WASHINGTON, JUNE 30,
Thanks to U.S. President Donald Trump’s policies, Indian immigrants have been at the receiving end in many ways; last week, at least two dozen of them were honoured by him at the White House.
They were among the 161 students selected for the Presidential Scholars Programme, considered the nation’s highest honour for high school students.
“It was super cool getting to meet the President. It’s not something you really expect to happen and honestly, we were all kind of in shock. I was just amazed as I wandered around before the pictures, seeing all the history around me,” said Mihir Patel, a student graduating from the Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (TJHSST), in Fairfax, Virginia, of his visit to the White House.
‘Deciphering diversity’
“It was phenomenal. Not only because we got to roam around the East Wing of the White House, or because we got to meet the President. It was special because we had an opportunity to get to know so many other talented and bright students.
Even though we were all complete strangers, there was a similar sense of drive, passion, and spirit that made us incredibly fast friends” said Kavya Kopparapu, also from TJHSST. Mr. Patel will be joining Stanford University and Ms. Kopparapu will be joining the Harvard University this year.
In brief remarks to the children who had come from all parts of America, Mr. Trump told the scholars that they were doing great things and asked them to keep it up. “Keep doing what you’re doing… Have a good life,” one participant recalled Mr. Trump telling them.
Ms. Kopparapu and Mr. Patel, both 17, consider the company of diverse Americans as the most illuminating part of the two-day gathering in Washington hosted by the Department of Education.
