One of the greatest joys in Rachna Nath’s life is when her students succeed.
Nath, who teaches biotechnology, environmental science, and honors STEM research at Arizona College Prep High School in Chandler, and is the founder and CEO of DRIPBL, an innovation education platform, does everything she can to motivate her students.
“I am always finding out resources, not just to teach content but to use the content in innovative ways that will help trigger the curiosity of these kids,” Nath says, adding that DRIPBL stands for “Dream, Research, Innovate, Problem/Project Based Learning.”
“Whatever they wish to do in their lives, I will support them in whatever possible ways I can,” she says.
In addition to providing her students with the opportunity to create and cultivate their own curiosity and individuality, Nath also stresses the importance of perseverance, hard work, and believing in oneself—even when the going gets tough.
Overcoming Her Own Obstacles
As Nath notes, she knows firsthand what it is like to face, and ultimately overcome, a difficult challenge. When she moved to the United States in 2003 with her husband, it was hard for her to find work.
“It was very frustrating because I was applying for like 10 to 15 jobs per day, and nothing came up even though I had a master’s degree,” Nath says, adding that the degree turned out to be a problem because she was told she was overqualified for most of the jobs. “Finally, I ended up applying to be a volunteer at St. Luke’s Medical Hospital in Phoenix near my husband’s office.”
Nath spent her time in the emergency room and the surgery waiting room helping people, and she also worked at the front office.
“During that time, I was always very cheerful, and one of the ladies who I always said hello to in the morning came up to me and said, ‘Rachna, I’ve seen you work here and volunteer here a lot—do you want a job?’ And that’s how I got my first job as a cafeteria cashier at the hospital where I was volunteering.”
In addition to being a cashier, Nath cleaned tables, chairs, and floors.
“When the cafeteria was open, it was a learning experience for me learning things like what is a bagel, what is a brownie, what is a croissant, because in India, we did not have those things. It was a very enriching learning experience,” she says.
Sharing Personal Challenges Inspires Students’ Respect
Nath likes to tell her students about the various challenges she has faced throughout her life, including when it was hard to find work.
“I also always talk about my mistakes that I made when I was their age so that they will listen to it and grow into a mindset where everyone is failable, even their teacher who is standing right in front of them,” she says. “It actually makes them appreciate us a lot better because they understand we are human and are prone to making mistakes, but they also do respect you a lot because they know that you are opening up to them, and you are forming a bond and a relationship with the students.”
Regardless of whether they are in her classroom or working with her through DRIPBL, Nath is devoted to discovering what the students are curious about and encouraging them to believe in themselves.
The main difference between the classroom and DRIPBL, Nath notes, is that she can reach students from all over the world from her platform.
“At DRIPBL, I provide my services absolutely free to students in certain areas where they are willing to work with me through the platform to learn about innovation and entrepreneurship,” she says.
Today’s Successes Will Follow Students Into the Future
When Nath looks back at her many years as an educator, she feels a great sense of pride and happiness.
To date, her students have brought in over $10 million worth of scholarships. Seven projects are patent-pending, and two students authored internationally bestselling books.
“They have also gotten over $150,000 in grant money, and this is through student-written grants,” Nath says.
No matter what hopes, dreams, and goals her students have, Nath is honored to be a part of their lives and thrilled to provide them with opportunities for success.
“When I see the impact that these kids have done on their livelihood, or when they swear by the help that the DRIPBL platform has given them to believe in themselves, or when they are doing pitch competitions and they are going to present their ideas to stakeholders, or when they are working with the Chandler Incubator to talk about how to build a company, or when they work with patent lawyers and licensing experts to patent their products—everything gives me huge joy,” she says. “This is because in every single aspect of workforce development, as we call it, they are not just learning how to be a student in high school but also thinking about their transition into college life, where they will be able to sustain themselves and learn some soft skills and hard skills that they require as they graduate.”