We were lucky to catch up with Nishi Soni recently and have shared our conversation below.
Nishi, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?
PrePAIR Mentors found its start in 2022 as a student-led nonprofit organization aimed to impact the lives of highschool students through mentor experiences, group lectures, international philanthropy, and one-on-one mentoring.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
As a student-led nonprofit, PrePAIR Mentors champions diversity, inclusivity, and most importantly, belonging. We foster safe, small spaces for students to come together and innovate through mentor lectures and volunteer events. Some of our largest projects include our We Got Your Back Supply Drive in partnership with Rebuilding our Community Nigeria and We Got Your Back International with representatives in Guatemala, India, and Nigeria; through our drives we were able to raise over 600 school supplies to distribute to over 300 special-needs children in India. We’ve also been invited to host an educational booth at Society for Science’s 2023 ISEF (International Science and Engineering Fair) Regeneron where we expanded our mission by performing an in-person science trial, stimulating the Effects of Intoxication on Cognitive Function with over 200 participants.
Our President and Founder, Nishi Soni, has been crowned Distinguished Young Woman of Collin County for her leadership and impact in PrePAIR Mentors and will be advancing to the National Qualifier in 2024! She’s also received the Community Contributions award from Frisco Independent School District which honored one student out of 2,600 for their community impact, in Frisco and beyond.
Current projects include our ongoing Full-Time STEM Mentoring Program. We have over 50 student mentors commuting to various middle schools three times a week to mentor 250 students individually in the fields of General Science, Science Fair Competitions, and Math and Science UIL Competitions; last year, 3 Science Fair competitors placed at the Dallas Regional Science and Engineering Fair. We are excited to see where our competitors go this year! We’re also working with the Deputy Mayor of Frisco, Ms. Angelia Pelham, by championing women’s inclusivity and safe spaces. Other events include bringing in mentors to give interactive lectures and frequent volunteer events to create care packages for children through our We Got Your Back Supply Drive.
How do you keep your team’s morale high?
Our President and Founder, Nishi Soni, has found a home within PrePAIR Mentors. There’s nothing more she loves than working one-on-one with students, recruiting mentors, leading the LEAD (Leader’s Exemplifying Advanced Drive) Internship, and calling her team family.
Can you open up about how you funded your business?
PrePAIR Mentor’s host frequent fundraisers to raise money for secondary education. We recently spent a day at Highland Village’s Art Festival face painting, selling keychains, and performing live painting for town residents. Here at PrePAIR, we believe our success comes from connection; that’s exactly what we found here at the festival.
Contact Info:
- Website: prepairmentors.org
- Instagram: @prepairmentors
- Linkedin: linkedin.com/company/prepairmentors
- Twitter: @prepairmentors
- Other: Linktree: linktr.ee/prepairmentors Remind: @prementors
Image Credits
Image Courtesy of Allison Qiu and Nishi Soni