Devyani Vij, a senior at The Dunham School, hopes to follow in her father’s footsteps in order to invoke change for a better and brighter future for everyone.

At only 17 years old, Devyani is already working toward creating change by providing tools teenagers need to be financially literate.

Through working with the Young Entrepreneurs Academy of Baton Rouge, Devyani has created the perfect financial tool: an app for teens that helps them with budgeting in a way that will hold their attention and teach them important financial skills.

The inspiration came from her own experience in wanting to have a social life but also be smart with her money. This app will help teenagers successfully manage the two through games and incentives.

The best part of the entire experience for her has been working with a mentor and learning the ropes of starting a business from the professionals themselves.

In the fall, Devyani will be studying financial engineering at Columbia University. Over the years, she has pursued all of her interests. She has done musical theater (her favorite to watch is Hamilton), and she is a member of Spanish Club and Culture Club. She has also been playing piano for 10 years.

She enjoys listening to music, watching movies (her favorite is the remake of Little Women), reading, and learning new things. She’s friendly, a hard worker, and certainly one amazing kid.