Home: Patan, Lalitpur, Lalipur, Bagmati

Education: Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Social Work, Premier College

Pooja grew up in Kathmandu, the child of two self-made parents: a father who drove long routes across the country and a mother who ran a small kirana store, both of whom had come to the city young, built their lives through their own hands, and poured their belief into their daughter's. She was a happy, independent, curious child who saved money toward small goals and had her wins celebrated, questioned everything her teachers said, and once told her science teacher with full confidence that she was going to be an NBA player. Books were always there, always central. A teacher once confiscated a novel before an exam. She chose Psychology for her Bachelor's at Premier College because it was never a question for her: people, their inner worlds, and the stories they carry were what she had always been most drawn to. Pooja comes to Teach For Nepal not from a dramatic moment of calling, but from a steady, honest desire to step outside the small, privileged bubble she has lived in, to understand realities beyond her own, and to work with children and communities in ways that reshape her as much as she shapes them. She is someone who learns by watching, thinking, and showing up, and the Fellowship, for her, is exactly that kind of space. The constant thought that there's always more to see and learn motivated Pooja to join the TFN fellowship. And she hopes to understand the people, their reality, their mindset, their smiles, and every moment that shapes their being.