PRINCETON, NJ (TIP): Indian American Archika Dogra and seven other students have been named winners of the 2024 Spirit of Princeton Award, honoring Princeton University undergraduates for positive contributions to campus life. The award recognizes those who have demonstrated a strong commitment to undergraduate experience through dedicated efforts in student organizations, athletics, community service, religious life, residential life and the arts.
The selection committee received over 180 letters of nomination on behalf of outstanding undergraduate students. The Spirit of Princeton Award is sponsored by the Office of the Dean of Undergraduate Students and has been given annually since 1995.
Dogra, a senior from Bellevue, Washington, is majoring in computer science. During her time on campus, she served as president of the Entrepreneurship Club and president of Princeton South Asian Theatrics.
She contributed meaningfully to the wider Princeton community through her mentorship with Academic Service Today, her involvement as a OneRespect interviewer and her service as an accessibility notetaker, according to a university press release.
She also served as the recruitment chair for the Orange Key tour guides and as a member of the Undergraduate Student Government movies committee.
In 2017, Dogra founded Innoverge, a nonprofit aimed at promoting STEM education and addressing educational inequity. Innoverge has reached over 10,200 underrepresented students in 14 countries through 75 youth-run chapters.
The organization partners with community centers, schools, and libraries to offer STEM and humanities programs for K-8 students.
Dogra’s efforts with Innoverge have received over $15,000 in grants and sponsorships from organizations such as Disney, The Hershey Company, and Ann Taylor. Her work has been featured in publications like Forbes, Elite Daily, and Geekwire.
For her work, Dogra has been recognized as a Forbes 30 under 30 Seattle Lister, Global Teen Leader, Mars Generation 24 under 24 Leader, and WISE Learner’s Voice Fellow.
She received the Rajendra Social Impact Grant Award from Vital Voices and secured internships at NASA, the University of Washington, Sensoria Health, and CityTaps, a Paris-based startup.