About

I’m studying human physiology with a minor in public health on the pre-med track. I’m really interested in innovation and how public health knowledge can be applied at scale, particularly at the intersection of sustainability and equity. This has led me to engage with my peers and communities abroad on how we can collectively improve our world in a just and sustainable way.

That’s what led me to co-found HerPower Collective, an international menstrual care initiative focused on bringing sustainable period products to under-resourced communities. We call it HerPower because every girl deserves to understand and advocate for her health and the environment around her. The idea came from a personal place: I was born in Nepal, and I wanted to give back - not just as a Nepali, but as a woman passionate about medicine, the environment, and social change. While researching period poverty in Nepal, I learned that the government mandates period product distribution in schools to reduce absenteeism. But the products are plastic-based, with little education on safe disposal, resulting in environmental and health hazards. I knew there had to be a better way.

At BU, I met my co-founders, Caroline Donohue and Alessia Jones, through the school’s PERIOD. chapter, a menstrual equity organization. We realized our missions aligned and launched our pilot at Padma Kanya, a secondary school in Kathmandu. We partnered with a local doctors and medical students, sourced biodegradable pads from women-led Nepali businesses, and are now developing an educational seminar to accompany product distribution. We’re also focused on data collection by interviewing school principals and students to understand baseline knowledge and attitudes around sustainability.

BU Highlights

I’m a Resident Sustainability Leader (RSL) in Warren Towers, helping students live more sustainably by organizing waste walkthroughs and educate first-years on recycling and conscious consumption. We host events to make sustainability feel personal, creative, and engaging.

Through Innovate@BU and BU Sustainability, we applied for and received the Sustainability Innovation Seed Grant for HerPower Collective. This process connected me to a cohort of students launching their own sustainability ventures. Being part of this community has helped me stay grounded in our mission and reminded me that sustainability isn’t just about one solution - it’s about collaboration, creativity, and impact across disciplines.

Excitement

I’m excited to see more tech-driven projects on campus, especially those using AI and machine learning. A lot of students hesitate to explore this space because they assume it’s only for computer science or data science majors. But AI is more accessible than people realize, and there’s so much potential to apply it to social impact work. Take menstrual inequity, for example. Currently, my team is cold-emailing nonprofits to map out who’s working in certain areas. But imagine an open data ledger that tracks global menstrual health initiatives, helping organizations identify gaps and avoid duplicating efforts. I’d love to see more BU students creating apps, databases, or other AI solutions to drive impact.

Advice for BU Students

If you're interested in sustainability, start by asking yourself: What do I care about? Do I want to reduce waste? Create sustainable fashion? Innovate in medicine? Get really clear on your values first, then figure out how they intersect with sustainability.

At BU, sustainability can be approached from so many perspectives - public health, engineering, business, or the arts. Once you know what matters to you, it becomes easier to navigate all the opportunities available, such as sustainability fairs, student organizations, campus jobs, and internships. The resources are here. You just have to ask.