MEMBER BIOGRAPHIES
President and Founder
Varsha Ramachandran
Varsha Ramachandran is the President and Founder of Valley Breathe. She started the organization in 2021 as a freshman in Valley Christian High school. Varsha is an exemplary student, internationally ranked junior golfer, plays in the Valley Christian High school Varsity Golf Team and is passionate about serving the community. Varsha was the 2021 recipient of Presidents award for outstanding academic excellence and honor roll. Her varsity team won the 2021 WCAL, CCS and NorCal California state championships. Varsha was part of the All League team and Golf 1st team in the Western Catholic Athletic League. She received the Scholar Athlete award for 2021-2022 school year. She is also member of AMSE (Applied Math, Science and Engineering) institute and JH Honors and HS fellow candidate. Varsha is ranked in the top 40 in the world for her age division in the American Junior Golf Association Rolex rankings.
She has played golf since she was 7 years old and has competed in over 250 local, state, national and international events. She qualified and participated in the 2021 USGA Women’s Four-Ball Championship; Was awarded member of the 2020 Junior All-Star team; Champion at the Sean Foley Performance AJGA event in Florida; 2020 Champion at the FCG International event in San Diego, California; Runner up at the 2018 US Kids European Championship at Royal Musselburgh in Scotland. She has qualified and played in multiple IMG Junior World Championships and US Kids World Championships between 2016-2019.
Varsha, as the President and Founder of Valley Breathe, has built her team and dedicated to raising funds and awareness for pulmonary diseases. The team raised $3500 from Breathe, Santa Clara county , to support raising awareness in schools about the dangerous effects of smoking and vaping. She was nominated and represented her club to present their project at the Youth Action Project Showcase as one of the only 7 teams in Santa Clara Valley. Varsha also is part of AJGA LeadershipLinks organization where she has raised over 2500$ in 2021 for pulmonary fibrosis and ACE grant; she is continuing her efforts in 2022 as well. Varsha has also volunteered for meal preparation and food distribution for Cityteams and Second Harvest of Silicon Valley to serve the local San Jose homeless community. Varsha has also volunteered and organized US kids teen and local golf events in the community to support junior golfers develop their game. In 2018-2019, Varsha was part of the Win Green Campaign where she along with junior golfers from around the world raised over 100,000$ for pediatric cancer. Varsha is very passionate about writing and calligraphy. She has won the Young Authors Award in her elementary school multiple years. She has travelled to over 30 countries and loves to explore new cultures, languages and cuisines. Varsha has enjoyed playing the piano and baking treats for her family and friends since she was 8 years old.
Vice President
Amy Thomas
Amy Thomas is the vice president of Valley Breathe. She joined the organization in early 2022 after transferring to Valley Christian. Her past personal experiences around those with early teen exposure to smoking led to her take part and help establish Valley Breathe to the organization today. As a first generation immigrant, she is exposed to diverse world views and works to build meaningful connection with those all around her. Amy is passionate about uplifting her community at school and beyond. She actively trains in Taekwondo since 2015, and has become a role model to the students within her school. In 2023, she was selected to be a part of her schools demonstration team to perform for the annual fundraiser, Kicking For Miracles, raising over $40,000 for Valley Medical Center. She actively gives back to her school community through service as a volunteer tutor, and was given with the Presidential Volunteer Award. She is also an active researcher who strives to address the causes of many health conditions. In 2022, she was a mentee of a Brown University professor and researched the over expression of select RNA strand in cancer growth. With her exemplary work and display of scientific passion, Amy was featured within Student Research Spotlight by Cambridge Future scholars. She is currently in progress to publish her work. Amy is now an intern for the 2024 Science Internship Program at UCSC in development of potential early disease-detecting biosensors.
Vanessa Villanueva
Vice President
Bharat Raj is the Vice President of Valley Breathe. He joined the organization in early 2023 as a sophomore at Valley Christian High School. He excels academically and participates actively in athletics and the arts, including cross country, track and field, and both visual and performing arts. Bharat is a member of the Applied Math, Science, and Engineering (AMSE) and Conservatory Honors programs at his school. Additionally, Bharat's talents extend to music, where he was selected to participate in the Santa Clara County Honor Band in 2023. Beyond his school activities, Bharat has been deeply involved in community service as a youth ambassador for the American Cancer Society (ACS) since 2022. In 2024, he expanded his role to become a legislative ambassador at the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN). He has contributed significantly to events like Relay for Life and Courageous Kids, demonstrating his commitment to supporting others. He leads the missions National Campus and Youth Engagement Team in ACS. Bharat is also recognized for his academic achievements, having been published in the Journal of Emerging Investigators (JEI) for his research on climate change. Currently, he is engaged in research focusing on CRISPR technology in cancer treatment.
Bharat Raj
Treasurer
Divya Vattikonda
Divya Vattikonda is the treasurer of Valley Breathe. She joined the club during her sophomore year. She is a committed student who participates in athletics, music, and visual arts. Divya has been a part of the Girls Varsity Tennis team for three years and is currently the number two singles player. Additionally, she is part of the Conservatory Honors program at her school and also plays the piano outside of school, participating in Certificate of Merit. Outside of school, Divya is part of the district two youth advisory council in San Jose where she helps represent the youth of San Jose by providing insight on future policies. She also participates in fundraising for American Cancer Society, recently selling pizza at the Relay for Life event. Finally, Divya is also interested in research. She is taking AP Research outside of school and is writing a research paper on color psychology.
Media Officer
Vanessa is the Media Officer for Valley Breathe. She joined the club in 2022 with the hopes of helping the club spread information about smoking dangers and related volunteer opportunities. She is happy to learn how media and educational topics intersect to better inform our world. She has expanded her media skills by extensive Film and Journalism classes at De Anza College, as well as being a Media Honors Student at Valley Christian. Whether it's by creating infographics, volunteer flyers, or club achievements, Vanessa uses her passion for club and media arts interchangeably.
Vanessa Villanueva
Manager of Technology
Varun Ravichandran
Varun is a dedicated student and athlete currently attending Valley Christian Schools, where he is part of the prestigious AMSE program for aeronautics. Varun joined Valley in 6th grade and quickly became involved in extracurricular activities, including VEX Robotics.
As a tennis player, Varun is ranked in California for both the U12 and U14 categories, showcasing his competitive spirit and dedication to the sport.
In 10th grade, Varun joined the Valley Breathe Club, a student organization focused on environmental health. He now serves as the manager of tech for the club and is leading a research project on Indoor Air Quality (IAQ), aiming to make a meaningful impact through his research and leadership. His passion for technology and innovation extends through all aspects of his academic and extracurricular life.