Meducate

by Harshitha Vijayshankar ('26)

Giving back to the community is integral to the development of character. It fosters life-long skills like critical thinking, stress management, and networking.  Meducate (@meducate.corp) is made up of tenth-grade students from SBHS, Princeton High School, and West Windsor Plainsboro North. It is a nonprofit organization meant to combine an interest in healthcare with a desire to serve the community. As the name suggests, Meducate educates individuals on health-related topics, such as preventative care and general wellness practices. The organization aims to empower individuals to take control of their health and improve their quality of life on a large scale.  

Meducate consists of a board of nine individuals: President—Shivali Pandya (SBHS ‘26), Vice President—Emma Liu (PHS ‘26), Secretary—Nandita Konduru (SBHS ‘26), and Treasurer—Sandra Liu (WWP ‘26), just as most groups do. 

Pandya said, “One thing that makes Meducate unique is its inclusion of Directors of Outreach, [SBHS sophomores] Arielle Tu and Anikt Kale, who contact individuals who can share their experiences with different conditions and illnesses and inspire those going through something similar.”  

Meducate also includes Directors of Research, SBHS sophomores Devna Ashok and Vibikshyu Ananthu, who are responsible for fact-checking all of the information the organization presents; misinformation is dangerous and can have consequences, so these individuals play a critical role. 

In addition, Meducate also has a Director of Technology, whose name is SBHS sophomore Adhithi Uppalapati. All of the members believe that Meducate’s board is very cohesive and works well together, bouncing ideas off one another and sharing unique, fresh insights that allow Meducate to stand out from its competition.  

Meducate tries to align its events and activities with a medical theme relating to the month. For example, in September, Meducate visited an assisted living home in Princeton. Members not only had the opportunity to interact and bond with the facility’s residents, but they were also able to share a presentation about Alzheimer’s in correspondence with World Alzheimer’s Day, which takes place on September 21. Additionally, Meducate had the opportunity to spread awareness about Breast Cancer through Homefront (@homefrontnj), a non-profit organization committed to supporting military families, in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Meducate also aims to hold various fundraisers in the future and raise money for important causes.  

Overall, members see Meducate as a promising initiative. It currently has 253 followers on Instagram. It is based in New Jersey, but the goal is to expand it nationally and collaborate with various prominent organizations and figures to spread awareness about different health conditions and ensure individuals are informed.