Indian American law student to run for 11th Congressional District

Ricky Gill with his supporters

Twenty-four-year old Ricky Gill, a law student at the UC Berkeley law school, announced his candidacy for 11th Congressional District on May 17, 2011.

If elected, Gill will be the youngest and first Indian-American to represent the San Joaquin County that falls under the California 11th Congressional District. He made his announcement to an assembled crowd of about 100-plus supporters gathered outside Lodi Memorial Hospital, where he was born. The congressional seat is currently held by Democratic Rep. Jerry McNerney.

Gill, a Republican, has been involved in public service since high school. In July 2004, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger appointed Gill to the California State Board of Education, making him the youngest member of the administration and the sole representative of more than six million public school students.

He has also worked for former U.S. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn. He hopes to curb regulations that restrict farmers and small businesses, raise education standards and rein in medical malpractice insurance costs. Both of his parents are physicians.

Born and raised in Lodi, Calif., Gill started volunteering as a high-school student. He worked at St. Mary's Interfaith Community Services for the Homeless in Stockton, Calif., and was co-chair of the Greater Lodi Area Youth Commission.

A graduate of Princeton University's Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, Gill is studying law at the University of California at Berkeley.

Two Indian-American students win State Dept “Door to Diplomacy” Award

Winning Website of two Indian American student

A website “Cultural Diplomacy with the Muslim World” has won the Department of State’s 2011 Doors to Diplomacy Award, which is cosponsored by Global SchoolNet. The awards recognize the web projects that best teach young people about the importance of international affairs and diplomacy.

Participants, ranging in age from 11 to 18, included 341 student teams from 30 countries. This site, built by a team from West Windsor- Plainsboro High School North in Plainsboro, NJ, explores the role that culture plays in international diplomacy. Indian Americans Aparajit Sriram and Avanti Dabholkar, both 12th grade students, built the website. Each student member of the two winning Doors to Diplomacy Award teams will receive a $2,000 scholarship. In addition, the winning coaches will each receive a $500 cash award. Judging was performed by student peers and educational professionals, with the final selections made by a team of Department of State judges from the Bureaus of Public Affairs and Educational and Cultural Affairs. The winning sites will be linked from the Department of State's youth site.

Aparajit led the research effort and wrote many of the entries. Working with schoolmate Avanti he expanded his aesthetic sensibilities, improved his ping pong skills (after many thrilling, breaktime showdowns), that inspired him to be as well-rounded as Avanti. The design half of this Doors to Diplomacy team, Avanti applied her skills in design and organization to pull together this educational website. Involvement in this project has helped Avanti diversify her interests to include cultural diplomacy and the study of the Muslim world.

Western Union Celebrates 160 Years of Innovation

The Western Union Company (NYSE: WU), a leader in global payment services, celebrated 160 years of innovation on May 19, 2011, renewing its focus on developing new ways of moving money for better.

With 455,000 Agent locations in 200 countries and territories, in 2010 the company performed an average of nearly 1.7 million transactions a day, or about 19 per second. Western Union’s vast network supports a host of promising financial services, including prepaid cards, bill payment, in-country transfers, and account-based money transfer.

“As I look back at Western Union’s history, I am amazed by the company’s incredible evolution, from our pioneering of the telegraph business to our position today as a global leader in money transfer solutions for individuals and businesses alike,” said Western Union President and CEO Hikmet Ersek.

Western Union, founded in 1851 as a telegraph business in Rochester, New York, added its money transfer service in 1871 and has since grown to become a global leader in the money transfer industry.

15 Indian- Americans among 2011 Presidential Scholars

At least 15 Indian-Americans have been named by the White House in its list of Presidential Scholars for 2011, including one each from New York and Pennsylvania, and two from the Midwestern states of Minnesota and Wisconsin, a list of 141 students released on May 2, 2011, by the U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, said.

Altogether, the 15 students hail from 13 states around the country, indicating the dispersed nature of the population of Indians in the US. The two Presidential Scholars selected from Arizona are both Indian-Americans. The U.S. Presidential Scholars Program was established in 1964 by executive order of the president, to recognize and honor the nation’s most distinguished graduating high-school seniors. In 1979, the program was extended to recognize students who demonstrate exceptional talent in the visual, creative and performing arts. Each year, up to 141 students are named Presidential Scholars, one of the nation’s highest honors for high-school students. Past Indian- Americans honorees include CNN’s Dr. Sanjay Gupta.

The 141 scholars include one male and one female from each state, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, and from U.S. families living abroad, as well as 15 chosen at-large and 20 scholars in the arts. They will be honored for their accomplishments in various fields in Washington, D.C., from June 18-21.