NRI PULSE STAFF REPORT
Atlanta, GA, October 24, 2025: The Greater Atlanta Tamil Sangam (GATS) reaffirmed its commitment to youth empowerment and community leadership through its groundbreaking Youth Leadership 2025 initiative — a 50-day program designed to shape the next generation of changemakers.
Launched by the GATS Youth Committee in collaboration with the South Indian Entrepreneurs Network (SIEN), the program trained more than 60 students between August 8 and October 4, 2025, in leadership, public speaking, teamwork, and community problem-solving.
Building Tomorrow’s Leaders
Under the guidance of Mr. Sooryakumar Thoppan and the GATS leadership team, the initiative inspired participants to take on real-world challenges with creativity and purpose. Miss Sri Srinivasan, who served as a vital link between SIEN and the GATS Youth Committee, played a key role in mentoring the young leaders and organizing team formations.
Students could either complete structured leadership workshops or enter a competition to design and present solutions to pressing community problems. Forty participants formed 17 teams across three grade-based categories:
- Future Pioneer (8th Grade)
- Impact Initiator (9th & 10th Grades)
- Legacy Maker (11th & 12th Grades)
Inspiring Presentations, Real-World Solutions
At the program’s finale on October 4, 2025, 17 teams showcased thoughtful and innovative solutions to issues ranging from mental health stigma and gender bias to voter awareness and academic pressure. Their presentations reflected both empathy and analytical thinking, drawing praise from judges and mentors alike.
Category 1 – Future Pioneer (8th Grade)
- Winner: Team Evergreen – “Mental Health Stigma in South Asian Families” (Sanah Sangam, Veshagha Gowrishankar)
- Runner-Up: Team Changing Gender Gaps – “Gender Bias and Discrimination in Schools and Colleges” (Ananyaa Vinoth, Jeanina Xavier)
Category 2 – Impact Initiator (9th & 10th Grades)
- Winner: Team Vote for the Future – “Low Voter Awareness Among First-Time Voters” (Aakarsha Gangaraju, Samritha Guhan)
- Runner-Up: Team Future Opportunities Initiative – “Limited Access to Career Guidance and Mentorship” (Kashvi Anantharaman, Sai Shravan, Anirudh)
Category 3 – Legacy Maker (11th & 12th Grades)
- Winner: Team The Pressure Paradox – “Academic Pressure and Career Stereotypes” (Dhanishkaa Muthukkumaran, Nirukta Raja)
- Runner-Up: Team Evolving Education – “Skill Gap Between School Curriculum and Real-World Needs” (Tharakram Nallan, Harshad Premkumar)
Judges and Mentors
The finale was judged by four distinguished professionals:
Dr. Indrakrishnan, CEO of GDC Endoscopy Center LLC and Gwinnett Digestive Clinic PC;
Mr. Praveen Puram, CEO of Spearsoft Technologies and Co-Founder of ElevateGen;
Miss Ayah Zaheraldeen, Computer Science student at Georgia Tech; and
Mr. Seth Nachiappan, CEO of Onsite IT Vendors.
Program mentors included SIEN founders Aravind Ganesan (Engineer, Bedrock) and Pavan Murugesh (Founder & CEO, InfiniteAI), who helped design leadership modules.
The GATS leadership team — including Mr. Sooryakumar Thoppan, Miss Sri Srinivasan, Mrs. Sangita, and Mr. Sankar, along with GATS Board Members Mr. Gokul, Mrs. Krithika, Mrs. Punitha, Mr. Anbazhakan Sengodan, Mr. Shan, Mrs. Prathiba, Mr. Siva, Mrs. Divya, and Mrs. Madhu — provided ongoing support throughout the program.
Looking Ahead
Following the finale, GATS announced plans to work with SIEN to bring select youth-led projects to life within the community.
“Our youth have demonstrated extraordinary capability, compassion, and vision — and this is just the beginning,” said Mr. Sooryakumar Thoppan, GATS Youth Committee Lead. “GATS remains deeply committed to building future leaders who will continue to uplift our community and beyond.”
The GATS Youth Leadership 2025 initiative stands as a shining example of what mentorship, collaboration, and purpose-driven engagement can achieve — empowering young South Asian voices to lead with confidence and compassion.
