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ASPIRE Team |
Abha Srivastava 
Abha Srivastava I am Abha Srivastava. My experience with kids at Schilling Elementary school , Newark School District , is very new. I started last year during the Summer program of the Aspire team . I hold a Ph.D in Microbiology and have been working in Biotechnology companies. Transition to school was a wonderful experience. It was exciting to be back to school and meet the friendly kids and teach them the basics of English and Maths . They were receptive and sometimes wanted to do some art too . My strategy was to let them solve the problems first and then move on with art in which they came up with creative ideas. Some kids need more attention so we need to deal with them with patience and love .The kids were happy to see me and happily waved at me on my return this year. |
Aditi Upadhyay
Aditi Upadhyay Hello! My name is Aditi Upadhyay, and this is my first year with the Sewa International Aspire Program at Birch Grove Intermediate (BGI) in Newark. I am very happy to join this school, and I appreciate the warm welcome from the teachers and principal. I have a Master’s degree in Computer Science and 15 units in Early Childhood Education. Before this, I worked as a Computer Science Lecturer, teaching bachelor’s students. Currently, I’m working as a Preschool Teacher in Fremont. I love trying new foods, spending time with friends, and traveling. Teaching is my passion, and I want to use my experience in computer science and early childhood education to help students grow. This year, my goal is to build strong relationships with my students. I want to understand their needs and interests so that learning is fun and meaningful for them. I believe good communication between teachers is very important to help students succeed. Every child is unique and has their own way of learning. My goal is to create a supportive, engaging, and positive classroom where all students feel confident and excited to learn!s |
Akshata Makkaru
Akshata Makkaru Being part of Sewa for almost three years has been an enriching journey of growth and impact. Last year, I had the privilege of leading the Sewa AmeriCorps Mental Health Project as Program Director, overseeing everything from grant writing to execution—an experience that was deeply meaningful and close to my heart. This year, I contributed to onboarding ASPIRE members and training them in Child Abuse Mandated Reporter sessions, further enhancing my ability to create impactful training programs. I also played a key role in streamlining the timesheet process, driving operational efficiency. One of my most fulfilling experiences has been working on the gardening project at Lincoln and Schilling Elementary, collaborating with Sewa ASPIRE members to make a lasting difference. Every step with Sewa has strengthened my passion for service, collaboration, and community-building. I look forward to continuing this meaningful journey, making an even greater impact in the future. |
Amruta Wanpal
Amruta Wanpal This is my second year with Sewa International as an Academic Intervention Specialist in the Newark School District. Many of the students in this school speak Spanish at home and face challenges with English. As a non-native English speaker myself, I can relate to their struggles, which has helped me build a strong rapport with them and boost their confidence. I believe this connection is one reason why the students are so cooperative and eager to engage with me. On my first day, I was thrilled to see how excited the students were to meet me. As the program has progressed, I’ve become more resourceful, and the staff has become increasingly approachable. Teachers are pleased with the support we provide, and students seem more welcoming and receptive this year. I primarily work with 3rd and 4th graders, and after consulting with teachers, I’ve been able to identify key academic gaps that need to be addressed for student growth. Each day, I dedicate time to prepare for the following day’s lessons, keeping in mind that every child learns differently. For younger students, I focus on visual teaching methods and make extensive use of whiteboards. This approach has proven effective in improving their attention spans, as it helps them concentrate on a single visual focus. For older students, I prefer one-on-one teaching. This method encourages deeper engagement, as they are the sole focus of the lesson and need to actively participate in the discussion. I’m grateful for the opportunity to make a positive impact on the students in the Newark School District. The growth I’ve seen in both the students and myself has been inspiring, and I am excited to continue supporting their academic development. As we move forward, I look forward to exploring new methods and strategies that will help all students succeed, while fostering a love of learning and building confidence in every child I work with. |
Anjana Bhadri
Anjana Bhadri The best part of being with Sewa is the opportunity to contribute to various initiatives. While I’m actively involved in other projects, I had the privilege of coordinating the Aspire Orientation Program at the Sewa Community Center. I particularly enjoyed leading the icebreaker session and facilitating case studies for the tutors. As part of the Sewa day of Service project, I also had the rewarding experience of organizing a gardening activity at Lincoln Elementary & Schilling Elementary, with incredible support from the Aspire team. It was truly fulfilling to bring these initiatives to life and make a meaningful impact! |
Anu Belur
Anu Belur Having spent years in the Bay Area raising my children, I’m now eager to give back to the community that has given me so much. Over the past year, I’ve had the privilege of facilitating mental fitness workshops for seniors through Sewa, and working with children in both summer and after-school programs, which ignited my passion for tutoring. In just two weeks at Livermore Croce Elementary, I’ve already formed meaningful connections with my students—one even made me a heart-shaped card. That small but meaningful gesture reinforced how deeply trust can be built and how impactful our work can be on young minds. These moments of connection make this work incredibly fulfilling, and I look forward to continuing to inspire, nurture, and support these students every day. |
Aparna S
Aparna S This is my first time as a math mentor at Jackson Avenue School, and I absolutely love the energy and enthusiasm the kids bring every day! It's been three weeks now, and I can already see how quickly they progress. Each child is unique, and I'm gradually learning how to best support their individual needs. This journey has been an incredible learning experience for me as well. We're growing stronger as a team, and I'm looking forward to an exciting year ahead! |
Beatriz
Beatriz Newark School - I have been working with kids from kindergarten to 5th graders, and the kids are happy to see me back the following week. One 3rd grader kid told me that he is happy to have my help. With first graders, I am focused on teaching basic arithmetic math and sight words. With my 3rd graders, we are focusing on reading and spelling. My 4th grader students are learning English as a second language, vocabulary and math has been the main focus. As my colleagues, I am learning new methods and strategies to help better my students, taking tips from the SEWA team to help the students engage and encourage the love of learning. Livermore school : |
Chaitanya
Chaitanya I am Chaitanya Shastry and this will be my first year serving with Sewa International Aspire Program in Newark’s Birch Grove Intermediate (BGI). Last year, I had helped out at Lincoln Elementary from time to time for after school activities, and was inspired to join for this year. I am a recent graduate from UCR with a degree in Biology. Currently, I am working towards a medical school journey as an EMT. My passions are trying different foods, socializing with friends, and exercising. Up until now, most of my work has been with other patients in hospitals, which was helping those who need it most. Seeing the intertwine in the values, I decided to join SEWA Aspire, a teaching aide role at BGI, where I have already started to make wonderful connections with students, lasting impacts, and progressive improvements of semesterly grades in students who are struggling and need the help the most. I look forward to meeting with the whole team as the year goes on to compare and contrast our approaches to see if there's any tips for improvement. |
Kushal Kolla
Kushal Kolla Tutoring the kids at the Resource Center in Leo R. Croce Elementary School has been one of the best experiences for me. I get the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of 1st to 3rd grade students, and it’s amazing to see how curious they are to learn reading, writing, and math. That’s one of the main reasons I love helping them so much. I’ve also enjoyed playing math games with the students—it was fun and engaging for both of us. I even teamed up with some of the kids to draw and read together, which made the experience even more enjoyable. It’s a great feeling to be a part of their learning journey and to know I’m making a positive impact. |
Megha
Megha Starting a new job as an intervention specialist has been such an exciting journey! While I’ve never taught elementary school kids before—aside from my own children—this experience has already been amazing in so many ways. Every day, I’m learning new skills, not only from the talented and dedicated teachers around me but also from the students themselves. Some of the teachers have been incredibly welcoming and supportive, which I’m so grateful for. At the same time, I understand that it’s an adjustment for them as well, having me in their classrooms and getting used to a new dynamic. I’m doing my best to adapt and find my place in this environment, and I’m hopeful that with time, we’ll build strong, collaborative relationships. This opportunity has already taught me so much about patience, creativity, and the joy of seeing kids grow and learn. I’m looking forward to continuing this journey and embracing all the challenges and rewards it brings! Thank you Sudha ji for giving me this opportunity, really grateful to you. And Amruta to introduce me to this exciting journey. |
Renuka Jethmalani
Renuka Jethmalani My day at Lincoln Elementary: 1. I work to reinforce classroom learning for 1st to 5th grade students who struggle with understanding and have below-average performance. My day begins with a small group of 10 students from 2nd grade. We focus on enhancing ELA vocabulary by reading words, understanding their meanings, and using them in sentences. We also read news articles, identify new words, comprehend their meanings, and create complete sentences. Depending on the context, students write 5 to 6 sentences to reinforce their learning. The students in small groups are selected using a push-pull method, where the teacher chooses the group of students who need additional support. 2. My second class consists of 3rd grade students, where I follow the pull-out method. I work with students who struggle to understand the classroom instructions in mathematics such as fractions, multiplication, and divisions, providing them with extra help either in small groups or on a one-on-one basis. 3. My 3rd class is with the kindergarten students, and we work on warming up words and sentences of the day followed by benchmark reading and finally end with math. The kindergarten teacher with 25 years of experience is a perfectionist, and I enjoy working with her. If I miss a day at school, the students ask me, “Where were you Ms. R.J.?” And that reminds me how I have become a part of their daily learning. 4. My last class of the day is with 5th grade students, where I collaborate with my co-worker, Mr. Victor, who brings a lot of humor to the classroom. We work with small groups of students who need more attention in subjects like math, history, narrative writing, and more. 5. I have built strong relationships with both the teachers and students. Whenever a teacher informs me about a student who needs additional help, I work with them to clarify the concepts. The best part of my job is seeing the big smile on a student's face once they understand the concept—it truly makes my day! Lastly, I must mention that many of the kids show their affection by giving me handwritten cards filled with lots of love! |
Reshma Raut
Reshma Raut I am Reshma Rout and this is my first year with Aspire in the Livermore school district. I have computer science engineering and MBA degrees and have worked in IT companies in India and USA in the past. I used to volunteer in my daughter's class when she was in elementary school, teaching kids in focus groups. I have trained kids in Indian classical dance Odissi. It has been an interesting experience teaching kids in Croce elementary be it the satisfaction to see first graders submit a well finished work, when you prod them a bit or see them grasp them a concept bcos of a technique you taught them - the hugs these little kids keep giving to show their affection always brings a smile. I help at the resource center working with kids who need focused attention in phonics, writing, reading and math. For the first time I was there, and the resource staff was introducing- a kid immediately remarked I know Ms R, she was in our class and I want to work with her here. I especially felt good seeing another kid open up to learning- he seemed disinterested in doing his work and but I tried to connect by making the narration a bit lighter and he had fun as he told his retell of a dinosaur fossil find and the two other kids on the table enjoyed hearing it and cheered up as well. The 3rd grade teacher Ms A requesting “can you come every Wednesday because I really like the way you interact with the kids” was gratifying to hear as well. A girl in first grade used to write her numbers backward most of the time- After working with her for two classes, she came and sat with me and showed her very neat correctly written numbers for addition with 9 and said see I no longer write them backward! I assist the 4-5 grade students in maths classes and help 3rd - 5th grade kids in the science lab. Tutoring 2 -3 kids in another 3rd grade maths class on an ongoing basis and I hope I have been able to overcome their individual learning barriers- I observe they are progressively more receptive to what I tell them as part of what I teach and I hope their performance reflects it. |
Ritvik
Ritvik Hello, my name is Ritvik Puli and I am a second year college student at SJSU. I have been with the SEWA Aspire program for about one and a half years. This is my first year working at Birch Grove Intermediate, but I have noticed an improved organization of classes that need help versus classes that do not. I have also noticed that the communication with the teachers has improved. All of my classes were aware of my presence and planned accordingly. My approach for this year’s activities is to be as engaging as possible. The kids I work with often struggle with boredom because they do not find the work they do to be useful for them. Using engaging approaches like visualizing problems helps the students learn without getting burnt out. The biggest lessons I learned from last year are to communicate better with teachers and set up boundaries for addressing behavioral issues. It is the teacher’s classroom and as a helper and aid to the teacher, I should respect the system that is already in place. |
Shilpa Shastry
Shilpa Shastry Currently, my experience at school in Jackson Avenue Elementary School is fulfilling and engaging. I enjoy the dynamic environment, working with students and fellow teachers to create a positive and productive learning atmosphere. Every day brings new challenges, but it's rewarding to see growth and progress in both students and myself. |
Sneha
Sneha Coming back to the same school, to excitedly smiling kids is what makes this whole experience the most rewarding. I came back again to many familiar and a few new faces. It was lovely to see that the kids were ever more excited to work with me. There are many new teachers at Schilling this year and the Principal is new too. But the energy and enthusiasm of Sewa’s (our) contribution to the kids is ever so welcome, just like last year. We have now understood the teachers approach and the teachers have understood ours. So there are more seamless interactions. Apart from the traditional pen paper, I use dice games, fun team activities and art works as part of my learning methods to get my point across to the kids. We do interactive whiteboard brainstorming using different colored markers to make it fun. I generally follow the in-class approach. So in settings where the teacher is on board, I sometimes let the kids play the teacher and explain their peers. It allows me to understand what they learnt and also increases the kids confidence. From last year I learnt that unlike the teachers who have to complete the syllabus, it helps the kids more, if I meet them where they are at and keep reinforcing the concepts until they are confident. Once they see that they can do it, they are willing to work alongside their friends in class and participate. And not give up thinking it is going to be difficult. Overall I am excited to be able to be a significant puzzle in their growth journeys. It is very fulfilling. |
Soumya Renukaiah
Soumya Renukaiah This is my first year volunteering with the Sewa International Aspire Program at Leo Croce Elementary School in Livermore. Now in the third week, we are getting accustomed to the schedule and understanding the teachers' expectations. I assist in 5th, 3rd, and 1st grade classrooms. In 5th grade, I helped students struggling with decimal multiplication. In 3rd grade, I work with assigned students to strengthen their understanding of math concepts. In 1st grade, I support students in both English and math. Additionally, I assist in the school's resource center, where students receive one-on-one support to reinforce their math and English skills. It has been a rewarding experience to see how a little individualized attention can significantly improve their confidence and performance in class. |
Sudha Prabhunandan
Sudha Prabhunandan Since October 2023, I’ve had the privilege of leading the ASPIRE program—a mission-driven initiative focused on fulfilling unmet needs of elementary school students. What began as a small pilot quickly grew to reach over 500 children across 6 schools from Newark and Livermore school districts. Thanks to a dedicated team, strong community partnerships, and a clear vision for educational equity. Introducing enrichment activities and summer programs resulted to foster not just academic growth, but confidence and joy in learning. By building trusted relationships with school districts, principals, and volunteers, we could create a model rooted in collaboration and sustainability. For me, ASPIRE is more than a program—it’s about building meaningful outcomes for society by investing in every child’s potential. |
Victor
Victor 1. While I was eager to be returning to Lincoln Elementary this year, I must admit to a bit of trepidation. Last year had gone well, and I was worried if I would be able to duplicate, let alone improve upon that success. 2. I don't really have any radically new strategies to implement this time round; mostly being more rigorous with the ones I've previously applied that were successful, and modifying others to more fit the student body. I've also been picking up several wonderful techniques watching the kindergarten teacher in action. She's amazing with her kids. 3. Consult with the teachers beforehand if possible, so that I'm more prepared to deliver the lesson in the best, most interesting way possible, and when I can, be ready to pick things up on the fly. 4. Never let the kids sit in the swivel chairs. 5. The reception was and is heartwarming. Daily the kids want to hug, give me a high five, or wave and yell HI from across the quad. And they delight in telling me how they've seen me walking to and from school; one even had his mother pull over so he could jump out and say HEY! |
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