Nakshatra (Nike) Nallacharu: Helping Middle Schoolers Find Their Voice

British International School of Houston · SIP, Fall 2025

Nike shares why she pivoted partway through SIP and what she designed for middle schoolers instead.

Nike started SIP focused on healthcare, but after twenty unanswered cold emails and an eye-opening interview with a hospital CEO, she pivoted. Talking with middle schoolers in the US, India, and Australia, she found that fear of rejection kept many of them from joining activities. She designed LeadR, a program that builds public speaking and debate skills, and has since partnered with two tutoring centers and is now founding a chapter of HOSA, a club for future health professionals, at her school.

In this episode, Nike talks about persisting through silence, why she decided to pivot, and the nerve-wracking rejection challenge that changed how she thinks.

Her advice: "The real view is off the plane."

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