Senior driven to help others

Most recently, Kriti led a group of her peers in providing school supplies and other necessities for students and teachers in the McKeesport Area School District. The Upper St. Clair group delivered 192 new backpacks filled with folders, notebooks, colored pencils, pens, erasers, glue sticks and scissors as well as additional supplies and personal hygiene products to United Elementary School.

Volunteers included Upper St. Clair High School seniors Maya Hamade, Opal Miller, Sreshthi Chakraborty, Nishma Ghirmine and Aden Shah, freshman Layla Hamade, as well as Fort Couch Middle School eighth graders Divya Singh and Ritu Gupta.

Kriti's passion for helping others was sparked during the first wave of the pandemic in 2020.

“As I witnessed the world around me changing, I realized how fortunate I was to have the resources the Upper St. Clair School District provided for students to complete the COVID-19 school year successfully,” Kriti said. “Inspired by the outpouring of community support, I wanted to give back to students in need in our neighboring communities.”

It was the spring of 2021 when Kriti first connected with the McKeesport elementary school.

“I researched and found this underfunded school as a contender for the backpack drive,” she said. “What drove me to choose McKeesport was their drive to make their community more inclusive and diverse, caring about each student and their respective families and the communities around them. CCL-Kids' mission statement is ‘Every student deserves a chance at success,’ which I felt was so highly regarded at the McKeesport Area School District.”

During her sophomore year, Kriti’s efforts resulted in a donation of 96 backpacks filled with school supplies for the McKeesport students as well as feminine hygiene products for Womenspace East, a homeless shelter serving families with dependent children in the greater Pittsburgh area.

“I found that learning through service is just as important as classroom education,” Kriti said.  “Through service activities, we discover our strengths and a sense of gratitude and compassion for the communities around us.”

In total, Kriti has raised more than $25,000 for her nonprofit initiatives. In 2023, she was recognized by Junior Achievement of Western Pennsylvania’s 18 Under 18 award for her community service.

At Upper St. Clair High School, Kriti is involved with several student organizations, including the Natural Helpers program; the Pantheon, Clarion and Chanteclairs choirs; the spring musical; and the USC Varsity Rowing team. In addition, she serves as a new student ambassador.

Looking ahead, Kriti intends to keep helping others as she plans for life beyond high school.

“I believe every student deserves a chance to succeed,” she says. “I want to be a part of making that happen.”