Yogita has nearly a decades' worth of work in the areas of education, disability inclusion, gender policy and mental health. With her keen interest in intersectional work, Yogita started The Conversation Project in late 2021, to create a platform for hands-on learning from a 360° approach of self-development and social participation for children.
The project is run by the organisation she co-founded – the BaDastoor Foundation – and reaches both urban and rural students of India, specifically in the states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
Yogita is currently the youngest female board member with the Helping Hands Organisation which works towards disability inclusion at the grassroots and also works with the Founders of MakerGhat to help make education accessible to under-served students in the country.
Yogita has also just started her Master’s with the Indira Gandhi National Open University and aspires to be in academia in the near future, to support her work through further research.
Discussing her win, Yogita said, “This is great recognition for the work that I have been doing for a decade now – before, during and after BU. Quite often as a social impact worker, there is a sense of not knowing whether or not the work you’re doing is valuable – or if you’re making a difference at all. And recognitions like these go a long way in reviving and retaining my faith in that path. It’s also testament to how much my time at BU helped shape how and where I work. I’m so happy to have been a part of such a well-thought-out global degree!”
“I think my degree was such an entry point to how I look at the world. The culture of global inclusion and acceptance made a huge difference in how I perceived the idea of impact and growth in some of the poorest regions in my own country. My time with BU gave me perspective, dialogue and an understanding of what we ‘consider’ political versus what drives the politics of the country. My course gave me clear direction – I knew that I wanted to continue my journey in communications but in the social development sector – and this made all the difference for my career growth.”
“The keyword I’d share with students is ‘network’! I don't think there’s a better platform than university to network with professors, potential colleagues, and career peers. These are the people who you can reach out to, at a time when you would like to see a distinct growth in your learnings and career. Acquaint yourself with as many people as possible; this will help you professionally and will also build you personally as an inclusive individual who is focused on global acceptance and impact.”