When this year’s pandemic hit, a few students from Inderkum High School felt a calling to do something to uplift their community. “I started Be Great Sacramento to serve our community’s economically disadvantaged youth and support them in their educational and vocational aspirations. Observing the complications induced by the COVID-19 Pandemic on local businesses, organizations, and schools, we dedicated our efforts to unite our community and help support our local entities,” said Amol Budhiraja, President and Founder of Be Great Sacramento.
So, together with Caleb Barajas, they formed Be Great Sacramento and started on their journey of helping the community. And with the addition of Ankit Budhiraja and a couple of other peers, who are also passionate about serving their community, they implemented a Voter Registration Drive and School Supplies Drive. “As students, we have seen the power of a good education in our lives, and we want to share the same opportunities with every family that we can. We believe that this drive is especially crucial during a time where so many families have lost their jobs and are struggling to stay afloat,” when speaking about the School Supplies Drive they implemented before the start of school.
Their making preparations to launch their next project which involves collecting handmade cards for hospitalized kids at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and other hospitals around the nation. “Our hope is to empower the well-deserving children during these difficult times, spread hope, and brighten the days of hospitalized kids across our nation.”
Their enthusiasm for helping others transcends to their involvement and leadership roles at Inderkum and other areas of interest.
Amol’s interests are App Development, playing Varsity Tennis, volunteering at Sacramento Public Library, and presiding as president for Inderkum’s History Day Team and Tiger Tech club. Amol is the president and founder of Be Great Sacramento.
Ankit’s interests are playing Varsity Tennis, volunteering at Sacramento Public Library, and being active in multiple clubs including the Science National Honor Society. He is the vice-president of Be Great Sacramento.
Caleb’s interests are playing the guitar, volunteering with his church’s band, and being involved in multiple organizations at Inderkum. Caleb is the co-president and founder of Be Great Sacramento.
As for what they hope for the future of the organization they created as high school juniors and seniors, Amol says continued support for their community even when they all graduate and attend college. “My hope with this organization is to increase its reach and service. As a student-led organization, we want to unite our community’s teens from schools all over the region and expand our efforts to cover a broader range of issues ranging from Homelessness to Mental Health.”
“Our work is only getting started, and we want to work with students in other cities and bring the concept of Be Great Sacramento to serve communities worldwide…we hope to collaborate with our peers and leverage our unique skills and talents to create technical solutions to problems facing our community and the world. Even when we go to college, we will collaborate with our peers and bring Be Great Sacramento’s resources and operations to serve our future communities, the Sacramento community, and equip the organization with the resources to offer support as long as possible.”
To learn more about these three inspiring Natomas Unified School District students, visit Be Great Sacramento’s website at www.begreatsac.org.
