Wait a second… Who Exactly is this Arav dude?
As many of you may be wondering.. Who exactly am I!!
Well, my name is Arav (pronounced “Aah-ruv”). I am a 15-year-old AI for good change maker, philanthropist, and author. I LOVE listening to music, and I listen to every single genre. To top it off, I also play acoustic guitar, which is my ideal mental escape, where I can rewind and strum some cool tunes (I might drop some videos here later, so definitely subscribe 😁). I’m always up for a few games of FIFA, a mega Manchester City supporter, and am always up for a chat (as long as there’s food)
For more about me, here’s my Linkedin
OK. INTRO DONE. Onto the fun stuff
Quote of the Month…
I figured that throughout all my monthly newsletters, I would share my Quote of the Month! I love to look at quotes as a mindset into which you can interlink your mood, emotions, and feelings. They can also make an excellent summary of where life has taken you through the month. For this month, the quote I would choose would be “Questioning Reality.” This phrase truly stuck with me, as there was a lot of ‘figuring out’ and ‘Questioning’ to do with my first month in a brand new school year and program (More on that later, so don’t stop reading). I realized the essence of being unconventional and how important this process of questioning normality and being DIFFERENT could be, which is my main takeaway from the month!
Some cool things about me (Maybe)
Now you probably know a little bit about me, a little bit about how the mood of the month has been. So you deserve to know about some of the projects I am working on 👀.
I have a non-profit organization where I strive to help the underprivileged members of our community. I have worked on several missions within the community and also internationally. I have worked with local MPPs and Councillors as well as Small Business Owners to assist individuals of several demographics, such as children in Foster Care and individuals in Senior Homes, as well as assisting underprivileged children in getting the necessities they need to get back to school, In terms of the Organization's International Missions, I have previously worked in India, to assist individuals across communities in Delhi who were struggling to get basic needs such as food on their plates. I have received recognition for my work on several platforms, including many politicians who appreciate my work, as well as Newspapers who have written about my Projects; here are some more details: Recognition of Work, Newspaper Article.
I have published my own book, which is available on Amazon’s Kindle. Here are some more details about it: It is the first of a series of 3 called "The Unforged Truth" about a boy named Edwin undergoing a series of events leading him to the unforged truth of his hometown named Gleden, as he strives to save the people of his city and his best friend, a tree named Drew. The ebook is currently available for USD $4.94 and can be found here: Buy it here! (I would appreciate it if you read it)
I am currently working at the University of Toronto to complete my research regarding Suicidal Ideation among teenagers. I am looking at possible preventative measures on how existing AI technologies can be used to avert suicidal ideation from solidifying into an actual suicidal attempt.
So, What Have I been up to this month?
This month was chock-full of new experiences; it was also my first month in this incredible program known as “The Knowledge Society,” Which is developed with CEOs and global leaders, modeled after curriculums from Stanford, Harvard, and MIT, and is designed to replicate the learning environment and culture of Silicon Valley. Through the first month of this program, I got the opportunity to meet several like-minded individuals who have the same drive for change, passion for learning, and urge to explore as I do. I also participated in the NASA Space Apps Challenge this month, where a couple of friends and I designed an application called Fireproof, which uses NASA’s FIREX-AQ open-source data, and uses it to raise awareness about agricultural fires and wildfires to the public. The Application included an interactive map with hotspot regions of areas affected by wildfires/agricultural fires; additionally, there was a map displaying data in regards to air pollution levels across North America, and when you enter your nearest metropolitan city, you could get statistics regarding risk percentage of a wildfire, levels of air pollution and more! Making the application interactive and fun to use! This month was truly a rollercoaster ride, but there is nothing but more to come, so be sure to tag along on this trek through my life alongside me!
What’s Next?
That brings a close to my first newsletter; who knows what the new month beholds? Super excited about several new things, including diving deeper into the TKS program, continuing to work on my projects, and maybe something new might pop up in my journey through life.
Additional Sneak Peak: I am working on a Medium Article regarding Artificial Intelligence and Mental health, so look out for that here: Medium