Dubai teenager bags NRI-of-Year award
dubai — A Dubai-born Indian teenager described by her mum as “an overachieving but regular teener who likes do things beyond her academic pursuits and spend time campaigning for the youth and environment,” has bagged this year’s NRI (non-resident Indian) of the Year Award in the Academics Category.
Simran Vedvyas, 18, born and raised in Dubai, received the prestigious award given on Tuesday in Mumbai, India. The NRI of the Year Awards, now in its fourth year and presented by Times Now, ICICI Bank and Global Indian International School, recognises expat Indians who are considered “heroes who make India proud and inspire millions back home to further hone their skills and chase their dreams.”
“Simran is persuasive, ambitious and dependable — an achiever who thoroughly enjoys doing projects with big impact,” Swati, Simran’s mother, said.
“Simran is the youngest Emirates Women of the Year — Young Achiever in the region. She has remarkably led over 75 successful youth engagement campaigns through her youth group SynergYincluding ‘Green Space New Life’ that witnessed 3,000 trees planted at landfills across the UAE and ‘Convoy to Feed’ that distributed food supplies to nearly 4,000 workers,” Simran’s mum noted.
“Success for her lies in the belief that her actions have a positive effect on those around her,” Swati underlined.
Aside from community projects, Swati said her daughter holds the record for receiving the six topmost national academic distinctions in the UAE, including the Sheikh Hamdan Award and Sharjah Education Award thrice each.
Swati told Khaleej Times that her daughter’s involvement in community projects in the UAE and India started when she was seven years old. “She (Simran) was seven when we started bringing her to Lucknow, India to spend time and support the orphaned children housed by Missionaries of Charity” (founded by Mother Teresa).
“Simran was 12 when she was chosen as the youngest from the region to carry the Olympic torch during the London Olympics in 2012. Since then, she has been greatly involved in various social and environmental projects,” Swati added.
Swati also describes her daughter, who is currently pursuing her undergraduate Honors Degree at the University of Toronto, Canada, as a global youth citizen.
Simran is ambitious and dependable. Success for her lies in the belief that her actions have a positive effect on those around her.” Swati Vedvyas, Simran’s mother
With all the accolades received by her daugheter, what is Swati’s advise to other teenagers and parents? “To those who wish to take inspiration from Simran, I would say that there are no elevators to success and you have to take the stairs because the starting point of all achievement is desire, so if you really want to do something, you will find a way.”