volunteering with little kids, and, of course, laughing with my family and friends. Oh, and also, I watch an unhealthy amount of movies ;).

Another aspect of equality I am really passionate about is body image. In our society, we are expected to look a certain way. We are told to be skinny and that that is the only way we will be healthy. There is so much stigma to the word "fat" which bothers me and I really want to change the way our world looks at a person's figure.

I really look forward to GES. I love the discussions that we have had in the past and know for a fact that they will only get better in the future. The topics that we are hoping to discuss with everyone are important and very eye-opening. Our team is a group of talented, passionate, and bright people and I know that we will make a difference, whether it be big or small.

Hi, I’m Madi Eschenbach (she/her)! I am a sophomore at NAI and the social media and communications officer for NA GES. I joined GES after speaking at the International Women’s Day event with my history teacher Mr. Warner! I am also apart of the NA Social Justice Club and NA Project Water!

Something important to know about me is I am a HUGE advocate and have been for as long as I can remember! I am passionate about women’s rights (as well as gender equality), because well, I’m a woman! I am also an advocate for fighting against issues such as systemic racism, antisemitism, xenophobia, homophobia, transphobia, ableism, sexism, and more. I also believe it is important to break down the stigma around subjects we tend to consider taboo, for example, mental health and illness. But I would say one of the causes I am the most vehement about advocating for is chronic illnesses/disability, as I have many that affect my daily life and it affects a large majority of my family too.

Other than advocacy, I do graphic design and digital art (I even started a small business). I enjoy reading and some of my favorite authors are Danielle Paige, Scott Westerfeld, and John Green. I am doing extensive research on women’s roles in history as well, which is part of how I became connected with GES! In my free time, I enjoy spending time with family, friends, and my adorable cat. After high school, I plan on becoming a pediatric genetic counselor who specializes in connective tissue disorders (like the two I have!). I hope to pursue other ‘career’ paths as well, as I don’t want to have a ‘linear career’, but we will see where I go! As you can probably tell, I am a very ambitious/driven person so when I put my mind to something I give it my all!

Well, that is a little bit about me and I am so ecstatic to be apart of the new NA GES team!! The team we have created is absolutely incredible! I am lucky to be apart of it and work with these wonderful people! I have loved the discussions we have had thus far and I am so excited to see what the future holds for NA GES!

Hey everyone, my name is Risha Solanki, I’m a freshman at NACA, and I use she/her pronouns. I’m a part of the Gender Equality Series, where we give students/staff a platform to discuss several different topics regarding a plethora of ideas such as race, gender, mental health, climate, and many issues we face in our world today regarding these matters. It is so so so so important that we discuss these topics because they won’t be fixed without change. As we consider ourselves the next generation, it is on our hands to give a voice to those who need to be heard and teach those who need to change.

A few things you could know about me is that I am a very avid reader of all genres (please don’t ask for a favorite book, I never have one ready to say), I have been playing tennis since I was young (still do), I love to play the piano (this would be my passion), I love to learn about culture, language, people & places, medicine & human body, and hope to study at Johns Hopkins w/ a Major is some type of research. Of course, nothing has been set in stone since I can be extremely indecisive. Something that I know I will never waiver on will be to improve the fight for a better future because it is up to us to do whatever we can to make a change.

Hey everybody! My name is Maeren Quirke, I use she/her pronouns, I’m a junior at NASH, and... what else? Oh yeah, I’m beyond excited to be participating in NA’s Gender Equality Series. Politics, social justice, and philosophy contribute greatly to my identity, and I think GES will be a great way to expand my knowledge and hear about an array of experiences.

So, who exactly am I? Well, in my free time, I love to play basketball, read, write, and overanalyze films (also, let’s be honest, “film” sounds so much classier than “movie”). I would like to sound cool and say that I skateboard or something, but I’m actually really bad at it so I tend to just watch other people skateboard (go ahead, call me a poser). My proudest accomplishment is writing a one-act play and receiving the opportunity to produce it at City Theatre. Some days that still feels like it was a dream! Also, if I could declare my dream job right now (as it’s always subject to change), I would DEFINITELY work for the US State Department as a foreign diplomat. I mean, come on, getting paid to learn languages and live in different countries? Sign me UP!!

I’d like to finish by emphasizing how grateful I am for the opportunity to continually learn. Researching new topics and hearing from YOU, all while understanding the importance of intersectionality, will most definitely influence me in unforgettable ways! :)