“You can work hard, but if you’re not humble at the core, and if you’re not working with the motivations of helping others, I think whatever you do is kind of led with a selfish motive,” Coppell High School senior Owee Padalikar said.
On the medical Career and Technical Education pathway, Padalikar believes in using research and education to help others, whether that be by raising awareness or creating new practices.
Her interest in health science stems from her family’s medical history and experience with healthcare workers.
“I saw the compassion and attitude of the workers and doctors with my parents’ condition in 2018 and that really inspired me,” Padalikar said. “I want to be able to help people in ways not everyone can.”
Impactful work within and outside of academics has since been her goal. Padalikar leads the research and content team of MeducationX, a student-led nonprofit bringing awareness to various medical issues.
“She’s really the sole driver of MeducationX now and she’s been really creative with the medical topics and shared light on a lot of concerns that we didn’t think about,” said MeducationX co-founder Adway Kulkarni, a freshman at UT Austin.
Her leadership and dedication come as no surprise to those who know her well. For Padaliker herself however, the position is an unexpected honor.
“I wasn’t expecting it, but I am really grateful,” Padalikar said. “The work that we do has a lot of potential and we’ve spread a lot of awareness.”
In her work, Padalikar prefers to do things diligently, but not publicly. Her results speak for themselves. Over the summer, she attended the UT Southwestern STARS camp, a research program where she realized her affinity for behind-the-scenes work.
“She is an amazing hard-working girl who is always silently but constantly working,” said sister Rujuta Padalikar, a sophomore at Texas A&M. “Even if she doesn’t make it known, she is working, and when the result finally comes out, it’s amazing.”
This characteristic, as well as her passion for breaking down and completely understanding topics, led Owee to switch her interests to medical research. The idea of making an impact from behind the scenes appeals to her.
“She doesn’t always want to be on stage in front of everyone. She really enjoys working backstage and making sure everything goes right,” Rujuta said.
Medical research in particular is built on focus and working on a specific topic for extended periods of time, allowing Owee to deep dive into the inner workings of each idea and concept.
“That’s the part that I like about research,” Padalikar said. “That trial and error phase and really taking your time, testing it out, making sure everything’s OK because you know this is going to end up in healthcare practices.”
Coppell High School senior Owee Padalikar practices CPR on a mannequin. Padalikar is the leader of MeducationX and combines her love for writing with the skills learned in the EMT class.
Her teachers noticed this aspect of Owee’s personality before she did; it manifested in the way she behaved in class. Her dedication to education made an incredible impression on her former Pathophysiology teacher Ray Pool.
“She is the type of student that would go above and beyond for every assignment,” Pool said. “There was a kind of genuine, sincere love of learning that was evident in everything she did.”
As she looks forward to university, pre-med and hopefully a doctorate, Owee is humble about her own qualifications. Those around her, on the other hand, have immense confidence in her abilities and appreciation for her commitment.
“When there’s a goal in front of her, she works really hard to pursue it. Even though I’m older than her, I sometimes have to look up to her and think ‘I need to step up my game’ because she’s doing so much so well,” Kulkarni said.
Padalikar serves not only as an inspiration to her peers, but also as an example for her teachers. She embodies someone who has a bright future by will and determination, but never cockiness.
“She’s going to do well, no matter what she does,” Pool said. “She’s one of those students that’s going to do whatever she wants to do and be successful at it because her own growth is important to her.”
For Owee herself, philanthropy is what matters most.
“Service is the best pillar of life, and the most important pillar,” Owee said. “I’m a big believer in giving back to my people and to the community because they have made me who I am.”
Although her future is not set in stone, one thing is for certain: Padalikar will continue to do everything she can to work hard, stay humble and help others.
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