{"id":40479,"date":"2024-11-21T07:00:51","date_gmt":"2024-11-21T01:30:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.globalindian.com\/youth\/?post_type=story&p=40479"},"modified":"2025-10-27T17:19:29","modified_gmt":"2025-10-27T11:49:29","slug":"honoured-by-white-house-and-biden-celebrated-by-bush-family-how-shrusti-amula-is-leading-change","status":"publish","type":"story","link":"https:\/\/old.globalindian.com\/youth\/story\/cover-story\/honoured-by-white-house-and-biden-celebrated-by-bush-family-how-shrusti-amula-is-leading-change\/","title":{"rendered":"Honoured by White House and Biden, Celebrated by Bush Family: How Shrusti Amula is leading change"},"content":{"rendered":"

With a warm smile, Joe Biden turned to Shrusti and said, \u201cWell, Madam President, thank you.\u201d The crowd chuckled as he continued, \u201cShrusti, thank you for that wonderful introduction. Just promise me this\u2014when you are president one day, and someone says, \u2018Joe Biden is in the waiting room,\u2019 you won\u2019t ask, \u2018Joe who?\u2019\u201d His light-hearted comment drew laughter from the audience, and Shrusti, sharing in the humour, responded with a grin, \u201cI won\u2019t.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Owing to her remarkable work with the Rise N Shine Foundation, the 18-year-old was invited to the 2024 White House Diwali celebration as a special guest. Her tireless efforts to combat food waste among the affluent and fight hunger in underserved communities have gained national attention in the U.S., earning her the honour of introducing the President of United States at this year’s Diwali event.<\/span><\/p>\n

Biden\u2019s playful yet encouraging words hinted at the immense potential he saw in the young Indian American to achieve even greater heights. The day was a significant milestone in Shrusti\u2019s inspiring journey of service and leadership.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Indians

Awestruck by the honour<\/b><\/h4>\n

The Diwali event at the White House, attended by about 600 guests, left Shrusti awestruck. <\/span>\u201cThis Diwali brought a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,\u201d Shrusti shared with <\/span>Global Indian<\/span><\/i><\/a>. \u201cBeing invited to the White House was incredible, but standing next to the President and introducing him was beyond anything I ever imagined.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

She shared the stage with prominent Indian American figures like U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy and NASA astronaut Sunita Williams, who sent a recorded message from space. \u201cIt was just me, Dr. Vivek Murthy, and Sunita Williams representing the Indian community, and I had the honour of inviting President Biden to the stage before he addressed the crowd,\u201d Shrusti said, recounting the unforgettable moment.<\/span><\/p>\n

But that wasn\u2019t her only brush with national recognition this year. Just a week later in the first week of November, Shrusti found herself attending the George H.W. Bush Points of Light Awards Gala, where she was honoured for her extraordinary philanthropic work. Meeting members of the former U.S. president George H. W. Bush\u2019s family, including his son Neil Bush and grand-daughter Lauren Bush, was another surreal experience.<\/span><\/p>\n

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A post shared by rise n shine (@rise.n.shine.foundation)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n