Out of the nearly 550 highschoolers who applied for the Transform RI Scholarship, Junior Snigdha Kethineni earned herself a spot among the top 5 finalists. Although there is no official order for any finalists who place below the top three, Kethineni’s $10,000 scholarship indicates a top five finish.
The Transform RI Scholarship is an annual contest for Rhode Island high school students to propose initiatives that would improve their community. The winner receives a $25,000 scholarship and $1 million invested into their idea, while finalists can earn scholarships ranging from $5,000 to $15,000.
Kethineni’s proposal for a two-part program which she named “Cycle Sense” aimed to combat the issue of inadequate resources and education surrounding the topic of menstruation, and it clearly resonated with the judges as a deeply impactful initiative.
One part focuses on distributing free and obtainable menstrual products to places where women and young girls might lack access: school restrooms, public restrooms, women’s shelters, foster homes, etc. The second part is the implementation of an educational program aimed at teaching young women about their bodies and menstrual cycles.
“This part was especially important to me,” Kethineni said. “Many young girls come from cultures and/or households that don’t discuss menstruation, and I wanted everyone to have a safe space within their communities that they could come to with any questions or concerns.”
Kethineni recognizes that women now have more access to menstrual products compared to in the past, but she feels that the issue remains significantly under-addressed.
“I have always felt that it is unfair that women have to pay a considerable amount of money in order to take care of something that they can’t control,” she said. “Many places do have menstrual products available, but not nearly enough. I was specifically concerned with homeless women, who have it hard enough as is.”
Inadequate access to menstrual products and education is not just a problem limited to Rhode Island. Kethineni connects her concern for this topic to the widespread pattern across America. Fortunately, the Transform RI scholarship offered her a unique opportunity to spread awareness across the state.
“I find it extremely hypocritical that society seems to be overtly concerned with the continually declining birth rates in America, and yet fail to supply women with the products they need for menstruation, which is quite literally the process that allows for children to be brought into this world” Kethineni said.
An Instagram reel actually inspired Kethineni to turn her concern for this topic into a tangible idea worthy of submitting for the scholarship.
“I watched an Instagram reel of this movie called Pad Man where the main character attempts to create sanitary pads after seeing his wife struggling,” she said. “This was what got me thinking about the issue of menstrual inequality, and I decided that I should do my part in solving this problem statewide.”
When Kethineni found out that she was a top 10 finalist, she was not at all expecting it.
“I truly didn’t think that I would make it as there were around 550 applicants,” she said. “I had no idea that I won until the Transform RI team walked in with a big golden ticket.”
While Kethineni did not win the $1 million first prize, being a top 5 finalist is truly an incredible accomplishment. She plans to continue pushing for change related to her topic, especially with the new connections that she gained throughout this experience.
“I will still technically be an ambassador for TRIS, and I hope to work with the other board members to see what I can do,” she said.
