Post by Yash Raj Ojha

From Summer Camp Participant to Keynote Speaker at IIIT-Delhi: A Journey That Came Full Circle On June 2, 2025, I experienced one of the most meaningful milestones in my academic journey — I was invited as the Keynote Speaker for the Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology, Delhi Summer Camp 2025 Inauguration Ceremony. I am thankful to Summer Camp IIITD 2025 organizing committee (Rahul Goel , Dheeraj Arora and Mayank Singh ) for inviting me to share my journey in front of professors, students, and the Summer Camp community. Standing on that stage wasn’t just a milestone — it was an emotional return to my roots. In my address, I shared my experiences — the value of curiosity, the impact of mentorship, and the importance of finding purpose early. I spoke about how the Summer Camp didn’t just introduce me to a college — it introduced me to myself. It gave me the first glimpse of what I could become, and I’ve spent the last nine years chasing that version. What began as casual chats with strangers during camp volunteering soon grew into lasting friendships — some of my closest batchmates today were once just unfamiliar faces. My association with the Summer Camp goes back to 2016, when I was a Class 9 student at Lajpat Nagar-Rpvv. That year, I was fortunate to be selected for the very first edition of the Summer Camp hosted by IIIT-Delhi for school students. For a young student like me, visiting a premier research institute was eye-opening. I still remember vividly how one of the mentors showed us his B.Tech project on drones. That small moment sparked a big shift — it awakened a curiosity in me to understand how things work, what powers the world around us, and how I could build solutions too. It was the beginning of my journey in engineering. In 2021, that spark turned into action when I joined Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology, Delhi as a B.Tech student in ECE Department IIIT Delhi. By 2023, I found myself back at the Summer Camp — this time, as part of the organizing team, working as a volunteer and teaching mentor. I was humbled to receive the Special Mention: Best Volunteer Award that year by our institute's founding director and our favourite Prof. Pankaj Jalote. In 2024, I continued to serve the initiative as a mentor, working alongside Mohit . who had been the Camp Coordinator in 2023. Then, in 2025, as I completed my B. Tech degree, I returned to the same Summer Camp — now as its Keynote Speaker. Standing on that stage and sharing my journey, what began as a participant and evolved into a mentor, advisor, and now a speaker, was deeply emotional and fulfilling. This wasn't just a moment of recognition; it was a deeply personal reminder of how far I’ve come — from a wide-eyed school student visiting a tech campus for the first time, to someone who has lived and learned within its walls, and finally, to someone trusted to inspire the next generation.