Yashwin Sajja

Yashwin Sajja, a US-born Indian-American, was sent to India at age one, living with his grandparents for four years while his parents pursued further education. These formative years on a farm nurtured his love for nature and the environment. Returning to the US, Sajja was inspired by his father's lesson to make the most of every opportunity. Viewing education as a fortune, he sought to improve lives and preserve nature, a mission he pursued throughout high school, developing an app to give students a voice in their school lunches and used neural networks to forecast floods, always aiming to innovate at the intersection of human design and security. 

Sajja's agricultural heritage and religious beliefs fuelled a dedication to environmental preservation. He devoted countless hours to researching sustainable practices, discovering classical techniques that could mitigate the harmful effects of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. His goal was to continue the legacy of environmentalists, creating solutions for those without resources and ensuring future generations could enjoy the natural world as he did. 

Academically, Sajja was fascinated by using technology to address traditional problems. He began with a research opportunity at NASA and Brown University, investigating the methane emissions of Arctic lakes. Using georeferencing algorithms and convolutional neural networks, he mapped thousands of lakes, contributing significantly to climate change research. He later worked at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, using satellite radio signals and machine learning to predict hurricane impacts. Balancing schoolwork with research, he maintained an A+ average and presented his findings at the American Geophysical Union conference. 

Sajja also founded Evergreen, an initiative to optimize school menus using student data, reducing food waste and increasing meal satisfaction. Evergreen won numerous accolades and partnerships, demonstrating its potential to make a significant impact on school food systems. Additionally, he revitalized his high school's Peer Tutoring Club by creating an Outline Database, which dramatically increased participation and provided valuable resources to students. 

Sajja's personal experiences with floods and environmental degradation in India further motivated his work. Witnessing the destruction of his family's farmland and the harmful effects of synthetic chemicals, he resolved to find sustainable solutions. He developed a microalgae-bacteria consortia modified anaerobic digester to produce organic fertilizer and biogas and researched chitinase-based organic pesticides - innovations aimed at rectifying environmental damage and promoting self-sufficiency. 

Creativity and innovation marked Sajja's leadership in The Incandescent Review, a youth-led literary magazine. As editor-in-chief, he expanded it to include various creative disciplines and reach a global audience, initiating publications and contests, culminating in The Rising Voices Awards, which highlighted youth creativity worldwide. 

Through his involvement in The Incandescent Review, Sajja fostered a global community of young writers and thinkers. He encouraged open dialogue about diverse perspectives and cultural experiences, promoting a sense of unity and mutual understanding. This experience reinforced his belief in the power of alternative perspectives to drive innovation and create meaningful change. 

His journey is characterized by a profound commitment to environmental preservation, innovation, and community building, with work spans technology, agriculture, education, and creative expression, aimed at making a positive impact on the world and fostering a brighter future for the next generation.