About

Sona, daughter of Rena and Ritesh, was born on May 30, 2011 in Houston, Texas. Sona has been learning Bharatnatyam from the Nrityam School of Bharatnatyam since the tender age of 3 under the nurturing guidance of Guru Smt. Diptiben Dave.

To gain an understanding of the story lyrics and music required to comprehend and perform to the levels of a Devdasi, Sona had to understand the Indian Heritage, culture and language.

She learnt the language, Gujarati and the Hindu Culture, both from her Guru Smt. Ditptiben Dave and the BAPS Shree Swaminarayan Mandir, Houston to be able to master this discipline.
Performing her Arangetram will bring fruition to her ten years of training, discipline and commitment.

The journey has been beautiful under the guiding and nurturing support of all her teachers who have carved Sona into a robust individual.

Guru Smt. Diptiben Dave has given Sona the gift of coexistence, where Sona been a modern Houstonian has been able to embrace the ancient art of dance, Bharatnatyam.

A s a leader,Sona has served The Student Council at The Galloway School both as Class Representative and Secretary for three years. For two consecutive years, Sona was the recipient of Character Certificate Award winner at The Galloway School(2017, 2018). Sona has been honored twice with the Certificate of Citizenship, showcasing her strength in character as a community leader (2019,2020). Currently, she is serving as a Junior Mentor to the Level-3Gujarati Class students at the BAPS Shree Swaminarayan Mandir, Houston (2023-2024). Sona is also serving as the Engagement & Inclusion Chair,Class of 2029 Ticktocker, serving The National Charity League, Inc., Bay Area Chapter (Mothers and DaughtersServing Communities Together).

Sona's Achievements

Sona has diverse achievements, from academic honors to leadership roles in community organizations. Her list of accomplishments include winning awards in Academia, STEM fields and the Arts. She volunteers and collaborates effectively with others to make a positive impact in the community.

Academic Excellence

Sona was the recipient of the President’s Award for Education Excellence, 2022 at The Galloway School. At the Westbrook Intermediate School (Wave Program), Sona was an Outstanding Achievement Award winner in Choir, Language Arts, Science Honors and Social Studies (2023), English Language Arts, Science, Spanish 1 and Social Studies (2024). The American Library of Poetry has published Sona’s poem, “Yellow” in the book FUTURES (2021). She has been recognized twice as a Spelling Bee Participant (2019-2020, 2021-2022) at The Galloway School.

Community Leader

As a leader, Sona has served The Student Council at The Galloway School both as Class Representative and Secretary for three years. For two consecutive years, Sona was the recipient of Character Certificate Award winner at The Galloway School (2017, 2018). Sona has been honored twice with the Certificate of Citizenship, showcasing her strength in character as a community leader (2019, 2020). She has served as a Junior Mentor to the Level-3 Gujarati Class students at the BAPS Mandir, Houston. Currently, Sona is a member of National Junior Honor Society reflecting her commitment to service, leadership, character and citizenship.

Chorister

Currently, Sona is part of the Advanced Treble Choir at Westbrook Intermediate School.This year she was part of the UIL and Sight-Reading Teams, the school winning First Place in both the contests.

Linguist

Last year, Sona completed the seven-year Gujarati Language Program with the BAPS Shree Swaminarayan Mandir, Houston. Currently, she is mastering the Spanish language.

Philanthropist

Philanthropic endeavors Sona has undertaken include BAPS Walk Green Charities participant, Family Promise of Clear Lake volunteer, CANBE volunteer and Houston Food Bank volunteer, jointly donating 50 service hours.

Performer

Together with Bharatnatyam, Sona has had her taste of other dance forms,such as Bollywood and Gujarati Folk Dance. She has been a Bollywood stage performer since 2016 with the India Center of Clear Lake, Houston.

Science & Engineering

Sona was a G-Stem Expo Science Fair participant for three years at The Galloway School. She was placed First and received the Best of Show Award at the Science and Engineering Fair, 2022.

Satsang Training

To strengthen her values, Sona has been attending the Balika Sabah (Sunday Assemblies) at the BAPS Shree Swaminarayan Mandir, Houston since the age of 5, and currently participating in Balika Satsang Training. She has undertaken BAPS Satsang Exams (Bal-1, Vihar-1 and Vihar-2) to flourish on her religious transcendence.