We were lucky to catch up with Ashwina Sharma recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Ashwina, thanks for joining us today. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – walk us through the story?

One risk I took was becoming the Lead Volunteer and Head Program Coordinator of An Unclouded Conscience and later helping expand its mission through Project CareerTalks. When I first began, I wanted to make education, service, and opportunity more accessible, but I was nervous about putting my work out publicly. As a student leader, I worried whether organizations would take me seriously, whether people would respond, and whether the project would create real impact.

Over time, An Unclouded Conscience grew into a youth-led organization that has reached 50,000+ people, collaborated with 30+ nonprofits, served communities across 5+ countries, and collected over $1,000 worth of donated items. One of the biggest risks came when I helped expand this mission through Project CareerTalks and reached beyond my local community to partner with the Light and Hope Initiative, a national NGO in Kenya.

Through Project CareerTalks, I helped lead an effort to make career education more accessible by connecting students with workshops, mentorship-style guidance, and real-world career exposure. Reaching out to an organization in another country felt intimidating because I had to help explain the mission, build trust, and support workshops that would be meaningful for students I had never met.

That risk became one of the most meaningful parts of my work. Project CareerTalks has reached 20,000+ people, hosted 10+ workshops, impacted 100+ students, and donated 50+ supply boxes. This experience taught me that leadership often begins before you feel fully ready. Looking back, I am glad I took the risk because it turned one idea into real service, global partnership, and student impact.

Ashwina, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My name is Ashwina Sharma, and I am a student leader passionate about education, service, youth empowerment, and expanding access to opportunity. I serve as the Lead Volunteer and Head Program Coordinator of An Unclouded Conscience, a youth-led organization focused on outreach, nonprofit collaboration, education, and community service. I became involved in this work because I noticed that many young people have passion and potential, but not always the same access to mentorship, supplies, career guidance, or platforms to explore their goals. Through An Unclouded Conscience, we have reached 50,000+ people, collaborated with 30+ nonprofits, served communities across 5+ countries, and collected over $1,000 worth of donated items. One project I am especially proud of is Project CareerTalks, an initiative under An Unclouded Conscience that partnered with the Light and Hope Initiative, a national NGO in Kenya, to make career education more accessible through workshops, STEM sessions, and student support. Project CareerTalks has reached 20,000+ people, hosted 10+ workshops, impacted 100+ students, and donated 50+ supply boxes. What sets my work apart is that it combines youth leadership with measurable service and global collaboration. I want readers to know that my work is centered on access: access to education, resources, guidance, and opportunities that help young people feel supported and capable of building their futures. My goal is to continue expanding these initiatives, creating meaningful partnerships, and showing that young people do not have to wait to become leaders—they can create change right now.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

A story from my journey that illustrates my resilience is when I helped grow An Unclouded Conscience and Project CareerTalks even when I was unsure if people would take a student-led initiative seriously. In the beginning, I had to reach out to organizations, plan workshops, communicate with partners, and put my ideas in front of people who had never heard of me before. There were moments where I felt nervous, especially when expanding Project CareerTalks through a partnership with the Light and Hope Initiative in Kenya, because I wanted the work to be meaningful and not just symbolic. Even when outreach was intimidating or plans changed, I kept showing up, adjusting, and learning how to lead more effectively. That experience taught me that resilience is not always about overcoming one huge obstacle. Sometimes it is about continuing to move forward through uncertainty, rejection, pressure, and self-doubt because you believe the mission is worth it.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

One lesson I had to unlearn was the idea that I needed to be completely ready before taking on leadership. When I first became involved with An Unclouded Conscience as the Lead Volunteer and Head Program Coordinator, I often felt unsure of myself. I was helping lead a youth-led organization, reaching out to nonprofits, coordinating projects, and trying to build real impact while still learning along the way. At first, I thought leadership meant having all the answers, but I quickly realized that waiting until I felt fully prepared would only hold me back. This became especially clear when I helped expand our work through Project CareerTalks and partnered with the Light and Hope Initiative, a national NGO in Kenya. Reaching out across countries, organizing workshops, and supporting students I had never met required courage, communication, and flexibility. Not everything was perfect at first, but I learned to keep going, ask questions, adapt, and trust the mission. Through that experience, An Unclouded Conscience reached 50,000+ people, collaborated with 30+ nonprofits, served 5+ countries, and collected over $1,000 in donated items, while Project CareerTalks reached 20,000+ people, hosted 10+ workshops, impacted 100+ students, and donated 50+ supply boxes. I unlearned that leadership is about perfection and learned that it is really about persistence, responsibility, and being willing to start even when you are still growing.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.anuncloudedconscience.com/ and https://sites.google.com/view/project-careertalks/home?authuser=0
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/career_talks_first/ and https://www.instagram.com/anuncloudedconscience/

Image Credits

Ashwina Sharma— I have the rights to the images in the form.