Ravpreet Grewal
Central Region
Chapter 175 – Manteca High School
Adviser Denise Pasion

Ravpreet Grewal is a student at Manteca High School and is serving as the Activities Director of his CSF chapter. CSF activities include Pizza and Play and the Sock Drive. He also serves as the Academic Decathlon Vice President, on the Executive Board for the College Prep Club, and has served as an officer in the Chemistry, Robotics, and P.E.A.C.E. clubs. While participating in the Academic Decathlon, he earned 3rd Best Overall Performer and 10 individual medals. Ravpreet is also the captain of the tennis team, where he was the Division 4 Section Champion in 2019. He served as a student volunteer at the Manteca Public Library. In addition, he has two years of experience with Math Bridge helping frosh transition from middle to high school. Having served 354 hours of volunteer work at the Doctors Hospital of Manteca ranging from working the front desk to working alongside nurses, Ravpreet was presented the 2020 “Making a Difference” award.

Joyce Bowmar (Senior Advisor of the Student Volunteer Program at Doctors Hospital) proclaims “Revpreet’s caring nature and personality allowed him to work well with others in a team environment”. She also stated he became a trainer for other students.

When asked to describe something unique about himself, he quickly responded ‘adaptability’. This stems from his immediate family moving to the United States from India in 2017 and the challenging (yet successful) assimilation process that transpired thanks to his local family. To that degree, he states “I pledged I would never let that happen to anyone that may be in the same situation I was.” Thus, he has utilized his knowledge of Hindi, Punjabi, French, and English to ease the transitions of five students.

Ravpreet plans to attend the University of California, Berkeley and major in data science.

Nishi Bhagat
Central Coast Region
Chapter 749 – Mission San Jose High School
Adviser Katherine Geers

Nishi Bhagat is a student at Mission San Jose High School.  She is a student representative on the Fremont Unified School District Board of Education, and on the FUSD Local Control and Accountability Advisory Committee.  Nishi is the co-founder and president of MSJ Foundation for the International Medical Relief for Children, and the founder of the Special Education Music Program.  She is the president of MSJ Pen in a Box, and a writer and copy editor for the school newspaper, The Smoke Signal.  Nishi participates in the Tri-City Band Corps, Girls Who Code, the Perry Initiative Program, and The PublisHER.  She has volunteered at the Palo Alto Veterans Affair Medical Center.  Nishi has received the Presidential Volunteer Service Awards, Bronze and Gold.  She is employed as a private tutor, and has been an account executive for The Daily Californian. 

Katherine Geers, MSJHS CSF Adviser, describes Nishi as extremely bright, talented, and a dedicated student who has been an active member of CSF.  Ms. Geers explains, “Nishi’s strong work ethic can also be seen in her extra-curricular involvement.”

Andrea Angelo Corona, the Local Sales Manager for The Daily Californian, writes about Nishi, “She is a charismatic individual…exhibits the qualities of a leader.  She is an intelligent, well-rounded  and grounded individual who overcomes challenges and is eager for new opportunities and experiences.  She has the qualities to succeed in any endeavor and always maintains a positive attitude.  I admire her for her intelligence, sincerity, and honesty, and as a self-motivated learner.” 

Nishi opens her personal statement with “I am beyond grateful for my community and the time I have spent giving back.  Not only has my service taught me more about the world at large, but it has taught me more about myself, the values that define me, and who I want to become as I take on the world.”  Nishi goes on to describe her involvement in the music community, creating a program for special education students, and her work furthering her passion for science and technology empowering females.  She concludes by saying, “Through the ups and the downs, my community pushes me to be a better me, and I will be forever thankful for that.” 

Nishi hopes to attend either UC Berkeley or UCLA to study cognitive science and computer science.

Lena Bennett
Central Region
Chapter 1384 – Harmony Magnet School
Adviser Vicky Edwards

Lena Kate Bennett is a student at Harmony Magnet School in Strathmore and is serving as the CSF President. Her activities include the Harvest Festival fundraisers, Valentines for Vets, thank you letters to firefighters, letters to veterans and seniors as well as collecting donations for a pet, women’s and homeless shelters. She is also President of Associated Student Body and Junior State of America clubs and Treasurer of Harmony’s Science Club. Lena is currently serving as the Porterville School Board Student Representative and as the LCAP Student Representative. In addition, she has participated in Link Crew, served as a math tutor, and played tennis and volleyball.

Lena states “Being a part of CSF has served to deepen my motivations to solve problems in the world and helped to nurture my beliefs that I can create change.” To that extent, she created Happy Heart to support and empower middle school girls who are often going through many, often difficult, life changes. During her internship with Food Link, she recognized a similar need for support of local families due to societal inequities.

To extend her potential influence, she has interned at campaigns for Andrew Janz and Drew Phelps. Andrew Janz recalled an event where Jena had to step in to introduce him “She spoke articulately, commanded the attention of the audience, and invoked a sense of positivity in the potential future of our community.”

Throughout her high school years, Lena has consistently espoused high expectations for herself. Her CSF advisor writes “she is mindful of what she does, . . ., sets high, but realistic goals for herself, and works consistently to reach them.”

With that in mind, Lena hopes to attend Columbia University and major in Middle East and Islamic Studies.

Caterina Marji
South Central Region
Chapter 1395 – Saint Monica Academy
Adviser Jessica Halpin

Caterina Marji is a senior at Saint Monica Academy in Montrose California where she is actively involved in her CSF chapter and serves as its vice president. While not playing field hockey or running cross country, she has also been seen on the soccer pitch or participating in clubs on campus.  While she was a  member of the Academic Decathlon team, the robotics team, and active in Student Council, she also found time to found  the Latin Club on campus.

Her CSF Adviser, Jacqueline Halpin, mentioned that “she has been instrumental in drafting and lobbying for municipal legislation prohibiting vape/smoke shops from opening near schools; she also created campaign material for teen vape prevention.”

Caterina stated that ‘I volunteer and fundraise for an organization that is building the first medical clinic in Kawangware, Kenya. From hearing the stories from visiting volunteers she was inspired to help in the building of the clinic, Caterina looks forward to traveling to Kenya, where they will  finalize the building of the clinic, do exams and ultrasounds, and host medical camps.  This experience in Kenya will be her first trip out of the United States.

Next fall, Caterina plans to attend Duke or Dartmouth and begin as a Pre-Med major eventually going to Medical school and work in Neurological Sciences.