The noise of a regular household filled the air, joined by the subtle noise of paint brushes grazing easels. Paint of all kinds colored the blank background. Each brush stroke adds to a canvas for a cause. Such is a scene witnessed in Shreya’s household, as her art is brought to life for the benefit of her nonprofit organization.

Receiving recognition for her nonprofit work with her organization, junior Shreya Poladia was honored at the 41st Annual Governor’s Volunteer Awards. Poladia received the First Lady’s Rising Star Award at the Governor’s mansion on April 23 for her organization “Shreya’s Atelier.”

“I was so thankful that I received [the award],” Poladia said. “I was really proud of myself, and it was amazing going up there, and meeting a lot of different people who also have nonprofits and have done a lot of work for the community.”

The First Lady’s Rising Star Award celebrates exceptional community service and volunteering done by individuals under 21 that significantly impacted Texas communities through nonprofit work. Poladia was specifically recognized for her promotion of inclusion of people with disabilities through art. 

“Honestly, when I first started [the organization], it was just a way for me and my brother to kind of connect and work through our own mental health struggles,” Poladia said. “But as it’s grown, I’ve been able to see how I’m able to help other people, and that’s just given me a kind of peace that nothing else I’ve ever done has. So for me, [I’m motivated by]  just trying to help as many people as I can”

Poladia began her nonprofit organization amidst the pandemic in 2021, during her 7th grade year. From the beginning, the mission of her organization was deeply inspired by her brother Raj Poladia, who was diagnosed with Down Syndrome and Autism, and most recently Down Syndrome Aggression Disorder.

“I remember when I was coming back from the award ceremony, I was really sad because my brother wasn’t able to come,” Poladia said. “But I remember when I came back and he stood up. Because of his condition, it’s really difficult for him to talk, but when I came back, he was just smiling, and I felt like he understood it as something that me and him really got together.”

Today, her work is focused on raising awareness about disabilities and fundraising for Down Syndrome, Autism organizations, and other local charities and organizations through the making and selling of art. 

“[My brother and I] would do a lot of art together, and we had a lot of paintings by the end of the year,” Poladia said. “I knew that a lot of people with disabilities were also struggling with similar things so I started my nonprofit as a way so I could raise awareness and also sell the art that we’d been making together. And from there, it’s just kind of grown.”

Through her art, Poladia raised over $15,000 to support a variety of organizations, most recently the Down Syndrome Association of Central Texas. Through her work, she has also fundraised for teachers during the pandemic, Safe in Austin, and Oak Creek Academy. 

“[I] definitely [felt] a little bit of imposter syndrome, because it’s crazy to think about how much I’ve been able to accomplish,” Poladia said. “The recognition I’ve been receiving is amazing, but honestly for me, at the core, I just want to keep helping people so the fact that it’s able to reach more and more people is amazing.”

In order to expand her organization, Poladia is broadening her scope and reaching new distances as she takes the first steps into making her nonprofit go global. Her work is beginning with an expansion of Shreya’s Atelier in Canada. 

“As of right now, a lot of the artwork is mostly based in our community, both the nonprofits and the people buying it, which has been amazing,” Poladia said “But I’d love to expand this throughout the world. I’m trying to create a basic model so that they’ll be able to do it in their communities as well.”

This new, nonprofit franchise model inspired Poladia’s DECA project as well. Her project, which was submitted for competition, advanced to the International Career Development Conference level. 

“It was really amazing going [to ICDC], being able to present, [and] getting different information,” Poladia said. “I was able to talk to a lot of business oriented people, and I was able to get a lot of really cool ideas from people who are also growing in the business and nonprofit fields.

Poladia’s work for disability awareness and community service does not end with her art shows however. She continues to commit her time to a variety of intertwined projects, including being a certified director of subgroups, where Poladia holds discussions with other individuals whose siblings have been diagnosed with a disability. 

“This one project [has] been really cool,” Poladia said. “Being able to talk to these kids, who are all in elementary school, and help them and teach them healthy coping mechanisms and how to deal with the stress in life has been really amazing.””

In addition to this specific part of her nonprofit, Poladia has also expanded the impact her organization has to beyond her community. Her organization now works alongside artisans and artists in India, offering them a place to sell their art and a sustainable way to make a living. 

“When I first started, I was just trying to donate money because [the artists] didn’t have a lot of money,” Poladia said. “ [While] I was talking to them, they were refusing to accept the money. They wanted a job, so that it would be sustainable for them, something they could keep doing. So I make my art now, and then I go to them and I have them create the actual purse, or frame coasters. So, they’re able to have that form of work and they’re also able to use that with other clients and that’s been really cool.”

Poladia’s mission continues as she hopes to empower people with disabilities, as well as raise awareness for her brother’s new diagnosis, Down Syndrome Aggression Disorder. 

“[Having a nonprofit at a young age] definitely impacted me a lot,” Poladia said. “It helped me see different people, the stuff they were going through, and it’s just been a really cool process. I’ve seen how it’s also helped my brother. Art really has the power to heal people, and I like that. I’m able to spread that.”