Miss Florida’s Outstanding Teen 2022, Aashna Shah is a rising 11th-grade honors, AP, and dual-enrolled student at Ponte Vedra High School. In 2017 Aashna founded Kindness in a Diverse Society (KIDS), with the aim of helping the whole child. Aashna was inspired by the quote “Helping others is the way we help ourselves", by Oprah Winfrey, she encourages kids to volunteer at a young age. KIDS recently received an official proclamation from the Mayor of Jacksonville for promoting and increasing volunteerism in Florida’s youth. After being diagnosed with Dyslexia and ADHD in the 8th grade, Aashna expanded the mission of KIDS to include educating children and parents about learning disabilities. Aashna has now published 2 children’s books (Dynamic Diya: Dyslexia is her superpower and Amazing Adriana: ADHD is her superpower), has donated the books to schools and libraries across Florida, and has secured a proclamation from the city of Jacksonville declaring May 8-14, 2022, official Dyslexia Awareness Week, she is a proud recipient of the Presidential Service Award from the White House for her dedication to serving the community.
Aashna is on three competitive dance teams; the Ponte Vedra High School "Splash" Varsity Dance team, Art of Dance and Bollywood Dance Mania, she loves smiles and making others smile, whether it’s through her nonprofit organization or her dreams of becoming a pediatric dental surgeon. Aashna wants to remind you to make someone smile today!