JA 18 Under 18 2025
SHAAN KALYANI
Most kids these days spend hours a day on social media. But Shaan actually creates, edits, and produces the videos they watch. With perseverance and patience, he built his social media accounts, inspired by the Baltimore Ravens, into a platform to share his fun, feel-good, sports content and promote digital wellness. His largest following is currently on TikTok, where he has 400,000 followers, over 55 million likes, and half a billion views. With this success, Shaan has been able to monetize his platforms and use the proceeds for community support. He donated a portion of his revenue to provide sports toys for children in the hospital at Johns Hopkins Children’s Center, for example, and is involved in traumatic brain injury research and awareness.
But it’s not all followers and likes. The 11th grader at Mt. Hebron High School is a member of numerous school honor societies and plays varsity tennis. He’s also an avid supporter of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS); his fundraising teams have altogether raised $80,000 for the organization. He was appointed to the Maryland LLS Junior Leadership Committee and currently serves as a mentor to high school teams in the region. In between tutoring elementary school students and juggling performances for children undergoing medical treatment, he still finds time to volunteer with Ears 4 the Elderly, a student-led community service project he co-founded that focuses on improving the mental health of older adults.
“Shaan’s road to success has been driven by his unique combination of self-taught skills, unwavering passion, and relentless perseverance.”
— Dharshan Varia, nominator