From a young age, Dishita Agarwal faced health challenges that required resilience and resourcefulness. During high school, a long recovery period revealed how poorly schools support students with special health care needs. Reflecting on that time, she wrote on Instagram: “I hope I can use my pain to shed light on how combative the school system is towards people with medical conditions.”

Since then, Agarwal has grown into both a powerful advocate and a wide-ranging scholar. She has served as a youth health adviser with the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services, founded the Empowering North Carolina Students with Special Health Care Needs Project, and became the only teenager on the advisory committee of the Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs National Research Network.

Her academic career reflects an equally striking breadth. A Presidential Scholar and graduate of the Early College at Guilford, she maintained a 4.0 GPA while completing dual-enrollment courses at Guilford College. She earned a 1590 SAT score and was twice recognized with Guilford College’s Dean’s Writing Awards for excellence in both the sciences and journalism. A captain in Science Olympiad, she has won more than 50 medals since middle school, while also contributing research in nanoscience, environmental health, and data science through programs at Duke University, NCSSM, and the Joint School of Nanoscience and Engineering.

Beyond the lab, Agarwal has demonstrated leadership and creativity. She founded her school’s Model United Nations program, coached peers in national conferences, and hosted a weekly two-hour radio show, “To Be 18.” She is also a published poet, award-winning essayist, and accomplished musician.

This fall, Agarwal will attend Duke University to study global health and computer science, with aspirations for a career in public health and system reform. As she wrote in her personal statement, “[By] honoring both my pain and my resilience, I am unstoppable.”