Rachna Nath in conversation with Mahabahu

Rachna Nath in conversation with Mahabahu, “What I am today is shaped by what I learned growing up in Assam.”

KAKALI DAS

Mahabahu recently had a heartfelt conversation with Rachna Nath, the founder and CEO of DRIPBL Analytics Limited. She is a TIME-recognized STEM innovator, a NASA Solar System Ambassador, a National Geographic Educator, and the co-chair of the UNA-USA Educator Affinity Group.

The conversation was hosted by Kakali Das (myself), Assistant Editor of Mahabahu, and Padmaza Talukdar, a Research Scholar at TERI-SAS.

The discussion touched on Rachna’s journey from Assam to the United States, her challenges and achievements as an educator, the education systems, the value of life skills, and her mission to revolutionize learning globally.

Rachna began by talking about her roots – her family, her education, and her connection with Assam. A quiet girl, born and brought up in Guwahati, she was the first granddaughter in her family, and grew up under a lot of expectations.

As she completed high school, her family expected her to become either a doctor or an engineer, like most of her cousins. But she surprised everyone by deciding not to follow that path.

“Maa, one day you will be very proud of me because I will have my name in the newspaper,” she promised her mother.

Rachna kept her promise when she topped her Master’s class in Zoology at Cotton College (now Cotton University).

“Assam has always had a special place in my heart,” she said. “I may work with different organizations across the globe, but there’s always a soft corner for the place where I was born and raised.”

She also reflected on her cultural identity. Interestingly, although she is a trained Odissi dancer with her own dance school in Arizona, Rachna first began performing Bihu dance only after moving to the U.S. “Every year, my family and I perform Bihu here. It’s our way of staying connected to the roots and giving back to where we came from.”

She added, “What I am today is shaped by what I learned in my early years in Assam. That’s why I stay simple and transparent.”

Rachna never wanted to follow the crowd. “I always knew I wanted to do something different. I have always chosen my own path, not the one society laid out.”

Rachna shared how her move from Assam to the U.S. was a turning point in her life. The shift, though exciting at first, soon turned emotional. “After I landed, I cried on the phone with my mother. That’s when I realized how far I was from home.”

With a work permit of barely 8 months, and no contacts, finding a job in the U.S. was tough. “Some friends told me to erase my Master’s degree from my resume so I could get at least a menial job initially, and not get labelled as overqualified. I tried, but it didn’t work.”

She then started applying for volunteer roles. Her first break came when someone at a hospital where she volunteered offered her a job as a cashier in the cafeteria. “During lunch, I would clean tables, floors, and dishes. It was a huge learning experience,” she said.

From there, she slowly worked her way up, being able to land a teaching position at a community college.

“You have to put yourself out there. You can’t just wait for destiny for things to happen. Make it happen,” she said. “No job is small. Every experience counts.”

In 2012, as her children started kindergarten, she realized it was time to move beyond teaching at a community college. Since she had a Master’s degree in Entomology, she walked into the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) with her resume, andgot a job at the federal office to do research experiments. That step changed her life and led to her becoming a U.S. citizen.

Rachna also spoke about how girls in her culture are taught not to “talk back,” which she now sees as a disadvantage. “Standing up for what you believe in is not disrespect. It’s important to express your opinions respectfully.”

While working at USDA, she tried to pursue a PhD at Arizona State University. But when her professor moved to Germany, she switched to another Master’s program and ended up teaching Biology in a high school – a change she now considers a blessing.

On January 16, 2018, she found an email in her spam folder about a $10,000 grant from Lemelson-MIT. That email marked the start of her ground-breaking journey. “I realized I was meant to help students find innovative solutions.”

She launched DRIPBL, which stands for Dream, Research, Innovate, Problem/Project Based Learning.

“The idea is to help students discover what they truly want to do, and guide them in researching and innovating around it,” she explained. “So from 2018, up until now, I have been diligently working on not just content with these students, but how to integrate curiosity, innovation, entrepreneurship.”

In 2019, she was nominated for the Presidential Award for Innovative Teachers. By 2024, she resigned as a high school teacher to focus fully on DRIPBL. Today, it is a global organization where students from around the world can participate.

She plans to launch DRIPBL India, starting in Assam. “Kids in India are just as capable as those in the U.S., but they lack exposure. I want to change that.”

“There are already some work going on in Assam, where we are trying to motivate Assamese kids. I am planning on bringing the same innovative learning methods in Assam as well, as a way of giving back to my native roots,” Rachna said.

Rachna also discussed the differences between India and the U.S. “In America, I am one of the strongest voices advocating for students. I don’t know if I could have done the same in India that time, due to the different biases and cultural set-up.”

She believes students should look beyond grades and discover their true potential. “Students must learn to handle failures. Being okay with failure and pushing boundaries is important.”

Rachna believes that vulnerability makes a teacher relatable. “95% of my life is failure. Only 5% is what people see as success. But those failures led to that small success.”

She shared stories about how she earned her students’ respect through mutual understanding. Once, a student put his feet on the table. Instead of yelling, she calmly explained that it is considered being disrespectful to the teacher in the Indian culture. The student immediately apologized and listened. “Respect is mutual,” she said.

She believes in giving students space to think, express, and fail. “I am not their teacher; I am their mentor. That’s why they trust me.”

Thanks to this approach, her students have achieved incredible things – 9 students have already received patents, 18 more have pending patents, and some have even given TEDx talks and published books.

She emphasized that if students follow their passion, grades will naturally improve. “It’s not about grades. It’s about what they truly love.”

Rachna also spoke about teacher training. “Teachers should be mentors. Don’t burden them with pressure. Give them the freedom to help students.”

She added, “If the government supports me, that’s great. If not, I will still continue my work.”

Rachna touched upon how Indian parents often discourage careers in fields like acting or music due to insecurity and unpredictability in these professions. “In the U.S., I encourage kids to talk to their parents and follow their dreams. In India, that might be harder due to lack of awareness.”

“Our parents are being protective of us, but if we show them the path, request them to have confidence in us and our chosen path, and ensure that no matter what, we will survive and be happy, I am sure our parents will gradually realise and understand.”

She noted cultural differences, saying age is a bigger barrier in India. “In the U.S., there is no age limit for success. In India, age is often seen as a limitation.”

Rachna concluded with a powerful message: “Even in the worst situations, find something good. There is always a silver lining.”

She is now working on ways to help students from Assam reach the international stage. “I’m actively planning this and hope the Assam Government recognizes my work here and supports me. As a daughter of Assam, I want to give back to my roots,” she said.

The conversation with Rachna Nath felt very personal. Her struggles, life choices, and passion to make a difference felt honest and relatable.

Mahabahu.com is an Online Magazine with collection of premium Assamese and English articles and posts with cultural base and modern thinking.  You can send your articles to editor@mahabahu.com / editor@mahabahoo.com (For Assamese article, Unicode font is necessary) Images from different sources.