{"id":32195,"date":"2023-07-28T07:00:09","date_gmt":"2023-07-28T01:30:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.globalindian.com\/youth\/\/?post_type=story&#038;p=32195"},"modified":"2024-12-27T16:48:27","modified_gmt":"2024-12-27T11:18:27","slug":"aryan-kumar-us-presidential-scholar-promoting-dental-hygiene-in-rural-india","status":"publish","type":"story","link":"https:\/\/old.globalindian.com\/youth\/story\/cover-story\/aryan-kumar-us-presidential-scholar-promoting-dental-hygiene-in-rural-india\/","title":{"rendered":"Aryan Kumar: US Presidential Scholar promoting dental hygiene in rural India"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>(July 28, 2023)<\/strong> Shrewsbury resident Aryan Kumar, an 18-year-old activist from Massachusetts and one of the 161 recipients of the US Presidential Scholar 2022 award, believes that a single email could be the catalyst for a transformative program benefiting thousands of rural Indian residents. Through his initiative, Forgotten 32, Aryan aims to promote dental hygiene in India&#8217;s rural villages. This impactful program not only addresses a pressing health issue but also showcases the potential of young Indian Americans in making a significant difference in the world.<\/p>\n<p>Aryan&#8217;s journey started when he discovered the alarming lack of awareness about oral hygiene among people in India. Motivated by this revelation, he took it upon himself to educate underprivileged children in the country about the importance of dental care. To support his cause, Aryan collected essential supplies from local dentist offices and distributed them to those in need, making a meaningful impact on the lives of many vulnerable individuals.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_23168\" style=\"width: 472px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-23168\" class=\"wp-image-23168 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.globalindian.com\/youth\/\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/aryan-card1.jpg\" alt=\"Activist | Aryan Kumar | Global Indian\" width=\"462\" height=\"661\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 462px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 462\/661;\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-23168\" class=\" wp-image-23168\" src=\"https:\/\/www.globalindian.com\/youth\/\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/aryan-card1.jpg\" alt=\"Activist | Aryan Kumar | Global Indian\" width=\"462\" height=\"661\" \/><\/noscript><p id=\"caption-attachment-23168\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Aryan Kumar<\/p><\/div>\n<p>&#8220;I emailed a lot of dentists in Central Massachusetts to see if they would donate dental floss, toothbrushes and toothpaste to help,\u201d he told MetroWest Daily News in an interview, adding, \u201cWe got around 1,000 donations, and I brought them to India and travelled a few hour outside of New Delhi to poorer villages and spoke in Hindi to teach children about these things and explained how to use them, before giving them to the kids.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>His relentless efforts as a senior at the Advanced Math and Science Academy yielded remarkable results, benefiting thousands of children through his partnership with the Ekal Vidyalaya Foundation, which facilitated the distribution of dental hygiene supplies to those in need. However, the pandemic put a screeching halt to the plan. Not one to be fazed by roadblocks, the activist has plans in place, &#8220;My ultimate goal is to set up full-time medical clinics in rural India.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The recipient of US Presidential Scholars medal believes that more than grades, it\u2019s the extracurriculars that distinguish him from his peers. \u201cA high SAT score is impressive but a lot of people have that. I have a pretty high GPA, too, but I don\u2019t think those are the separating factors. I think the separating factors for me were the extracurriculars I was a part of,\u201d the activist added.<\/p>\n<p>In addition to founding Forgotten 32, Aryan Kumar is also the visionary behind Enough is Enough, a non-profit dedicated to promoting social justice and combating police brutality and racism in Massachusetts. Boasting a membership of over 2000 individuals, the organisation played a pivotal role in coordinating impactful Black Lives Matter protests across central Massachusetts. Its significant influence has grown exponentially, with more than 30 chapters established throughout the United States, amplifying the fight for equality and justice in communities across the nation.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_23165\" style=\"width: 838px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-23165\" class=\"wp-image-23165 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.globalindian.com\/youth\/\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/aryan1.jpg\" alt=\"Activist | Global Indian | Aryan Kumar\" width=\"828\" height=\"548\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 828px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 828\/548;\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-23165\" class=\" wp-image-23165\" src=\"https:\/\/www.globalindian.com\/youth\/\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/aryan1.jpg\" alt=\"Activist | Global Indian | Aryan Kumar\" width=\"828\" height=\"548\" \/><\/noscript><p id=\"caption-attachment-23165\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Aryan leading the Enough Is Enough initiative<\/p><\/div>\n<p>With a passion for biology, Aryan Kumar is set to embark on his academic journey at Washington University in St. Louis this fall. Demonstrating his dedication to the field, he used his summer to assist college students in their research projects, seeking a deeper understanding and perspective before finalising his career path.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I cold-emailed about 100 professors. I got three responses \u2014 one saying no, one saying they had retired, and one from Dr. Lynn Adler (from UMass Amherst). I spent a lot of time working with her and Ph.D. students on their projects, to see if I really wanted to do biology and if this was something I was cut out to do,\u201d he told the daily.<\/p>\n<p>Aryan has set a academic path for himself but at the same time he wants to continue to dedicate his time and efforts to the impactful initiative he founded, Forgotten 32, where he strives to make a difference in the lives of underprivileged children in rural India by promoting dental hygiene and providing essential support.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Follow Aryan Kumar on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/aryan-kumar-ab80a8179\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Linkedin<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><script type=\"application\/ld+json\">\n{\n  \"@context\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\",\n  \"@type\": \"FAQPage\",\n  \"mainEntity\": [\n    {\n      \"@type\": \"Question\",\n      \"name\": \"What is Forgotten 32, and how does it promote dental hygiene in rural India?\",\n      \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n        \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n        \"text\": \"Forgotten 32 is an initiative founded by Aryan Kumar, an 18-year-old activist from Massachusetts. Through this program, Aryan aims to promote dental hygiene in India's rural villages. He collects dental supplies such as dental floss, toothbrushes, and toothpaste from local dentists in Central Massachusetts through emails and donations. Aryan then travels to poorer villages outside of New Delhi, where he educates underprivileged children about the importance of dental care in Hindi and explains how to use the supplies before distributing them to the kids.\"\n      }\n    },\n    {\n      \"@type\": \"Question\",\n      \"name\": \"What impact has Aryan Kumar's initiative, Forgotten 32, had on rural Indian residents?\",\n      \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n        \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n        \"text\": \"Aryan's initiative, Forgotten 32, has made a meaningful impact on the lives of thousands of underprivileged children in rural India. By providing dental hygiene supplies and educating children about oral care, he addresses a pressing health issue and improves their overall well-being. The program has brought much-needed awareness to oral hygiene in areas where it was previously lacking, benefiting vulnerable individuals and communities.\"\n      }\n    },\n    {\n      \"@type\": \"Question\",\n      \"name\": \"How did Aryan Kumar start his journey to promote dental hygiene in India?\",\n      \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n        \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n        \"text\": \"Aryan Kumar's journey began when he discovered the alarming lack of awareness about oral hygiene among people in India. Motivated by this revelation, he took the initiative to educate underprivileged children in the country about the importance of dental care. He reached out to dentists in Central Massachusetts through emails, asking for donations of dental supplies. With around 1,000 donations collected, he travelled to rural villages outside of New Delhi, spoke in Hindi, and taught children about dental hygiene before distributing the supplies to them.\"\n      }\n    },\n    {\n      \"@type\": \"Question\",\n      \"name\": \"What other initiatives has Aryan Kumar been involved in, besides Forgotten 32?\",\n      \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n        \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n        \"text\": \"Besides Forgotten 32, Aryan Kumar is also the visionary behind \\\"Enough is Enough,\\\" a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting social justice and combating police brutality and racism in Massachusetts. The organization boasts a membership of over 2000 individuals and has played a significant role in coordinating impactful Black Lives Matter protests across central Massachusetts. It has expanded its influence with over 30 chapters established throughout the United States, amplifying the fight for equality and justice in communities nationwide.\"\n      }\n    },\n    {\n      \"@type\": \"Question\",\n      \"name\": \"How has Aryan Kumar balanced his academic pursuits and his commitment to social initiatives like Forgotten 32?\",\n      \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n        \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n        \"text\": \"Aryan Kumar believes that extracurricular activities are what distinguish him from his peers, even more than grades and test scores. Despite being a recipient of the US Presidential Scholar award, Aryan dedicates his time and efforts to initiatives like Forgotten 32 and \\\"Enough is Enough.\\\" He is passionate about biology and will pursue his academic journey at Washington University in St. Louis. During the summer, he used his time to assist college students with their research projects to gain a deeper understanding of the field before finalizing his career path. Aryan aims to continue his involvement with Forgotten 32 while pursuing his academic ambitions.\"\n      }\n    }\n  ]\n}\n<\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>(July 28, 2023) Shrewsbury resident Aryan Kumar, an 18-year-old activist from Massachusetts and one of the 161 recipients of the US Presidential Scholar 2022 award, believes that a single email could be the catalyst for a transformative program benefiting thousands of rural Indian residents. Through his initiative, Forgotten 32, Aryan aims to promote dental hygiene in India&#8217;s rural villages. This impactful program not only addresses a pressing health issue but also showcases the potential of young Indian Americans in making a significant difference in the world. Aryan&#8217;s journey started when he discovered the alarming lack of awareness about oral hygiene [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":18,"featured_media":23158,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","story-category":[215,2518],"story-tag":[4310,4336,4337,188,6447],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.0 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Aryan Kumar: Promoting dental hygiene in rural India<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Indian American activist Aryan Kumar started Forgotten 32 with the aim to promote dental hygiene in rural India.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/old.globalindian.com\/youth\/story\/cover-story\/aryan-kumar-us-presidential-scholar-promoting-dental-hygiene-in-rural-india\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Aryan Kumar: Promoting dental hygiene in rural India\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Indian American activist Aryan Kumar started Forgotten 32 with the aim to promote dental hygiene in rural India.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/old.globalindian.com\/youth\/story\/cover-story\/aryan-kumar-us-presidential-scholar-promoting-dental-hygiene-in-rural-india\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Global Indian Youth\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2024-12-27T11:18:27+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/old.globalindian.com\/youth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/aryan-banner.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1920\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"650\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/old.globalindian.com\/youth\/story\/cover-story\/aryan-kumar-us-presidential-scholar-promoting-dental-hygiene-in-rural-india\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/old.globalindian.com\/youth\/story\/cover-story\/aryan-kumar-us-presidential-scholar-promoting-dental-hygiene-in-rural-india\/\",\"name\":\"Aryan Kumar: Promoting dental hygiene in rural India\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/old.globalindian.com\/youth\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/old.globalindian.com\/youth\/story\/cover-story\/aryan-kumar-us-presidential-scholar-promoting-dental-hygiene-in-rural-india\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/old.globalindian.com\/youth\/story\/cover-story\/aryan-kumar-us-presidential-scholar-promoting-dental-hygiene-in-rural-india\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/old.globalindian.com\/youth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/aryan-banner.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-07-28T01:30:09+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-12-27T11:18:27+00:00\",\"description\":\"Indian American activist Aryan Kumar started Forgotten 32 with the aim to promote dental hygiene in rural India.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/old.globalindian.com\/youth\/story\/cover-story\/aryan-kumar-us-presidential-scholar-promoting-dental-hygiene-in-rural-india\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/old.globalindian.com\/youth\/story\/cover-story\/aryan-kumar-us-presidential-scholar-promoting-dental-hygiene-in-rural-india\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/old.globalindian.com\/youth\/story\/cover-story\/aryan-kumar-us-presidential-scholar-promoting-dental-hygiene-in-rural-india\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/old.globalindian.com\/youth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/aryan-banner.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/old.globalindian.com\/youth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/aryan-banner.jpg\",\"width\":1920,\"height\":650,\"caption\":\"Aryan Kumar is the founder of Forgotten 32\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/old.globalindian.com\/youth\/story\/cover-story\/aryan-kumar-us-presidential-scholar-promoting-dental-hygiene-in-rural-india\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/old.globalindian.com\/youth\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Stories\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/old.globalindian.com\/youth\/story\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"Aryan Kumar: US Presidential Scholar promoting dental hygiene in rural India\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/old.globalindian.com\/youth\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/old.globalindian.com\/youth\/\",\"name\":\"Global Indian Youth\",\"description\":\"A hero\u2019s journey\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/old.globalindian.com\/youth\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Aryan Kumar: Promoting dental hygiene in rural India","description":"Indian American activist Aryan Kumar started Forgotten 32 with the aim to promote dental hygiene in rural India.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/old.globalindian.com\/youth\/story\/cover-story\/aryan-kumar-us-presidential-scholar-promoting-dental-hygiene-in-rural-india\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Aryan Kumar: Promoting dental hygiene in rural India","og_description":"Indian American activist Aryan Kumar started Forgotten 32 with the aim to promote dental hygiene in rural India.","og_url":"https:\/\/old.globalindian.com\/youth\/story\/cover-story\/aryan-kumar-us-presidential-scholar-promoting-dental-hygiene-in-rural-india\/","og_site_name":"Global Indian Youth","article_modified_time":"2024-12-27T11:18:27+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1920,"height":650,"url":"https:\/\/old.globalindian.com\/youth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/aryan-banner.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/old.globalindian.com\/youth\/story\/cover-story\/aryan-kumar-us-presidential-scholar-promoting-dental-hygiene-in-rural-india\/","url":"https:\/\/old.globalindian.com\/youth\/story\/cover-story\/aryan-kumar-us-presidential-scholar-promoting-dental-hygiene-in-rural-india\/","name":"Aryan Kumar: Promoting dental hygiene in rural India","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/old.globalindian.com\/youth\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/old.globalindian.com\/youth\/story\/cover-story\/aryan-kumar-us-presidential-scholar-promoting-dental-hygiene-in-rural-india\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/old.globalindian.com\/youth\/story\/cover-story\/aryan-kumar-us-presidential-scholar-promoting-dental-hygiene-in-rural-india\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/old.globalindian.com\/youth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/aryan-banner.jpg","datePublished":"2023-07-28T01:30:09+00:00","dateModified":"2024-12-27T11:18:27+00:00","description":"Indian American activist Aryan Kumar started Forgotten 32 with the aim to promote dental hygiene in rural India.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/old.globalindian.com\/youth\/story\/cover-story\/aryan-kumar-us-presidential-scholar-promoting-dental-hygiene-in-rural-india\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/old.globalindian.com\/youth\/story\/cover-story\/aryan-kumar-us-presidential-scholar-promoting-dental-hygiene-in-rural-india\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/old.globalindian.com\/youth\/story\/cover-story\/aryan-kumar-us-presidential-scholar-promoting-dental-hygiene-in-rural-india\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/old.globalindian.com\/youth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/aryan-banner.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/old.globalindian.com\/youth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/aryan-banner.jpg","width":1920,"height":650,"caption":"Aryan Kumar is the founder of Forgotten 32"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/old.globalindian.com\/youth\/story\/cover-story\/aryan-kumar-us-presidential-scholar-promoting-dental-hygiene-in-rural-india\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/old.globalindian.com\/youth\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Stories","item":"https:\/\/old.globalindian.com\/youth\/story\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Aryan Kumar: US Presidential Scholar promoting dental hygiene in rural India"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/old.globalindian.com\/youth\/#website","url":"https:\/\/old.globalindian.com\/youth\/","name":"Global Indian Youth","description":"A hero\u2019s journey","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/old.globalindian.com\/youth\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/old.globalindian.com\/youth\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/story\/32195"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/old.globalindian.com\/youth\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/story"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/old.globalindian.com\/youth\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/story"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/old.globalindian.com\/youth\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/18"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/old.globalindian.com\/youth\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=32195"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/old.globalindian.com\/youth\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/story\/32195\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":41163,"href":"https:\/\/old.globalindian.com\/youth\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/story\/32195\/revisions\/41163"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/old.globalindian.com\/youth\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/23158"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/old.globalindian.com\/youth\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=32195"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"story-category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/old.globalindian.com\/youth\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/story-category?post=32195"},{"taxonomy":"story-tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/old.globalindian.com\/youth\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/story-tag?post=32195"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}