Mamta Patel Nagraja, a space flight engineer with National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Nasa), US, would address the new batch of Dexterity School of Leadership and Entrepreneurship (popularly known as Dex School).
An initiative of city boy Sharad Vivek Sagar, a student of Tufts University, Massachusetts, the Dex School prepares students for national- and international-level competitions and hones leadership and entrepreneurship skills of participants.
However, Mamta would not be coming down to Patna. It would a pre-recorded video, in which she would be answering queries of students. The questions had been taken in advance so that the Nasa scientist could answer them in detail.
"It's a big opportunity for the Dex School as Mamta Patel Nagraja would be associated with us. Nagraja is an award-winning Nasa scientist and project head of the globally awarded Women@NASA programme. The interaction would definitely enlighten the students," said Sharad, the founder and executive director of Dex School.
He said Dex School had sent a request to Nasa, asking it to send someone as a mentor two months ago.
Sharad added: "The 12-minute video recording of Nagraja, which she has dedicated to Dex School students, would be shown to the students at St Xavier's High School on May 24. We had sent many questions to her and she answered each of them."
On topics Natrajan would dwell on, Sharad said: "She would talk about the role of women in leadership and share stories and experiences from her own life."
The Dex School would run from May 24 to May 28 at St Xavier's High School. Apart from Nagraja, luminaries from other fields, including social worker Sudha Verghese, entrepreneur Irfan Alam and academic Syed Sultan Ahmed, would mentor students.
"Apart from students from Hyderabad, Jamshedpur, Delhi and Patna, we would have two students from Nepal this time, who come from the earthquake affected area. We have given a year's scholarship to both the students."
Thirty students would be part of the five-day training session of the Dex School.
According to Sharad, the students of Dex School are selected through rigorous online application and interview rounds.
"To be part of the Dex School, one has to fill up online application forms, describing themselves and answer queries related to entrepreneurship. The shortlisted candidates have to face telephonic interview after which a chosen few are selected as a part of the Dex School. This is the third year of the Dex School. Students from the last two batches are winners of some of the most coveted awards, including International Young Eco-Hero Award, UN Youth Courage Award and others," Sharad said.
