Vennela Jonnala
Coach - Public Speaking & Debate
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Passionate about technology and business
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Vice President at Fremont Debate Academy
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Over 400 volunteer hours at educational nonprofits
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JFK Technology Association President
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Berkeley Labs computer science intern
“The greatest danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it.”
- Michelangelo
Hey! My name is Vennela Jonnala, and I am a student at John F Kennedy Highschool. I am a passionate, driven, innovative student, and an aspiring entrepreneur and engineer. I have always loved and been a part of STEM, but I have discovered that my passion also lies in social activism and education.
I value, above all, my family, friends, and my community. They are the reason I am determined to face anything to make our society a better place, in whichever ways possible. I value education and innovation, and I believe that together, they build our world's future.
Awards and Achievements:
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Gold Presidential Volunteer Service Award (3x)
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National Parliamentary Debate Invitational: 1st Seed + Quarterfinalists
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FTC – Robot Game Champion / First Inspire Award Winning Team
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2022 MESA Hackathon - 1st Place
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2022 MESA Coding Solutions - 2nd Place, Regionals Qualifier
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American Invitational Mathematics Exam (AIME) Qualifier
Whenever possible, I love to learn new things and spread my knowledge. I spend my days challenging myself academically and elsewhere, including through reading and learning new things, founding multiple STEM clubs, and competing in robotics, math, and coding teams. I work to spread and share what I learn through my extensive work with educational nonprofits Fremont Debate Academy and NorCal Robotics. I have volunteered for over 400 hours and won the Gold Presidential Volunteer Service Award three times for my work with these organizations. I also have multiple hundreds of hours of experience teaching and leading debate/public speaking programs as a Vice President for FDA, and it has become one of my favorite parts of my high school career. More than anything else, it is always important to me that I truly enjoy, love, and learn from everything I do.
My passion for learning and teaching has inspired my strong belief in the importance of education. In fact, if I could change any one thing in the world, I would make quality education accessible to every single person. I also believe that everyone should be given the same educational opportunities, regardless of their background, where they live, or what school they go to. This is why I have decided that my purpose is to create opportunities for others, educational or otherwise.
I have always loved teaching, and I have pursued this passion through multiple educational organizations. I have personally taught hundreds of students in both STEM and debate-related areas, and my favorite part of the entire experience is meeting so many new students. I look forward to working with more people and passing on my passion for public speaking!
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- Vennela Jonnala
Vennela Jonnala
