According to IRINA STHAPIT, "If your dreams don't scare you, they aren't big enough."
An Asia Foundation Development Fellow, Sthapit is intrigued by space and loves spotting shooting stars in the night sky. She says, "While I cannot go to space at the moment, I explore the universe by making DIY antennas."
A love for tinkering started early: "As a little girl in Kathmandu, Nepal, my father and I used to fix his bike together. Though I didn't know anything about fixing bikes, I was his little assistant with a torch. I would pass him tools, and he would teach me how to use them. Because of this experience, I was never afraid to use tools."
Sthapit studied at Kathmandu Engineering College in Nepal and again and again saw women being discouraged from sciences and engineering, so she set out to change it and began teaching and trying to change the pipeline and open it up to new people. "As an educator, I got to see the 'Aha!' moments of my students and wanted to explore more about teaching and learning. This brought me to Stanford University, where I pursued my Master's in Learning, Design, and Technology." Sthapit designed games like Robiotics, a coding game for middle school girls to develop their confidence in STEM fields, and Mission I.M. Possible, a line of maker kits for 9-12-year-olds to develop STEM skills. And Aerobot is her android-controlled hand-held quadcopter with a camera for surveillance in areas affected by natural disasters, inspired by growing up in the shadow of the Himalayas.
This year, Sthapit is honing her leadership skills with The Asia Foundation in a yearlong professional advancement program for a cohort of twelve extraordinary young people. Drawing on the Foundation's extensive 20-country network and deep expertise collaborating with innovative leaders and communities across the region, Irina hopes to expand her knowledge of development across Asia. You can meet Irina in person on October 19 at a dinner honoring her class of Development Fellows. More information at asiafoundatioin.org/leaders.
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