"As the pandemic progressed, there was this sense of fear," said Bandi.
[Ads /]
Despite her concerns, Bandi found inspiration in the way her classmates used their skills and talents to help raise money for those impacted by the virus.
"l saw a lot of my friends doing things," she said. "Some people were baking stuff, some people were selling artwork, and I just felt really inspired by that."
Bandi had experience as a tutor, as well as a perfect score on her SAT and ACT exams, which led her to start an online-based course for students preparing to take college-entry exams. The program, which she began designing in May, was built from scratch and took an estimated 150 hours to complete.
"It took about a month," she said. "It took a lot of time."
Once the course was designed, Bandi said her family predominately used social media to recruit 50 participants for two weeks worth of instruction.
[Ads /]
"We kind of did it on a Zoom-type platform," she said.
Those who took Bandi's courses were charged $200, with a $10,000 donation ultimately going to the Houston Food Bank. Samhitha raised $5,000, and her dad's company matched that donation on her behalf. Samhitha, who wants to pursue a degree in medicine, says she got great reviews from her students.
"I was really nervous," said Bandi. "As time went on, I got a lot of positive feedback and that made me really happy."
Bandi and Cypress Creek High School will begin the new school year on September 8.