Sibling rivalries frequently exist, but for the Cheemalamarri twins, their collaborative relationship encourages them to reach for the sky as they partake in highly acclaimed research projects and lead efforts on campus to support student mental health.

From an early age, seniors Nithya and Sriya Cheemalamarri stood alongside each other as they sang in choir and walked through school hallways with friends. They found their similar everyday interests conducive to teamwork, and consequently, favorable for success.

Scientific Breakthrough: Presenting to a Renowned Audience of Changemakers

While studying coursework and conducting a project for AP Research, a mentor encouraged Nithya to submit her abstract on water treatment to the American Chemical Society, one of the largest scientific societies in the world. She thought a high school student would have an impossible chance receiving recognition from an international list of thousands of esteemed scientists, but despite the odds, Nithya submitted her abstract in April 2021.

After a month of not giving any substantial thought toward her submission, Nithya received a surprising notification from a university professor: she was selected to present at the Fall 2021 ACS National Meeting & Exposition, an opportunity meant for university students and professional scientists.

“I was really surprised and excited,” Nithya said. “I’ve never done anything like this before. It was a great, humbling experience.”

The conference took place Aug. 22-26 in Atlanta, however, Nithya opted to present virtually due to concerns regarding COVID-19. She directed her own online exhibition room to speak with fellow scientific leaders and present her research on a sustainable method to remove pharmaceuticals from freshwater bodies – a topic visiting India inspired her to explore after witnessing the country’s clean water crisis.

“I was only focusing on one thing, but there was a lot more that people were also researching,” Nithya said. “I got to learn about their research and how they’re approaching the public health crisis.”

Upon thorough judging of the poster’s details and the manner of its presentation, Nithya was one of few who received the Certificate of Merit, which recognized research quality and excellence. With this honor, she was told she became the only high school student ever given this prestigious award.

Following this success, both Nithya and Sriya were invited to present at the University of Texas at Austin for the ACS Southwest Regional Meeting from Oct. 31-Nov. 3. They were the only high school students given this opportunity, and they accepted the invitation with delight. Nithya added additional research to her work for this presentation, and Sriya was proud her research on immunotherapy earned her this distinguished honor.

“It was a very empowering experience,” Sriya said. “When I presented it to one lady, she told me that her son got immunotherapy treatment and he survived from cancer. It was so nice hearing that because what I’m doing actually has purpose, and I can definitely take it to greater heights in the future when in university.

“[For] anybody who gets the opportunity to present at a symposium,” Sriya continued, “you get to not only present your research and what you’ve worked really hard on for years, but you also get to hear other people’s research.”

The two siblings’ experience at the regional convention was their first time in a large professional setting where they were in proximity to countless influential leaders in the fields of science and technology.

Nithya and Sriya were mesmerized by the empowerment they felt walking through hallways alongside crowds of university professors, doctorate students and public health policymakers.

“Sriya and I both have a strong passion for helping others through science and innovation,” Nithya said. “It was really humbling knowing that they wanted to choose us in the middle of a ton of big people that we could never be. This whole experience has rewarded us with the utmost satisfaction knowing that our research is largely contributing to the scientific society and betterment of human health.”

Motivating Minds: Reimagining Student Mental Health Awareness

While these two siblings made astounding achievements in their research, this is not the only accomplishment they can take pride in: their scientific contributions extend into their extracurricular leadership at school.

“I think it’s really important to break the stigma surrounding mental health, especially in schools where there hasn’t been a mental health awareness club,” Sriya said. “It’s our goal to spread it as far as possible and make students aware about mental health, which would make the campus community way safer. Our counselors really helped with that.”

The two Cheemalamarri siblings experienced firsthand from a young age that mental health was a pressing matter for themselves and their peers.

“In middle school, I didn’t know that I was experiencing bad mental health or mental illnesses because I didn’t know anything about it,” Nithya said. “My parents didn’t talk about it. Schools definitely don’t talk about it. I had no information source, and I felt really lonely.

“As I got to high school, some of my friends started opening up to me about how they have depression,” Nithya continued. “It really affected me a lot because I didn’t want anything to happen to any of my peers. I realized that mental health is something that should be discussed more openly, and for people who are struggling with it, they should have an outlet to express their feelings.”

When the pandemic exacerbated these struggles, they noticed that no extracurricular clubs in the district were dedicated to offering mental health support or drawing awareness to the cause. Their ambitious leadership and initiative filled this need.

Nithya and Sriya cofounded the Motivating Minds club during their junior year with then-senior Sree Laasya Mallela. The impact they saw with its mental health advocacy has simply been uplifting. The club has organized activities they saw members thoroughly enjoy and benefit from, including stress relieving socials, informational discussion rooms and meetings with specialized professionals, counselors and advocates as guest speakers.

Promoting discussion and breaking the stigma of mental illness is their ultimate goal. Because of the massive scope of mental health, the siblings intend for these activities to provide foundational resources for personal self-care and learning more about how the world reacts to this issue from a statistical and programmatic perspective.

Volunteer projects such as a donation drive for victims of domestic violence and joint meetings with UNICEF and Science National Honor Society have also proved the success of Nithya and Sriya’s aspiration to engage students in becoming self-aware of and confident with their mental health.

“School is obviously stressful and students need an outlet for that,” Sriya said. “We hope that students will be more open to the idea of mental health and talking about it if they have difficulty so that we can prevent it in the future.”

“Informative and fun at the same time,” Nithya said as she described the ideal approach to organizing the club’s activities so they can benefit participants in numerous ways.

In recognition of their mental health advocacy, Nithya and Sriya spoke at Legacy Stadium in October on a district panel for cyber bullying. They discussed initiatives in the district to prevent and respond to factors that contribute to mental illness in youth.

Counselor Janie Bazargani, the club’s sponsor, said staff members are promoting the idea for students at other schools to establish clubs similar to that of Motivating Minds. Nithya and Sriya’s leadership is being used as an example for campuses to form a “Mental Health Alliance” in the district.

“Students need a safe place to ask questions and learn about mental health,” Bazargani said. “If going through a pandemic has taught us anything, it is that mental health cannot be ignored. We need clubs and organizations that make talking about mental health the norm so discussions about it are as common as talking about allergies or the common cold. [Nithya and Sriya] have done a great job of establishing the club, and I know because of their hard work, it will continue to thrive.”

While various resources are available to students during the entirety of the instructional day, Sriya worries that many students avoid reaching out to parents or school staff because they feel their difficulty coping with mental illness will only escalate. She believes Motivating Minds is a way to support students in confronting challenges they may face with seeking help.

“Even if they don’t want to talk directly about their mental health, sharing the same ideas with others and the same acceptance of others will really help,” Sriya said. “The best way is for students to have their peers because the main part of being in school is collaborating with individuals and having open space where students can collaborate with each other.

“If [teachers and administrators] open up to the idea of mental health and [promote more awareness], then it would definitely make the students more open,” Sriya said as she recollected the personal impact it had made on her when certain staff members positively touched upon topics related to mental health care.

Regardless of how a student intends to cope when facing difficulty with mental health, counselors express the dire importance of reaching out for help when it is needed.

“Mental health is just as important as physical health,” Bazargani said. “It is OK to ask for help and talk about how you are feeling or what struggles you might be facing. Do not hesitate to reach out to your counselor if you need to talk.”

Read: “Mental Health is Health. View these educational resources” by Motivating Minds

Between club meetings, Motivating Minds publishes content on social media and their website to provide informational resources and self-care tips. The website includes a blog of monthly entries written by club members, and these can be read at slhsmotivatingminds.wixsite.com/slhsmotivatingminds.

“We hope to leave a lasting legacy with our club and encourage more progress towards openly discussing mental health in Katy ISD through better support groups, resources for students and education,” Nithya said.

“We recommend our fellow Spartans join to not only engage in open and active discussions around eliminating the stigma, but also to get the opportunity to participate in educational and interactive events,” the club said in a mission statement.

Motivating Minds has additional club meetings and initiatives planned this semester to continue building a legacy of prioritizing youth mental health. Interested students can follow the club’s Instagram @slhsmotivatingminds and join the club’s Remind by texting @slhsmm to 81010.