This August, BIM senior Aarya Vaghela and junior Rishik Pulli had the privilege of meeting Harsh Vardhan Shringla, former Foreign Secretary and Indian Ambassador to the United States and current member of the upper house in Parliament, at a reception hosted by the Indian American Business Impact Group.

Rishik says that Mr. Shringla MP spoke eloquently about US-India relations and expressed optimism about reaching trade agreements. Afterwards, Rishik and Aarya were able to get a photo with Mr. Shringla, MP.

But this wasn’t just a photo op! Some quick thinking gave Aarya and Rishik the opportunity to have a lengthy conversation with the former ambassador. When the venue ran out of food, Aarya suggested heading to a nearby restaurant. He and Rishik not only ended up in the same car as Mr. Shringla MP, but they also sat next to the former ambassador in the restaurant.

Your typical teenager might be tongue-tied in such a situation, but Aarya and Rishik are BIM students! They discussed the state of health care in India and, in particular, efforts to integrate digital technology, before the conversation turned to the non-profit Aarya and Rishik are involved with: Jaipur Foot. Jaipur Foot uses digital printing to quickly produce below-the-knee prosthetics, which they have provided for free to nearly a million people worldwide. Aarya and Rishik are helping to coordinate and publicize Jaipur Foot’s upcoming camp in Trinidad and Tobago, and Mr. Shringla MP agreed to be there. 

That’s what we call taking a photo op and seizing the opportunity. For more on Jaipur Foot, or to donate online, go to https://www.jaipurfoot.org