Our Instructors >> Hemanth Venkataraman

Hemanth Venkataraman

Hemanth Venkataraman New York, New York

Hemanth graduated from Columbia University's School of Engineering and Applied Science in 2002 with a major in Computer Science & Physics. Though he enjoyed the engineering field, he decided that his true passion was working with students from underserved communities and he joined the New York City Teaching Fellows. He spent five years teaching mathematics and computer science at an inner city public high school.

Hemanth became "Mister V" and discovered a genuine aptitude for teaching and inspiring students from the most challenging circumstances imaginable. He took over as Coordinator of Student Activities, organizing a myriad of special events such as multicultural talent shows, assemblies featuring famous guest speakers, dances, and poetry slams, improving school-wide morale. Having grown up a true Hip Hop enthusiast, Hemanth based his Master's Thesis on the factors contributing to the identities of inner city students (steering them away from education), including the effects of mass media and Hip Hop culture. During his tenure as a high school teacher, he received numerous awards both for his ability to inspire students and for his achievements inside the classroom.

Today, Hemanth is a motivational speaker as well as an instructor in the Youth Empowerment Seminar, a program that is changing the culture of schools around the United States by equipping students with practical techniques to eliminate stress, manage their emotions, and embrace positive values. Hemanth is also planning to open a school in Brooklyn to serve grades 6-12, with a unique approach to fostering a positive school culture. In his spare time, Hemanth enjoys endurance sports. He is approaching his goal of breaking 3 hours in the marathon, and in 2011 he competed in the Ironman competition, during which he swam 2.4 miles, biked 112 miles, and ran 26.2 miles in approximately 13 hours.
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