(January 22, 2025) Faced with the frustration of finding affordable and ethical mentorship as a high school student, Fremont resident Nishka Sharma turned a personal struggle into a global solution. Determined to help others overcome the same challenges she had faced, she founded the Youth Mentorship Project (YMP), a nonprofit connecting students with mentors in STEM fields. What began as her answer to a lack of accessible guidance has now grown into a platform that has transformed the lives of thousands of students worldwide. Her efforts to bridge the gap between education and real-world opportunities earned her the prestigious 2024 Diana Award, a recognition of her extraordinary impact on underprivileged communities and the next generation of STEM leaders.
Nishka Sharma
Turning Frustration Into Innovation
For Nishka, the journey to creating YMP began with her own difficulties as a high school sophomore eager to pursue research. Her mother’s condition, psoriatic arthritis, sparked her interest in genetic research to understand whether she could inherit the same disease. But finding mentorship to support her ambitious project proved nearly impossible. “Over the next seven months, I sent about 264 emails. I received six rejections, three of which told me to never contact them again, and the rest were ignored,” she recalled in her TED Talk.
Even after joining a paid research mentorship program, Nishka faced disappointment when the mentor assigned to her lacked expertise in her area of interest. “I ended up leaving the program the next day,” she admitted. Frustrated by these barriers, she turned her focus to studying the mentorship programs themselves. She found that many charged exorbitant fees, paired students with ill-suited mentors, and offered limited resources and timelines, leaving many students without meaningful guidance.
Determined to create a better system, Nishka founded the Youth Mentorship Project. “Our goal is not to exploit curious students and underpay mentors,” the Global Indian said. Instead, YMP provides an accessible, ethical platform where students can connect with mentors from top universities and organisations, including Google, Tesla, and Oracle.
The Impact of the Youth Mentorship Project
Since its inception, YMP has made a tremendous impact. The platform uses AI technology to match students with mentors based on compatibility and project goals. This personalised approach ensures that students receive guidance tailored to their specific interests and needs.
YMP’s reach spans 20 countries, connecting over 3,500 students with more than 500 mentors. Its project-based curriculum emphasises real-world applications, encouraging students to create solutions that benefit their communities. “Our vision is to empower young people worldwide to excel in STEM through a four-step model of inspire, educate, create, and compete,” Nishka explained.
The platform’s focus on underprivileged communities sets it apart. By prioritising students from underserved areas, YMP has opened doors for those who might otherwise lack access to STEM opportunities. “We focus on areas where students wouldn’t otherwise have access to these opportunities,” Nishka emphasised.
Nishka Sharma
Through YMP, students have developed projects addressing environmental sustainability, artificial intelligence, and more. The organisation’s success has also attracted partnerships with major institutions, including the Society of Women Engineers, Apple, and the United Nations Science Summit.
Recognition With the Diana Award
Nishka’s groundbreaking work with YMP earned her the 2024 Diana Award, a prestigious recognition given to individuals who make an exceptional impact on their communities.
The Diana Award highlighted not only Nishka’s achievements but also the transformative power of mentorship. It underscored her commitment to bridging the gap between education and opportunity, particularly for students in underprivileged communities.
Speaking on the Global Stage
In addition to the Diana Award, Nishka has been recognized internationally for her leadership. In 2023, she became the youngest speaker at the United Nations Science Summit, where she presented YMP’s model and its global impact. Surrounded by CEOs, PhDs, and industry leaders, Nishka emphasised the importance of mentorship in shaping future generations.
She announced her initiative to lead the Youth Parliament for the 2024 UNGA Science Summit last year. This platform brought together young leaders from around the world to discuss advancements in artificial intelligence and other cutting-edge technologies. “The goal is to ensure that youth voices are part of the global conversation on science and innovation,” Nishka said.
Indian American Teens in the Diaspora
Nishka’s story is part of a larger narrative of Indian-American teens in the diaspora who are redefining leadership. These young changemakers are not only excelling academically but also using their unique positions to address global challenges.
Indian American teens like Nishka are making waves in diverse fields, from technology and science to activism and the arts. By bridging their Indian heritage with their American upbringing, they are creating solutions that benefit both local and global communities.
A Vision for the Future
As YMP continues to grow, Nishka remains focused on expanding its impact. She is currently developing an EdTech platform in collaboration with global organizations to provide even more opportunities for students to connect with mentors and gain hands-on STEM experience.
Beyond YMP, Nishka is also a computational neuroscience researcher at Stanford University’s Schnitzer Lab, where she works on cutting-edge AI projects. Her dual focus on innovation and mentorship underscores her belief that science should not only push boundaries but also uplift communities.
Nishka Sharma’s story is a powerful example of how determination and vision can transform personal struggles into global solutions. From her early challenges in finding affordable mentorship to creating a platform that has changed the lives of thousands, Nishka has proven that one person’s efforts can make a lasting impact.
- Follow Nishka Sharma on LinkedIn
