ANIKA VERMA

As the co-president of the speech and debate team at Howard High School and a medal-winning debater, Anika knows a little something about the field—including that not everyone has access to quality public speaking programming. A leader in the Girl Scouts, Anika designed and launched a Girl Scout Gold Award project that offered free speech and debate classes for middle school students at the Elkridge Library. She did everything from designing the curriculum to leading participants in a competition. Always one to fill a gap when she sees it, she also founded STEM Roots, a student-led club that connects youth to hands-on STEM opportunities. Remarkably, she still finds time to participate in activities like HOSA (a future health professionals organization), and to advocate for gender equity as a member of the Howard County Commission for Women.

“I commend [Anika’s] initiative, as well as her passionate approach to helping her peers build confidence, practice social skills, and manage their mental health.”
—Deborah Bosilovich, teen instructor and research specialist, Elkridge Branch Howard County Library System

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