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For those of you who have never heard of Yogi Berra you should do a search. Aside from being one of the greatest athletes in the history of his sport, he is noted for saying things that at first glance don’t seem to make sense but upon reflection do make us think. When Yogi was asked about going to a popular nightspot in New York, here is what he said: “Nobody goes there anymore. It’s too crowded.”I bring this up because there is something I hear today from many students, parents, pundits and educators when it comes to commenting on who gets in to highly selective colleges and universities: “Don’t even bother to apply. Nobody gets in.” If these words were ‘true’ then the schools would shut down. Paradoxically, these schools, because they are deemed in rankings as the 'best', experience huge increases in applications each year. After decisions go out, however, the chorus of “nobody gets in” starts making the rounds again in ever-louder shouts.What follows is an interview with someone who is anything but a nobody. Samantha is one of the more talented students in the world. Her insights into education and developing her talents and passions demonstrate that she is not only accomplished but also self-aware and globally fluent.***********************************************************************Could you tell us a little about your family and where you grew up?I’ve lived in Vancouver all my life. I’m half Asian on my mom’s side; my mom’s side of the family is part of the Huaqiao community in Manila. My paternal grandparents both grew up in England, but they and my father have lived in many locations since. I often feel that this unique mix of cultures and backgrounds has given me many interesting perspectives.You attend a wonderful school West Point Grey Academy. How long have you been going there and can you share what you think it special about it? What is the atmosphere like among students? Is it competitive, cooperative or some of both? How hard are the classes and how are the teachers?I’m a lifer at West Point Grey Academy, so I can say without a doubt that it’s the best school I’ve ever attended! In all seriousness though, my school’s community, support, and opportunities are absolutely incredible. One thing people always notice when entering West Point Grey Academy (affectionately called ‘dubpeeg’) is the energy that bounces around in the halls; it’s a school where we greet everyone in the hallways and get involved in all sorts of co- and extra-curricular activities. The relatively small grade size (about 70 kids) means we all know each other, and the culture is very much about ‘showing up’ to things, whether that’s club meetings, debate competitions, student council meetings, or even watching other students’ sports competitions. The atmosphere among students is very much cooperative; although we all are driven to achieve our best, I think that the motivation is internal. In terms of the classes, we have the flexibility to choose from many different kinds of courses with different course loads. The teachers are yet another component of the school community that makes it so supportive. They are always willing to stay after class or during lunch to answer questions or supervise make-up tests. This really helps students (like me!) catch up on work after returning from trips. I remember last year, before I went to Lithuania (for WIDPSC), I asked my math teacher what I would be missing. He wrote out his lesson plan for the entire month of April and gave me a copy!West Point Grey Academy has had a tremendous record of success in the area of debate. You have been involved with debate for many years and have been recognized internationally for your abilities. Can you talk first about why you decided to join debate and what the school does to prepare students so well for success?Debate, Model UN, and public speaking are a huge part of dubpeeg culture. Our coach was actually the coach of the Canadian National Debate team when they won in Qatar. We regularly have students on the National Team. Actually, my debate partner will be travelling to Singapore this summer to represent Canada at the World Schools Debate Competition for the second time. But more than that, because of the large volume and success of kids in higher grades who debate, I think it’s a trickle-down inspirational effect for students new to the senior school. We also run our own Model United Nations, which involves a large portion of the student population. So, a lot of people get involved! Personally, I got involved with debate because the year before (grade 7) I was giving a lot of speeches as school captain and I did quite well at a speech competition. I thought, why not? (Plus, I’m absolutely terrified of basketballs, so I knew I wasn’t going to have that take up my time!) The school prepares kids by having many intramural debate competitions where the seniors mentor the juniors (we often call them pizza debates because everyone gets pizza at the end). WPGA also offers a course called Persuasive Writing (in grade 8 and 9) that helps teach debate analytical skills. Also, the course AP Comparative Government gives a lot of spec knowledge that is quite impressive to pull out in a round!You have travelled all over the world to compete in debate. Can you talk about where you have gone and what kind of debate you specialized in and why and finally can you share some of your international accomplishments too?I’ve gone the most exotic places for public speaking. WIDPSC was in Brisbane, Australia, then Durban, South Africa, then Druskininkai, Lithuania, and finally Hong Kong. For debate, my international trips include Dallas (Old Parklands Debate Competition), Claremont (PanAmerican Debate Championship), Olomouc, Czech Republic (Heart of Europe Debate Championship), and Oxford and Durham (Oxford and Durham Cup). I’ve also been able to see quite a bit of Canada through various national competitions, which has been a blast! I’m so lucky to have had the opportunity to travel so extensively; I’ve had so much fun learning about new cultures and meeting people all over the world. To me, it can be especially fascinating to realize that even when we live in different countries and have vastly different backgrounds, there’s still so much we have in common!I’ll just list a few of the highlightsWorld Individual Debate and Public Speaking Champion (2015)National Public Speaking Champion (2015)National Debate Champions (2014 and 2015); 4th place speaker and top BC speaker (2015)Oxford Cup Champion (Canadian qualifier for the Oxford Cup in England) (2014)Provincial Debate Champions (2015, 2013)Regional Debate Champions (2015)Canadian National Debate Team (2014-2015)International Independent Schools Public Speaking Competition: 2nd place overall, top U-16 speaker (2012)2nd place team, PanAmerican Debate Championship (2015)2nd place team, Old Parklands Debate Competition (2015)There is a lot of talk in the media today about the need for students to develop a passion. Were you born as a passionate learner or did others help you find your passion for debate and academic success?I couldn’t agree more. Funnily enough, I actually gave a speech on that- the need for people to step up to the plate, be leaders, and inspire others with their passion. I think I’ve always been a highly motivated learner but my passion was inspired in different ways. My passion for creative writing was kindled by an excellent English teacher in grade 4; for speech, in various student leadership roles in grade 7; debate, through immersing myself in the school culture and going on some fantastic trips. I’ve also become really passionate about other areas. My teachers have inspired my passion in biology and languages. The fantastic people I’ve connected with via those activities inspired my passion for music and service.How much pressure do you put on yourself to be the best? How do you manage your time to do all the things you do so well? What are the skills that you have aside from just being smart that helps you stay focused and permit you to achieve your goals?I’m motivated to push myself to my own best. I’m not the kind of person who will do things halfway or half-heartedly; once I decide to do something I will throw all my passion behind it. That said, I understand that I can’t always push myself to the limit on everything! It’s always been a balance, but in the last couple years I’ve worked on prioritizing. Sometimes I get back from trips and things are crazy busy, and I just have to accept that I won’t be able to do as well on assessments that week than if I’d been around. So I’ll ask for help and I’ll study as much as I can, but not to the point that I’m overly stressed or not sleeping. Specifically, skills that help me manage my time are focus and looking ahead. I try to start my work first after I get home rather than watching TV, etc., so I can get it done as early as possible. As for looking ahead, I try to ask my teachers what’s coming up so I can bring study materials with me when I’m away or ask questions well in advance.Do you have any mentors who have been important to you in school, in your activities or in any other way? If so how did they help you?Obviously my debate coach, who has worked with me so much on developing my public speaking & debate abilities, but also my confidence and adaptability skills. A grade 4 English teacher who ignited my passion for creative writing, and so many of my current teachers who inspire me about my next step, including my chemistry teacher and physics teacher. Finally, my cello teacher who has taught me to value of meticulous work and a woman who runs an organization I volunteer with who is my role model for connecting with people.When it came time for you to look at where you wanted to go to university how did you decide which schools to apply to and why did you look at US Schools?I don’t have a perfectly clear idea of what major I want, so the US liberal arts education really appealed to me. I like the idea of exploring a variety of courses before I choose my path. I did a few university tours in summers, did some research online, and chatted with my school university counselor.How many schools did you apply to? You ended up getting accepted to Stanford, the most selective schools in the US. There are many people in the world that would love to know how you did this? What are the things you think made you a successful candidate for Stanford? Would you be wiling to talk about the things you wrote about in your application?I actually only applied to four, but that’s because I received my acceptance from Stanford early. I was heavily leaning towards that school so I didn’t submit most of my other applications. I’m sorry, I don’t know what makes me a successful candidate for Stanford! I’d love to know too! One of my essays was about basically being a crazy old cat lady so maybe they were missing that in their class of ‘19 demographics? I just tried to write about the things that were most essential to my character. I also wrote about connecting to my Chinese culture, and learning how to do impromptu speaking!Why did you end up choosing Stanford?Stanford stood out as the school with the ideal fit for me. First of all, I really like the quarter system. I like that I get to take more courses than the semester system, which is important because I really want to explore a lot of different interest areas. Also, it means that winter and spring breaks are real breaks, not exam cram time, which is important because I’m sure I’ll need a real rest! I also really like the residence program where I move around every year. Various other programs are also excellent; other than the academics, I’ve heard that the debate and study abroad programs are wonderful. Plus, location! I’m very close to home and on the same time zone as my family in Vancouver. I also have family living in California. I’m about an hour away from San Francisco, a city I visited a few years ago and LOVED. And it’s beautiful and warm and sunny all the time!Do you have a plan for what you hope to study at Stanford?The only course I 100% know I’m going to take (funnily enough) is Mandarin. I’ll take a lot of human biology courses, because that’s the area I’m most passionate in. I’d also love to explore other areas like history, literature, and communications. We’ll see, I guess!Do you have any long-term goals about what you want to do when you graduate?Not really! I have a few vague ideas but I’m sure those will change a lot once I go through university and find areas I’m passionate about.Do you have any advice for students who are thinking about activities, and universities and doing well in order to reach their dreams?Balance! There’s no point cramming your schedule so full that you’re burned out early. Along those lines, there’s no point doing things just to look good on a resume. Obviously it’s good to push yourself to try different things and immerse yourself in them, but at some point you need to make sure that the enjoyment is still there. On a bit of a different note, I’d say the most important personal quality is self-confidence. Self-confidence to speak up, get involved, and seize opportunities. An inspiring guest speaker once shared a saying something along the lines of “opportunities aren’t a chance- they’re a choice”. I believe that self-confidence is what lets people make that choice.***********************************************************************Samantha has shared some things that will, I think I can safely assume, intimidate some readers. After all, there are only so many people in the world who can say they have claimed the top award in the world for an activity of some sort.On the other hand, anyone reading her words should come away thinking that she as person is anything but intimidating. Her words do not have to try to impress. Her actions already do that. Instead her tone is open-mined, curious and warm. Her advice about how important self-confidence can be should be something everyone can learn from.So too is her advice about mentors and passion. Early on a teacher sparked her interest in writing and she had the opportunity to work with a coach who is clearly one of the best given the record of success of debaters at her school.Samantha is also a perfect example of those students who will benefit most from a liberal arts education. Her interests are wide-ranging and she has chosen Stanford for all the right reasons given the way the education and environment matches her individual interests and even location in the world.Her words, then, apply not just to those who are looking to get into the schools that take ‘nobody’; instead, they apply to any student who wants to learn, grow and explore and will be able to approach the world with confidence instead of fear.At the same time, I also think it is useful for those of us on the outside who may not have her talents to understand a little better what it does tae to get into schools that accept about 5% of those who apply. A student who has worked hard, has strong grades and tests scores will end up at a great school. But almost all who have these stats and not much else will not be admitted to schools that take only very talented ‘somebodies’. Talent in this case means far more than numbers. Her debate skills, her global background, and her clear love of learning all make her stand out. Even her essay topic sounds like one this is both risky and unique. She had the confidence to submit something edgy.I would first of all like to thank Samantha for sharing her words here. I have learned much not just about her but also about how think about living and learning. I would also like to thank John Sy, a wonderful education counselor and admission expert in the Philippines. He is Samantha’s uncle and he provided me with an introduction to her after he mentioned her in an education counselor form in which he provides many great comments and insights.My guess is that Samantha will be able to share more insights that will educate us as she begins her journey at Stanford and then afterward on her career path too.

There is no such thing as best young defender there are many defenders who are absolutely the best and have almost different best quality about them.Find few of them below.Antonio RüdigerClub: RomaNotable stat: Has won 53% of his headed duels this seasonFun Fact: He spent three years at Borussia Dortmund’s youth academyStrengths: Pace, balance, tacklingWeaknesses: Dribbling, concentrationRoma signed Antonio Rüdiger on loan from Stuttgart in 2015 after the player had impressed during his 80 appearances for the German club. He has been a regular starter in Italy during the 2015/16 campaign and it’s likely that the Giallorossi will activate his option-to-buy clause at the end of the season.Aymeric LaporteClub: Athletic ClubNotable stat: Has scored three goals in 23 appearances in La Liga this seasonFun Fact: He was selected in the 2013/14 La Liga team of the year, aged 19Strengths: Anticipation, marking, positioningWeaknesses: Leadership, accelerationLeading the way as one of the most talked about young central defenders in world football, Aymeric Laporte has been linked with a whole host of clubs including Spanish giants Barcelona.Kurt ZoumaClub: ChelseaNotable stat: Has won 58% of his tackles this seasonFun Fact: He started out as a right wingerStrengths: Decisions, balance, strengthWeaknesses: First touch, flairVery highly regarded during his time playing in France for Saint-Etienne Kurt Zouma was expected to flourish for Chelsea and has widely impressed with a number of excellent Premier League performances.Raphaël VaraneClub: Real MadridNotable stat: He has averaged 88% pass completion this seasonFun Fact: He is the youngest player to captain FranceStrengths: Positioning, concentration, tacklingWeaknesses: Leadership, off the ballArguably the best young centre back in world football, Real Madrid’s Raphaël Varane is somehow still just 22 and possesses a number of outstanding attributes such as strength, tackling and pace. He has already gained a wealth of top level experience and is currently one of Los Blancos few trump cards on Barcelona.José GiménezClub: Atlético MadridNotable stat: Averages nine defensive actions per game this seasonFun Fact: He is the youngest Uruguayan player to debut at a World Cup (aged 19)Strengths: Heading, composure, tacklingWeaknesses: Concentration, jumpingAfter bursting onto the scene this year under the guidance of Diego Simeone, Giménez is one of the most improved young centre backs in world football and has benefitted immensely from playing alongside Diego Godín on a regular basis.Alessio RomagnoliClub: AC MilanNotable stat: Has won 66% of his aerial duels this seasonFun Fact: He made his Roma debut when he was just 17Strengths: Balance, strength, staminaWeaknesses: Agility, off the ballAC Milan paid a lot of money to take Alessio Romagnoli away from Roma and the talented centre back is already a mainstay in Milan’s first team. Blessed with excellent physical attributes the defender has played 28 games this Serie A season and scored two goals.Daniele RuganiClub: JuventusNotable stat: Has won 67% of his tackles this seasonFun Fact: Featured in the Serie A 2014/15 Team of the YearStrengths: Stamina, heading, concentrationWeaknesses: Acceleration, leadershipAfter starting his youth career at Empoli, Daniele Rugani moved to Juventus before rejoining the former in 2013 – signing his first professional contract. After two seasons at the club he has once again returned to Juve and is currently benefitting from the expert tuition of the Old Lady’s centre-back trio.John StonesClub: Man CityNotable stat: Has made 84 clearances this seasonFun Fact: Was shortlisted for the 2014 Golden Boy AwardStrengths: Natural fitness, tackling, braveryWeaknesses: Determination, aggressionEverton turned down three bids from Chelsea in order to keep their immensely talented centre back and it will be interesting to see if they can hold off further pressure to sell in the summer. The England international as developed very quickly during his time at Goodison Park and is one of the Premier League’s most competent and skilful defenders.Jonathan TahClub: Bayer LeverkusenNotable stat: Has created six key chances this seasonFun Fact: Aged 14 he helped his side become the German National Indoor champions for his age groupStrengths: Marking, jumping, tacklingWeaknesses: DeterminationA product of the Hamburger SV academy, Jonathan Tah spent two years at the club before earning a big move to Bayer Leverkusen and signing a five-year contract. He has been a regular feature in Roger Schmidt’s side this season and swiftly became one of Europe’s most promising central defenders.Samuel UmtitiClub: BarcelonaNotable stat: Has won 73% of his headed duels this seasonFun Fact: Was born in Cameroon but is a French youth internationalStrengths: Marking, positioningWeaknesses: First touchA versatile defender whose favoured position is centre back Samuel Untiti has represented France at every youth level and has made 28 appearances for Lyon this season.MarquinhosClub: Paris Saint-GermainNotable stat: He has averaged 93% pass completion this season.Fun Fact: His transfer from Roma to PSG is the third highest fee paid for a teenager behind Luke Shaw and Anthony MartialStrengths: Marking, decisions, technique, work-rateWeaknesses: StrengthA wonderfully composed and elegant centre half, Marquinhos oozes skill and has become an integral part of the Paris Saint-Germain squad who are currently dominating the French Division.Jairo RiedewaldClub: AjaxNotable stat: He has completed 77% of his attempted take-onsFun Fact: He is the youngest scoring debutant in Ajax’s entire historyStrengths: Jumping, marking, positioningWeaknesses: Determination, first touchThe youngest name on the list, Jairo Riedewald has played 31 games in all competitions for Ajax this season and is blessed with natural defensive ability. The defender is a real triumph to the club’s renowned youth system where he educated himself for seven years before making his breakthrough into the first team in 2013.Eric DierClub: TottenhamNotable stat: He has created 14 chances this seasonFun Fact: Sporting pipped Tottenham, Manchester United and Arsenal to signing the player in 2010Strengths: Composure, pace, anticipationWeaknesses: Off the ball, dribblingDespite developing into an excellent defensive midfielder (and right back) under Mauricio Pochettino at Tottenham Hotspur, Eric Dier has all the attributes to succeed as a centre back and could easily play their for England in the near future.Andreas ChristensenClub: Chelsea (loan Borussia Mönchengladbach)Notable stat: Has made 56 successful interceptions this seasonFun Fact: Has already made two caps for Denmark’s senior side, aged 19Strengths: Jumping, heading, tacklingWeaknesses: ComposureChelsea loanee Andreas Christensen is full of potential and he will only develop further during his two-year loan deal with Gladbach. A regular starter for the German club, it’s amazing that he is only 19 years old and his towering build and athletic frame is certainly something the Blues will be keeping an eye on.Niklas SüleClub: HoffenheimNotable stat: Has averaged 85% pass completion this seasonFun Fact: Was a runner up in the 2012 U17 European Championships with GermanyStrengths: Heading, strength, tacklingWeaknesses: Work-rateA graduate of the Hoffenheim academy, Niklas Süle has turned into a wonderful centre-back and, aged just 20, will be sure to gather the attention of some of Europe’s top sides in the near future.Hector BellerinHectorBellerin(Arsenal)A product of Barcelona’s La Masia academy, Hector Bellerin opted to continue his footballing education in north London rather than in Catalonia and signed for Arsenal as a 16-year-old. Although it took a few years for the player to truly establish himself, there’s little doubt that Bellerin is now the right-back of choice for the Gunners.One of the fastest players in the Premier League, he loves to get forward to supplement and support the attack, something he does with aplomb. Needs to improve on his timing in the tackle but has adjusted to the physicality of the league supremely well. A real bargain for Arsene Wenger.

These Indians have gone places and brought great glory to the country they were born in. From science to arts, business to literature, here is a list of 25 exceptionally talented Non Resident Indians (NRIs) who have given us several more reasons to be proud of –1. Narinder Singh KapanyThis Punjab-born genius is known for his contribution to the field of fibre optics. He was included in the list of seven ‘Unsung Heroes’ by Fortune magazine in their ‘Businessmen of the Century’ issue. He is considered as one of the founders of fibre optics and revolutionized the way information is transmitted today. Kapany has played many roles in his life including that of an entrepreneur, philanthropist and scholar, which won him major international acclaim.2. Salman RushdieBorn in Mumbai, this 67-year-old Kashmiri Indian author is best known for his contribution to English Literature. His second novel, Midnight’s Children, won the Booker Prize in 1981. He also won the ‘Booker of Bookers’ prize in 1993 for the same novel. In 2008, The Times ranked him 13th on its list of the 50 greatest British writers since 1945. He started his career as a copywriter with the advertising agency Ogilvy & Mather. He is also known for the controversy due to his book Satanic Verses. He has authored eleven novels so far and written several short stories. His books have been translated in over 40 languages. He was appointed Commandeur de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres of France in January 1999 and was also knighted by Queen Elizabeth II for his services to literature. More than one reason to be proud of this amazing scholar, right?3. S. ChandrasekharBorn in Lahore, British India, he is famous for his mathematical theory of black holes for which he won a Nobel Prize in 1983. The Chandrasekhar limit is named after him. His most celebrated work concerns the radiation of energy from stars, particularly white dwarf stars, which are the dying fragments of stars. R. J. Tayler in the Biographical Memoirs of the Fellows of the Royal Society of London wrote, “Chandrasekhar was a classical applied mathematician whose research was primarily applied in astronomy and whose like will probably never be seen again.”4. Amartya SenBorn in Santiniketan, West Bengal, this Indian economist and philosopher is best known for his amazing contributions to welfare economics, social choice theory, economic and social justice, economic theories of famines, and indices of the measure of well-being of citizens of developing countries. His extraordinary work in welfare economics won him the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences in 1998. He is the chancellor at Nalanda University and also a Fellow at the Harvard Society of Fellows. He is also internationally acclaimed for his writing. The Argumentative Indian: Writings on Indian History, Culture and Identity is one of his best works.5. Vinod KhoslaListed as a billionaire by Forbes Magazine, Khosla is one of the co-founders of Sun Microsystems, a company which created the Java programming language and Network File System. He later formed his own company, Khosla Ventures. He was born in Delhi and attended Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi. He was a keyplayer in the founding of Daisy Systems and TiE. He has also played an important role as an investor in environmental startups. Khosla has committed around $450 million of his personal wealth to various “green” initiatives like ethanol factories, solar-power parks, etc. His green investing has made him immensely popular in the media globally.6. Har Gobind KhoranaThis Indian American biochemist won a nobel prize in 1968 for Physiology or Medicine for cracking the genetic code along with Robert Holley and Marshall Nirenberg. Born in Raipur, Punjab, Khorana was the first scientist to chemically synthesize oligonucleotides. His contribution to science is tremendous and has won him immense international acclaim.7. Rohinton MistryThis internationally acclaimed writer was born in Mumbai and did his BA from St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai. He later on shifted to Canada in 1975 with his wife. He published his first book, 11 connected short stories titled Swimming Lessons and Other Stories from the Firozsha Bag in 1987. His second book Such a Long Journey, was published in 1991 and achieved huge national and international acclaim. His other works received similar popularity. His third book A Fine Balance is considered to be one of his finest works and was a finalist for the Booker Prize.8. Pan NalinThis award winning film director, screenwriter and documentary maker was born in Gujarat and is best known for his amazing and award winning films like Samsara, Valley of Flowers and Ayurveda: Art of Being. He received international acclaim just after the release of his first film Samsara which made him win over 30 international awards. His other feature film Valley of Flowers was pre-sold in 35 countries and is considered a major underground hit. He was invited to be on the panel for the France-India Co-production forum at Salon du Cinema in Paris along with the delegation headed by Mr. Amitabh Bachchan. Nalin says that Indians are “hungry for good documentaries”. And we think his amazing work is satiating that hunger.9. Venkatraman RamakrishnanBorn in Chidambaram, Tamil Nadu, this structural biologist won the 2009 Nobel Prize in Chemistry with Thomas A. Steitz and Ada E. Yonath, “for studies of the structure and function of the ribosome”. He is an elite member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences. He was awarded with the Louis-Jeantet Prize for his contribution to Medicine in 2007. His great contribution to science also won him India’s second highest civilian award, the Padma Vibhushan, in 2010.10. Mira NairThis amazing film maker was born in Rourkela, Orissa and started her career as an independent short-film maker, going on to win the Best Documentary prize at the American Film Festival for India Cabaret, an investigative documentary of Bombay’s strippers. She runs a production company called Mirabai. Her debut feature film Salaam Bombay! (1988), won the Golden Camera award at the Cannes Film Festival and was also a nominee for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. Her most popular works include The Namesake and Monsoon Wedding. She was also awarded India’s third highest civilian award, the Padma Bhushan, in 2012. Her work is globally acclaimed and she even got an offer to direct Harry Potter and the Order of Phoenix, which she rejected.11. Anita Desai and Kiran DesaiThis mother-daughter duo is famous for exceptional writing skills. Kiran Desai’s novel The Inheritance of Loss won the Man Booker Prize in 2006 and the National Book Critics Circle Fiction Award. The exceptional writing comes as an inheritance, as Kiran’s mother Anita Desai has also been short-listed for the Booker Prize thrice. Kiran has been winning accolades from various notable figures ever since she published her first book. Anita won the Sahitya Academy Award in 1978 for her novel Fire on the Mountain and has also won the British Guardian Prize for The Village by the Sea. Anita is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, the American Academy of Arts and Letters and also writes for the New York Review of Books. Her novel In Custody is one of her finest works.12. Manu PrakashManu was born in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh and completed his BTech in computer science and engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology in Kanpur before moving to the United States for his masters and PhD. Currently An assistant professor of bioengineering at Stanford University, Manu is famous for his super cool inventions. The inventons include a foldable microsope, The Foldscope, that is easy to use and fold from a single sheet of A4 size paper! The cost of this microscope is 50 cents (or Rs. 30) only. He also recently invented a computer that runs on water. He used the unique Physics of moving water droplets to design a clock that is required in a computer.13. Kalpana ChawlaThis lady needs no introduction. Born in Karnal, India, she was the first Indian-American astronaut and also the first Indian woman in space. She began working at NASA’s Ames Research Center in 1988. In her career span and two space missions, she spent 30 days, 14 hours, and 54 minutes in space. She was killed in the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster along with six other crew members in 2003. India’s first weather satellite was renamed ‘Kalpana-1’ in her honor. She was a role model for many young women internationally and inspired many people to pursue a career in Aerospace Engineering.14. Lakshmi MittalThis business tycoon is the chairman and CEO of ArcelorMittal, the world’s largest steel-making company. Born in Sadulpur, Rajathan, he completed his http://B.com from St. Xavier’s College, Kolkata. He was the richest man of Asian descent in the United Kingdom in 2007 and was ranked as the sixth richest person in the world by Forbes in 2011. He is also 47th “most powerful person” in the Forbes list of 2012 and one of the “100 most influential persons in the world” by TIME in 2007. He holds a 34 percent share in Queens Park Rangers F.C. He has set up the Mittal Champions Trust with $9 million to support 10 promising Indian athletes.15. Pranav MistryHailing from Palanpur, Gujarat, this 33-year-old computer scientist and inventor is currently Vice President of Research at Samsung and is the head of Think Tank Team. He has contributed in Wearable Computing, Augmented reality, Ubiquitous computing, Gestural interaction, AI, Machine vision, Collective intelligence and Robotics. He was also honored as the Young Global Leader 2013 by World Economic Forum. His groundbreaking technology ‘SixthSense’ won him international acclaim. SixthSense is a device that interprets human gestures and has both a data projector and a camera.16. Indra NooyiShe is the Chairperson and CEO of PepsiCo, the second largest food and beverage business in the world by net revenue. This Chennai born girl has been included in the list of “World’s 100 Most Powerful Women” on a regular basis. In spite of this, Nooyi is still fighting to “have it all” and maintain work and personal life balance. As per Bussiness Week, the company’s annual revenues have risen 72 percent and net profit has doubled since she became CFO in 2000. She was also included in Wall Street Journal’s list of 50 women to watch in 2007 and 2008.17. Lakshmi PraturyThis strong lady was co-host of TEDIndia 2009, host and curator of The INK Conference and founder of Ixoraa Media. She aims at strengthening the relations between India and America through sponsored corporate, cultural, and media events. She was part of the “100 Most Powerful Women” list by Forbes Asia in 2010. She also played a key role in American India Foundation, an organization that raised over 30 million dollars in five years towards development activities in India.18. Sabeer BhatiaThis Indian-American entrepreneur born in Chandigarh founded the Hotmail email services and Jaxtr. He grew up in Bangalore and went to BITS Pilani for his bachelor’s degree. Later on he was transferred to California Institute of Technology from BITS where he completed his graduation. Hotmail was the world’s second largest e-mail provider with over 369 million registered users in 2011. He sold Hotmail to Microsoft in 1997 for $400 million and it was then called MSN Hotmail. He also started a free messaging service called JaxtrSMS. The venture capital firm Draper Fisher Jurvetson named him ‘Entrepreneur of the Year 1997’, MIT chose him as one of 100 young innovators who are expected to have the greatest impact on technology and awarded him the ‘TR100’.19. Zubin MBorn in Mumbai, he is one of the world’s leading conductors. This amazing orchestral conductor and musical director is best known for his expressiveness on the stage. He is Music Director for Life of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra and the Main Conductor for Valencia’s opera house. His conducting is considered as flamboyant, vigorous and forceful. His name has been mentioned in the song “Billy the Mountain” on the 1972 album Just Another Band from L.A. by Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention. He also received a special prize in Israel for his extraordinary contribution to the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra. He also received the 2,434th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, putting India on the international map.20. Raghava KKThis Bangalore born contemporary artist was named by CNN as one of the 10 most fascinating people the world is yet to know of. The genres he dabbles in vary from painting, film, installation, multimedia, performance, and even his own wedding. He began as a cartoonist in Indian publications. He has lectured at New York University and several other art institutions across the globe. He was invited as a guest of the French city of Nîmes to exhibit his work at the Carre d’Art Musee d’Art Contemporain.21. C.K.PrahladRenowned as one of the most influential business thinkers in the world, he was the distinguished professor of Corporate Strategy at University of Michigan. Born in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, he became established as a business guru when he helped Philips in reconstruction as it was on the verge of collapse. He was also a prominent writer until his death in 2010 and had authored many books like The Future of Competition (with Venkat Ramaswamy, 2004), and The Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid: Eradicating Poverty through Profits. He was a member of the Blue Ribbon Commission of the United Nations on Private Sector and Development. He was also the first recipient of the Lal Bahadur Shastri Award for contributions to Management and Public Administration in India in 1999.22. Ajit JainHaving started his career as an employee with IBM who knew nothing about insurance, Orissa-born Ajit Jain is now the President of Berkshire Hathaway Insurance group. Warren Buffet had once said that Jain’s mind is an “idea factory”. Having worked with Buffet for around three decades, Jain is being speculated as the successor to this renowned American business magnate. The IIT Kharagpur graduate is currently leading Berkshire’s Indian insurance market venture.23. Dipak C. JainBorn in a small town Tezpur in Assam, he is the current Dean of Sasin Graduate Institute of Business Administration of Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok. Earlier he was Dean of INSEAD and currently holds a position of Chaired Professor of Marketing there. He also held the position of Dean at Kellogg School of Management. He holds another important position of Independent Director on the Board of Indian Conglomerate Reliance Industries Limited. He has received several awards and honors for his contribution as a teacher, including The Sidney Levy Award for Excellence in Teaching in 1995 and The John D.C. Little Best Paper Award in 1991.24. Amar BoseBorn in a Bengali Hindu family, this amazing electrical engineer and sound engineer served as a professer at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) for over 45 years. He was also the founder and chairman of Bose Corporation which he later donated to MIT. He was also listed as the 271st richest man in the world by Forbes in 2007. He has received various teaching awards in his lifetime. The Bose Award for Excellence in Teaching and the Junior Bose Award were established in his honor for his services at MIT. He was also an honorary member at Audio Engineering Society.25. Satya NadellaThis current CEO of Microsoft was born in Hyderabad and earlier worked with Sun Microsystems as a member of its technology staff before joining Microsoft in 1992. He was Executive Vice President of Cloud & Enterprise Group and President of Server & Tools at Microsoft Corporation before becoming the CEO in February this year. He played an important role in the transformation to the cloud infrastructure and services business which occupied the market. He has also been a key person in taking various internal decisions at Microsoft.Image source:-Googlethank you