Riya Velhal | Founder & President

Hi! My name is Riya, and I founded StratScholar and serve as President of StratScholar. 

I remember feeling extremely lost when I first started out in my research journey the beginning of my sophomore year in my first internship, with no support, resources, or community. After working to build a high school network of student researchers, i've learnt how important it is to have a cushion of help and resources behind you especially when engaging in college level research for the first time. Research has contributed heavily to my educational journey, after my first internship, I now am engaging in independent research and are working to submit my findings to local boards on campaign finance. I would say the success and rewards of complete thorough research is especially rewarding for high school students, with that in mind, my utmost goal is to bridge the gap of research accessibility for other High Schoolers. 

Outside of StratScholar, I enjoy taking on my favorite sports, badminton and golf as well as spontaneous side quests. Occasionally, you can find me playing pickleball with my bestfriends, playing chess in an absolutely absurd manner, or find me chasing my little sister with silly string, the possibilities are endless.