Reading has been my passion since childhood and I enjoy both fact and fiction alike. Words fascinate me and any new word that I see, I look up its etymology. I love reading the story behind the origin of each word. This love for words prompted me to take part in 2003 Spell Vocab Challenger in my 9th grade.

The competition was fast paced and highly competitive with best schools of Delhi participating. The final moments of the competition are etched clearly in my memory even today. The scores were level in three way tie till the end and it was with just a single answer that I came out on top. That feeling of winning has been a foundation for all the things I have achieved and a pick me up when things haven't gone as per expectations.

In the 12 years that have passed, I went on to graduate from the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras with a Bachelor's in Mechanical Engineering; worked for a couple of years as an engineer with Bosch, the global automotive supplier, at their Bangalore facility; and am now pursuing my PhD in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Washington, Seattle.

Vocabulary is the basis for language and communication, and I believe it is best cultivated through reading. This is my advice for the generation that is growing up now