Concerned Coder
Student’s Altruistic Spirit Inspired by International Connections
By Amy Morgan
Whether its designing computer apps to solve logistics problems or developing new service opportunities for Ronald Reagan High School’s National Honor Society (NHS), senior Sushant Ganji uses his talents to give back. Visits to the villages in India where his parents grew up opened his eyes to the circumstances of others. Experiencing life without conveniences like consistent cell phone service and air conditioning made him realize how much he took for granted – a lesson he wanted to share with his peers.
“It is important to see the reality of other places and how we can help,” he said. To get Reagan students out of their “Stone Oak bubble,” Sushant developed a program with non-profit Special Reach, located on San Antonio’s east side. NHS volunteers host a Friday fun night for special needs kids several times a month. This is just one of the projects Sushant’s planned as NHS Community Service Chair. He also earned his Eagle Scout designation two years ago, for which he constructed a pathway of pavers around a gazebo at the Shridhi Saibaba Hindu Temple where his family worships.
Ranked 11th in his class, the programming enthusiast used skills honed in Reagan’s computer science classes taught by Mr. Dean Arteaga to create an app to help students find their buses after school. Prior to the app, more than 1000 students crowded around an Assistant Principal holding a clipboard every afternoon to determine the location of one of Reagan’s 30 buses, a process Sushant himself found hectic as a freshman. He and a team from Computer Science 3 developed a live-update system so students can find their buses themselves. The app runs on the NEISD website, so only students with identification can log in. Sushant hopes the new system will be live by the end of the school year. The team also designed a solar phone charging station in the shape of a sunflower they hope to install in Reagan’s courtyard.
Sushant participates on Reagan’s top ranked Computer Science UIL team, which will advance to Regionals this month. Competitions primarily test knowledge of Java. He combines his computer science talents with his interest in statistics inspired by his summa choice Mr. Spencer, whom he calls, “the best teacher I’ve ever had.” Sushant plans to study computer science at UT Dallas, with an eye on a future in risk management, building programs to direct logistics and analytic optimization.
Inspired by his older sisters, Sushant loves to perform Bollywood dance at cultural events. His father is president of the Telangana Association of Greater San Antonio, which he co-founded in 2014. The group uses Indian dance to raise awareness and support for India’s recently inaugurated Telangana state. Last fall Sushant performed at Diwali, the Festival of Lights, in front of San Antonio’s Tower of the Americas – continuing to broaden minds and inspire others.
