living OUR MOTTO AT HOME

Meet Aditya

HOME TOWN: NAPERVILLE, IL

PASSION: TECH STARTUPS AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

COLLEGE: VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY

Aditya founded a nonprofit organization called Meaningful Summers, and put together a local charity run. The money he raised at the event went to the local food bank, whose cause he first learned about through a random email. Their Backpack Program serves children in 130 schools across 13 counties, one of which Aditya calls home. After several successful events and substantial donations, Aditya decided to expand the organization’s programming and reach; he invited a dozen friends and neighbors to form a youth leadership team. “The following summer we screened a documentary about an orphanage in India dedicated to supporting kids with HIV and AIDS. Then we organized our first annual kickball tournament, which raised nearly $3,000 for the Midwest Shelter for Homeless Veterans, an organization I am particularly passionate about,” Aditya says. Soon, Meaningful Summers was partnering with a newly elected local mayor who had campaigned on a promise to unite his diverse city. “We’re trying to create a community of responsible citizens—of youth—that puts aside all of these disparities and comes together to rally around a cause,” says Aditya. “Whether it’s helping our veterans, helping an orphanage, or helping the homeless, our mission is to ultimately care for the community we are so proud of.”