When Penn State freshman Neha Gupta accepted the International Children’s Peace Prize in November 2014, she urged that others “convert your empathy into actions, and let those actions ripple out.” Her experiences and words serve as an inspiration to students across the globe, as demonstrated through her newest partnership with Microsoft Office’s Collective Project.

The Collective Project, which “is about harnessing the power of the many to bring great ideas to life,” enables students to pursue world-changing initiatives with the help of Microsoft Office’s software, guidance, and funding. Gupta is one of several students chosen for this campaign. Microsoft Office shared her incredible achievements by promoting her organization, Empower Orphans, on Twitter using #RippleEffect. The promotion includes with a video that describes Gupta’s inspiration and experiences, highlighting her time at Penn State.

https://twitter.com/office/status/575439809876897792

Empower Orphans raises money for underprivileged children, specifically in the United States and India, where her family is originally from. Gupta’s charity has raised over $1 million and helped more than 25,000 children. An in-depth description of how individuals everywhere can get involved with Empower Orphans is found here. In addition, Gupta describes both big and small ways that people can help through an “Empathy in Action” plan on her OneNote page. “I am a strong believer in youth helping other youth,” Gupta said. “We use OneNote to inspire and to get the support of other youth, to talk about our projects and who wants to get involved.”

Gupta dedicates special attention Penn State students by inviting them to assist in her efforts. On Tuesday, March 17 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., OneNote will be in Heritage Hall helping students “create their own ripple of good” by giving out cards that contain acts of good that they can do throughout the day. OneNote is also setting up small exhibits to display how far a dollar can go for a disadvantages child in India. In addition, students can donate “the shirt of their back” in exchange for a Collective Project t-shirt and sign up to volunteer in the community.