

Today we’d like to introduce you to Aashi Shah
Hi Aashi, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
After being born in Southern California during the spring of 2007, I tagged along with my family and spent the first few years of my life traveling across seven states before settling in Texas. With a renewed focus on education and career in the northern suburbs of Dallas, my childhood had long been dedicated to learning. The raw and heightening moment I knew that I wanted to pursue a pathway in engineering began in the third grade when we had a classroom contest for the farthest-flying paper airplane. The day before competition day, I plopped myself down to the carpeted elementary school floor observing the blueprint of the most promising paper airplane, The Needle. Following hours of bending, overlapping, and creasing a piece of crisp white printer paper, a functioning paper airplane was born. I won first place in that contest the next day and experienced a week full of glory among my classmates. I don’t think it immediately clicked within my mind that this process of designing, testing, and building this aerial structure was engineering at first, but I would continue to build things throughout my educational career whether it be Lego restaurants or bedframes.
With this newfound passion for building and the knack for precision, I continued to put efforts into math and sciences moving toward a career in engineering. As I mentioned before, my childhood revolved around trying new things. I took ballet and hip-hop dance classes, tried out swimming and ice-skating, became a Black Belt in Taekwondo, joined Volleyball and Basketball summer camps, won awards in Model United Nations, took a course in animations and 3D design, and the list goes on. What I found out for myself was every time I immersed myself in a new activity or hobby, I felt myself grow whether it be emotionally, spiritually, or physically. When the pandemic hit in 7th grade, I continued my passion for learning and tried learning all types of hobbies such as stitching, astronomy, filmmaking, investing, etc. In essence, it felt powerful being so well-rounded and able, and by the time I entered high school, I was a new person.
With freshman year coming to a close, I walked through the halls observing my peers, and something inside my head clicked. I realized that most kids did not enjoy learning, but what if I could spark that hunger for knowledge within them? I was young and ambitious, and that was how the Master Club began. With weekly meetings to learn world geography, football, medicine, origami, music theory, and more, I was able to rekindle a natural curiosity for knowledge among many, and that is a project I hold dear to my heart. I continue to remain involved in my community to as much of an extent as a high schooler can uphold by volunteering at the city’s Fire Safety Town, running the school Badminton Club and intra-school tournaments, and working as a thespian in several of Frisco High School’s theater productions.
As I reflect on my journey, I realize that each experience, whether on stage, speaking at a conference, or leading a club, has contributed to my growth and shaped who I am today. My story is one of continuous learning, community involvement, and a relentless pursuit of understanding the many inventions of the world. With a career as an engineer in mind, as I begin to search for colleges, I am eager to explore all its facets and apply my knowledge in ways that benefit both my community and the world at large the same way.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The thing about any self-led journey is the constant requirement of proactivity in learning, and when that dwindles, the road becomes a bit rocky. One challenge I often face is a lack of proactivity in certain research aspects. This comes from being overwhelmed by not knowing how to tackle problems because learning is usually handed to students on a silver platter. Schooling instills a mindset where following instructions ensures you learn all the necessary content. However, when these same students attempt to learn independently through their research, they often feel confused and swamped by information they cannot easily grasp. It was as if I could put hours into learning something and still not know the topic. For instance, I wrote an essay on jet engines several months back, and after spending 3 to 4 hours of research, I thought that was it and I could begin my essay. But then came different variations of a jet engine and other types of engines that I was unaware of, and all that new information made me feel like I had only researched the tip of the iceberg.
Over the past year, I have written dozens of essays on engineering principles, where I annotate an article and write a minimum of 500 words explaining the content. Each of those essays required me to perform research, formulate questions, and understand the mechanics of machines I hadn’t known existed. Initially, as mentioned before, the process was stumping; every time I thought I understood one thing, another 20 new concepts would arise. But with a bit of practice, this changed. I learned that continuous learning, even without always being proactive, ensures at least some knowledge, if not all of it. Mental blocks continue to buffer projects, but consistency overcomes those obstacles. As the American businessman and author Harvey Mackay puts it, “If you are persistent you will get it, if you are consistent you will keep it.”
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
What are you most proud of?
Along with my research in the field of engineering, I’ve had a few projects emerge from it but I’d say I’m truly proud of my work on creating “Apprentice’s Handbook to Basic Planes in the Big World”. I designed this comprehensive guide that covers everything from understanding aircraft categories and classes to dissecting the intricate components that make flight possible with the purpose of informing the public of these systems in a digestible format. As I researched complex concepts, I found it difficult to truly understand the content due to the lack of simple diagrams and easy-to-read descriptions for entry-level researchers. In hopes of solving that problem, this digital handbook was created so that anyone can learn complicated topics in a comprehensible layout.
Nevertheless, constructing this handbook was no easy feat. It called for intensive research, numerous revisions, immense design, and a dedication to simplifying complex information into easily understandable content. The response has been overwhelmingly positive, with many students and professionals alike expressing their gratitude for a resource that makes learning about aircraft more approachable.
Not only did this project help me deepen my understanding of engineering but also reinforced the importance of accessible education and spreading knowledge to others. It was the same drive for simplicity and precision that inspired me to initiate a small business, namely Daze in Days, selling online infographics of engineering systems and concepts. Through this venture, I aim to bridge the gap between complex engineering theories and practical understanding, making education more inclusive and engaging. Moreover, I hope that by understandably exposing complex systems, students can further their knowledge in the field and create bigger, better systems for the future.
Both the handbook and my business reflect my broader goal: to inspire others and make learning a continuous, enjoyable journey. By providing resources that demystify engineering, I hope to spark a curiosity that empowers others to explore the fascinating world of engineering. This commitment to education and community involvement is what drives me, and seeing the positive impact of my work is what I am most proud of.
How do you think about happiness?
Passion. Observing passion within others and myself is what drives me to be happy. Let’s say you walk down the produce aisle of a grocery store; you’d see a mother searching for the ripest avocados; you’d see a professor scanning for the greenest cucumbers; you’d see a son foraging for the plumpest blueberries. Each contributor to society you find in this grocery store isn’t just looking for food; they’re looking for an elixir that fuels their passion. It’s the mother ensuring her family eats nutritiously, the professor finding the freshest ingredients for a meticulously planned meal, and the son eagerly selecting his favorite fruit. Each act, driven by precision in detail, reflects a deeper commitment and joy in what they do.
Seeing such dedication and passion in everyday moments inspires me and reinforces my own drive to pursue what I love with the same fervor. In a world filled with disoriented workers and people deprived of excitement in life, it helps to experience people overflowing with passion whether it be for eating food, for writing the news, for constructing solar cars, or for saving people’s lives. Passion is what restores the feeling of excitement in small things and pushes me to join the force of contributing citizens in society.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://aashishah102.wixsite.com/digitalportfolio
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/imaashishah/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@aashi.shah.3
Image Credits
Prachi Arora