A senior from McDowell High School is the October Northwest PA Class Act Emerging Leader Award recipient, thanks to several sponsors.
Nominated students from across Erie, Crawford and Warren Counties are chosen, for showing respect, positivity, good character and other traits at school and in their community.
Smriti Shankar was given the award in her AP government class, revealing that she was nominated for her kindness and focus.
Shankar has done research on Alzheimer’s Disease that has landed her an intern opportunity at Harvard. Her nomination by Teacher Rob Hodgson also highlighted the organization she created with a friend to make cards for kids needing medical care. That effort has landed partnerships in at least four countries.
As a result, her work has been recognized by Forbes and will have upcoming TED talks in several states.