MY STORY

Behind the Code

Manasa was born and raised in Latham, NY. She is an avid, learning developer who is proficient in Javascript, HTML, CSS, SQL, Swift, Java, Python, ReactJS, React Native and Django Web Framework. Manasa wishes to use her software development skills to help strengthen communities and build accessible technology tools for underfunded areas. During the spring break of 2021, Manasa built a website that allows students at Emma Willard school to post real-time updates on club activity. She created an easy-to-use platform for students to become more comfortable when joining student activities, get involved with student life, and acknowledge more student achievements. She struggled to make friends towards the beginning of high school, and this project was meant to help seamlessly ease new students into the boarding school community and prevent them from feeling misplaced. After building this website using HTML, CSS, and NodeJS, Manasa introduced her work to the school IT department and student life directors. They loved the idea but were concerned by the safety precautions that the school would have to take to regulate the website’s content. As an alternative to Manasa’s website, the student life faculty and IT department worked with her to bring real-time club profiles to the schools’ student app (myEmma). Each club now has its myEmma group, where they can post real-time updates on their club's work, communicate easily between their group members, and market their club to new students. Public updates will be posted on the Official Emma Willard website, updated monthly with materials taken from the clubs’ group page, and acknowledge the club heads for their work in leadership positions. New and interested students no longer fear joining communities and clubs during the school year, falling behind on club activities, or being unaccepted when meeting new people.

Manasa is pleased to see that her work allows students to discover and expand on new interests and make strong connections with the subjects and their peers. With this leadership position, Manasa developed a new appreciation for the hard-working club heads and members who are reaching as many students as possible with the subject they are passionate about.

In May 2021, Manasa began developing a website that tracks Community Cleanups around the United States. Emma Green, Emma Willard School’s environmentalist club, inspired her to build this website as they promoted a community cleanup in Troy, NY. Their initiative led Manasa to realize that there is no central online space to find community cleanups from all parts of the country. Community cleanups are a wonderful bonding activity and an effective way to preserve the environment from the harsh effects of littering. Creating a centralized online space makes it easier for people to get involved in such events.

So, Manasa built a website that allows users to find their state and county in the US and find/ organize community cleanups near them. There were also maps and government contacts available for the user to reference. Though she never deployed this website, building it heavily influenced her new mobile app startup, which revolves around volunteer networking. Currently, Manasa is working on building her cross-platform mobile app startup. She is creating a volunteer networking app that allows organizations, small businesses, and nonprofits to post volunteer and donation opportunities for eager users to take on. Manasa’s growing team currently consists of her friend who does graphic design/marketing and a sophomore who is compiling a list of as many small businesses, organizations, and nonprofits that our app would cater to. They are based in Troy, NY: a place where there are many underfunded nonprofits, organizations, and small businesses that were hit hard by COVID-19. Manasa and her team hope to create a meaningful network between these groups and volunteers who are ready to support them. With time, Manasa believes that it can expand to build a greater network beyond Troy, NY.

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Update: 9/28/2022

Since last semester, Manasa has expanded the Notice Platforms Team to ten members, secured eight non-profit organization partnerships, and is building partnerships with local high schools and colleges. Manasa had built and deployed Notice Volunteer to the Apple App Store and released the app to her school and a close non-profit partner for the first wave of soft launch. In mid-October, Manasa and the Notice Team are working toward their hard launch event hosted at school and deployment on the Google Play Store.