About
Mission Statement
We believe that everyone has something important to contribute to the world, and we want to help middle school-aged students find what excites them about helping others. Not only will PassionNet help encourage young individuals to engage with diverse media sources, but we will also help them gain awareness about important social issues in their communities, and discover what they can do to make a positive change.
Who we are
We are a team of current students and graduates of Carnegie Mellon University, Connecticut College, and Johns Hopkins University, who are passionate about effective education and serving our communities. We wanted to find a way to help middle school students discover their academic and professional passions early on through participating in student-driven extracurricular activities, as many college majors are not offered as typical subjects in school. Extracurricular activities and mentorship helped us discover our passions, so we want to pass on that experience to those who will soon step into our shoes.
Harshini Malli
Lead Mentor
B.S. in Business Administration and an additional major in Ethics, History, and Public Policy
From: Monroe Township, NJ
Passionate about continuing to learn through research, improving our education system, and creating social change through policy
Michelle Madlansacay
Lead Mentor
B.S. in Psychology and an additional major in Global Studies
From: Jersey City, NJ
Passionate about conducting education research, and hopes to one day contribute research to the development of educational programs for children from underrepresented communities
Research Mentors
Natasha Strugatz
Quarantine & Health Team
B.A. in Art History, minor in English, and certificates in Arts and Technology and Museum Studies
From: New York, NY
Passionate about advocating for mental health and learning about how quarantine is affecting physical and mental health
Zachary Rapaport
ICE & Detention Centers Team
BHA with concentrations in Global Studies and Art and an additional major in Hispanic Studies
From: North Palm Beach, FL
Passionate about research and advocacy, social justice. and working with such insightful thinkers
Nethra Parasuram
Racial Injustice Team
B.S. in Neuroscience
From: Holmdel, NJ
Passionate about being a part of educating the bright students of the next generation and working on a topic that poses as a pervasive obstacle in many people's lives
Ashwath Vijayakumar
Climate Change Team
B.S. in Business Administration with an additional major in Statistics & Machine Learning
From: Scottsdale, AZ
Passionate about conveying the importance of research in the learning process, working on one of the most pressing issues of our generation, and helping spread this message or find solutions