Thomas Jefferson 'Student of the Year' Excels at Helping Others

The Crestwood-Sunset Hills honored Meghana Bharadwaj with the “Student of the Year” award recently for excellence in academics and community service. Bharadwaj received high honors among her T seventh grade peers in Latin 1; algebra 1; English; earth and environment science; social studies and world cultures; and instrumental instincts. She also served as the student admissions assistant.

Bharadwaj volunteers twice a month at Sunrise Assisted Living to assist elderly residents and leads art and physical education classes at St. Joseph’s Academy for autistic children. She and a group of friends founded “Just for Kids (JFK),” an organization providing help to less fortunate children, in October of 2009 after witnessing an impoverished mother and child begging on the streets of India.

“I couldn't stand getting privileges like IPods, cute clothes, laptops and schooling while knowing there were people who couldn't afford a simple meal,” Bharadwaj said. “I thought it was utterly impossible to make a difference on my own. Fortunately the help and support from my friends and family gave me the courage to start JFK.”

JFK members have raised $1,000 through bake sales, a garage sale and a jewelry sale since the organization’s commencement. All of the funds were used to replace an asbestos roof with a metal sheet one on a small building called Dheenabandu Ashram (A place for helping others) in the community of Valagapet, India. The people in the community no longer have to worry about their family members possibly suffering from asbestos-related health problems.

“I felt great when JFK finished its first biggest endeavor and helped a ton of kids in doing so. We will continue raising funds for Dheenabandu Ashram while deciding which big projects we might carry on with next,” Bharadwaj said.

JFK members currently are working to complete the organization’s website. It will offer visitors options to contact group members, get information about the organization and its benefactors, completed fundraisers, an up-to-date calendar of upcoming events, a blog, pictures of the benefitting organizations and applications to apply for membership.

The TJS “Student of the Year” says she was “totally psyched” to win such an prestigious award, but soon realized that the certificate and savings bond was small in comparison to receiving thankful smiles from the children and families at Dheenabandu Ashram and many others in need.

Bharadwaj advises other kids with the desire to make a difference in their community to make a connection to the people they want to help, persevere in their dreams and never give up and learn how to be both a leader and a follower.