There is no dearth of role models for them. Telugu children living in North America have success stories like Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, Global coordinator of Lead India 2020 Hari Krishna Eppanapally, elected representatives like Upendra J.Chivukula, deputy speaker of New Jersey Assembly and Katragadda Aruna Miller, member of the Maryland House of Delegates, to look up to.
And lucky for them there is the North America Telugu Society (NATS) to nurture them into ‘world leaders’. The society has taken up career assistance programmes for Telugu youth.
NATS is now inviting not only successful Telugus, but successful Indians, to deliver talks. The society is also bringing out a series of books in English on Telugu people, their culture and history to take the initiative forward.
The person behind the initiative is none other than the Vijayawada-born Gangadhar Desu, the CEO of Neighbour Care chain of pharmacy stores who has been elected president of NATS for the next two years. Mr. Gangadhar did his schooling in SKPPV Hindu High School, One Town, and intermediate in K.B.N.College. He did his B.Pharma in Manipal College of Pharmacy and M.Pharma in Long Island, New York. “Satya Nadella is a couple of years senior to me,” he said recalling life on the campus.
Starting his career as a pharmacist Mr. Gangadhar, with a licence to work in any of the North Eastern States of the United States became the head of the Mergers and Acquisitions of Eckerds pharmacy in a short time. He then quit and started his own chain of pharmacy stores.
Diverse cultures “The Telugu children here are exposed to diverse cultures, but it will be difficult for them to be world leaders unless they learn about their own roots,” Mr. Gangadhar said. The society took over 400 teachers from Andhra Pradesh to the United States to train children in various performance arts last year.
Mr. Gangadhar has high hopes for the Indian children of North America. “Five per cent of the Fortune 500 companies are run by Indians today. This will increase to 10 per cent by 2020. Indians were doing extremely well in politics too.
The Hindu Indians are being wooed by both the Republicans and the Democrats. Tulasi Gabbard of Samoan origin made news when she took oath on the Bhagvad Gita. Tulasi, who grew up in a multi-cultural, multi-religious household is a practising Hindu and yet another role model for the children, Mr. Gangadhar said.
