TISB Alumni - Arunika Makam

Former TISB student Arunika Makam has recently rejoined the campus at Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts, where she is about to graduate from five years in mechanical engineering. She is also the co-president of the Northeastern chapter of Peer Health Exchange. Arunika and her efforts were recently featured in News@Northeastern – the university’s online magazine.

WE WANT TO MAKE SURE KIDS ARE GETTING HEALTH EDUCATION – Arunika Makam

Part of Arunika’s position as co-president in the Peer Health Exchange is to lead the effort in training about 130 peers at Northeastern to work with over 800 students at 10 under-resourced high schools in Boston. The aim is to provide them with the knowledge and skills to make better choices when it comes to sexual health, mental health, and use of substances. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the closure of the College campus as well as schools, the exchange and has been forced online. However, because of the situation that people all over the world is dealing with, Arunika stresses the importance of keeping the initiative alive and keeping up with physical and mental well-being – especially in these times. 

As a 12-year old Arunika joined TISB when she and her family moved to Bangalore, her father’s home town. In 2012, during her time at TISB, she founded the non-profit ‘Give Blood India’ that connects patients in need and blood donors, while keeping donors identities private. She is now pursuing international fellowships to better understand public policy and the influences it has on the development of medical devices. In the future she aspires to work with making innovations in healthcare accessible and affordable for those in society who need it the most.

To read the whole article with Arunika at News@Northeastern’s website.

Photo by Ruby Wallau/Northeastern University