2 Indian Americans Win California Endowment Award

India-West Staff Reporter

OAKLAND, CA – The California Endowment has selected its 2022 Youth Award Winners and nine outstanding young leaders and youth organizations will be honored at a ceremony here on July 23. The recipients were selected for outstanding work with youth in the region and were selected from hundreds of applicants statewide. 

Among them are Indian Americans Ishaan Brar from Bakersfield and Dipti Venkatesh from San Jose. 

Venkatesh has been selected as a recipient of the Voices for Change Award. She will receive a $3,000 award. The 16-year-old junior at Evergreen Valley High school has been a volunteer with many organizations and worked to help get a ban on all flavored tobacco products in her hometown. She founded HealthEquityPlus, a nonprofit run by students that advocates for health equity and educates the community about health disparities. It has expanded with members across the nation and in India.

“It’s great to see that our organization is expanding and validating to see that so many kids knew about this issue and want to make a change,” Venkatesh said. “My vision for the future of health equity in my community is giving everybody the resources that they need to achieve their chance of having proper health.”

Brar,18, recently completed his freshman year at Duke University. While a student at Stockdale High School, he created the health community organization. It runs a mobile medical pop-up clinic that travels to homeless shelters and rehabilitation clinics to provide free medical care and has served more than two thousand people. Brar will receive a $3,000 award.

“What motivates me is seeing the impact of my work first and foremost especially in the lives of individuals. Often, they’re from marginalized communities who historically don’t engage with the medical system,” Brar said.

Dr. Robert K. Ross, President and CEO, The California Endowment, said his organization was delighted to honor the two Indian Americans who are

“passionate young leaders dedicated to health and racial equity whose work is making a tangible, life-changing difference for many in her community.”