While most seniors participate in community service events around the school to earn service credit, Cardozo senior Riddhi Chauhan helps out to benefit the school community in a multitude of ways. Before the rank and uniform, Chauhan was just a student who wanted to make a difference in the Cardozo community.
Now, as Cardozo’s NJROTC cadet battalion commanding officer, she leads, mentors, and organizes activities for her fellow cadets. Riddhi highlights how she, “Really cares about building community and helping others to find their voice” as well as, “Taking initiative, whether it’s building a program, mentoring younger students, or just making sure quiet voices are heard.”
Even with a tight schedule packed with AP and honors classes and a long list of homework, Chauhan strives to do everything to be involved with her program. She makes an effort to, “Participate in NJROTC drill competitions and volunteer at school events like the Idea Generation Participatory Budget Workshop held by the Korean Community Service organization, the Children’s Halloween Carnival and the Easter Egg Hunt hosted by the Leadership team.”
A freshman cadet who has been personally mentored by Chauhan even added that she is both patient and understanding. “When she was teaching me how to march, I messed up a lot. But Riddhi didn’t leave me until I understood it,” the cadet added.
Outside of school and leadership activities, Chauhan enjoys playing badminton, painting, traveling, and trying new foods. She makes sure to be intentional about how she spends her time, balancing her academics, responsibilities, and passions, all while maintaining honor roll.
One of her classmates also shared how she, “Respects everyone not just with her words, but her actions. Whenever she has time, Riddhi always makes sure to use it to help us.”
Chauhan’s motivational quote that got her to where she is reads, “Your effort is the only thing that speaks louder than words.” Her accomplishments are memorable not because of what she did, but because of how she did it. In a large, and diverse school like Cardozo, student’s talents are often hidden, but Chauhan’s aren’t.
Her list of experience including being a member of Arista’s National Honors Society, and a Leadership Academy/Sailing Training graduate, a highly selective NJROTC camp, which helped push the program in the right direction. Chauhan mentioned her life after high school and how she, “hopes to continue building communities and mentoring others, whether in law, Navy service, or wherever the wind takes her.”
Not only is Chauhan a great leader in her program, but she is also a great friend. She is said to be someone her friends can rely on and someone who notices the small things. Whether its listening without judgment, or being present during stressful times, Chauhan checks on her peers and celebrates their accomplishments as if they were her own
As her high school journey at Cardozo comes to an end, Riddhi Chauhan leaves behind leadership techniques and service that will linger within the school community years after she graduates.
