“I’m an engineer who turned out to work on Educational impact at Teach For India. Working on social impact seemed to make sense to me. That is when I came across the Teach For India Fellowship opportunity and it was a perfect fit for what I was looking for. There were some apprehensions from my parents but my sister, who knew of TFI earlier, backed me up and made a strong case for me. She continues to be a mentor for me in all major life and career decisions.

I joined the Teach For India Fellowship in 2015 and taught for two years in a school in Saidapet, Chennai. Since 2017, I’ve been working on the staff team at Teach For India. Currently, I handle Alumni Impact with Teach For India Chennai where we build a movement of alumni towards education equity.

I personally believe that Human resources can be one of our biggest strengths. My time working as a class teacher in a corporation school refined my inclinations, my thought processes, and most importantly, it gave me a clearer picture of what needed to be done to change the needle for education in the country.

Beyond my work at Teach For India, I also have a strong passion for music. I’m part of a two-piece acoustic band called The Coconut Milk Project. I started this band with a dear friend in early 2019 and we are 26 songs young as we aim to continue writing about things that matter to us, mental health and ourselves. You can listen to some of our songs on any streaming platform.

My friends and family have played a big role in stoking the creative fire in me. They’re supportive but also open and honest with their feedback. My bandmate Pavithra is a trained singer, an excellent musician and a dear friend. We try to talk about emotions and issues that seldom get talked about. In our next song, The Imposter, which is releasing on January 12, we’re trying to put words to our take on Imposter Syndrome, something that a lot of us experience on a daily basis.

I’m Kunjappan & Lutappi’s Cat.”