2021 Opportunity to Grow Scholarship Winner

2021 Winner: Aditi Sengupta

Aditi Sengupta is a senior at Ardrey Kell High School in Charlotte, NC. In the spring of 2020, when the world was locked down due to the COVID-19 pandemic, she observed that it severely impacted the education of children, especially elementary school students. Along with her younger brother, Aditi formed Xcelerate NC, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with the mission to accelerate the growth of young minds and help them excel.

Through Xcelerate NC, Aditi has had the privilege to work with children around the world. She has conducted public speaking workshops and camps in the USA, Tanzania, Sierra Leone, and India. She also teaches weekly sessions in the USA to raise funds for causes close to her heart, such as breast cancer awareness and access to education. Aditi believes that public speaking builds up confidence, improves communication skills, and helps in overall personal development. She is dedicated to supporting students in discovering their unique voices.

Outside of teaching, Aditi enjoys singing and playing the guitar. She is trained in many western styles and loves exploring Indo-Western fusion. She holds a Second-Degree Black Belt in Tae Kwon-Do. Aditi has also been a debater for six years and currently leads her school’s Mock Trial and Debate teams.

As she pursues her higher education, Aditi wants to utilize her public speaking background to advocate for others. Her experience with Xcelerate NC has shown her the importance of education. As an aspiring attorney, she hopes to reduce barriers to education for students around the world who lack access to technology and infrastructure.