Grand Prize Winner: 
Devkrishna Manappattu (Delaware)

“Different”

I sat in the back of my 6th-grade social studies class. I was always physically present, but mentally, I was never fully present. Whenever my teacher called on me, I instantly froze. I could never focus, and I didn’t understand how to focus. I was constantly distracted every day, twiddling my thumbs, fiddling with my hair, biting my nails, doing anything I could to escape reality and distract myself from the mind-numbing lectures of Mr. D. Consequently, everybody in my class unanimously labeled me with one term: “dumb.”

This label stuck with me for a very long time. My classmates said it, and I started believing it. I began to doubt myself, thinking that maybe everyone else was right and that I wasn’t capable. This was the beginning of a fiery hatred, a hatred that caused me to despise myself as well as my ADHD.

But the problem back then was that I didn’t realize I wasn’t “dumb”; I was just different. My brain worked differently than my classmates'. While they were deeply focused on multiplication tables, I was dreaming about going professional in soccer. The problem wasn’t me or the school system. The real issue was that I was trying to learn like the rest of my classmates, a system that didn’t work for minds like mine. I realized I didn’t resent learning; I just resented feeling like I couldn’t learn the “right” way.

Then came the simple thoughts of curiosity that would change my life forever: “What if I didn’t need to fit into the system? What if I could be different, what if I could create my system?” But arguably, the thought that would go on to completely redefine my self-perception was: “What if my ADHD wasn’t a liability, but it was a tool, a gift, an asset?”

It took me a long time to find a path for my distracted mind. But one day, I found the perfect track. That track was entrepreneurship.

It was completely in contrast to my Indian parents' dreams of me becoming a doctor, engineer, or computer scientist. However, I craved something more uncertain, more fun, more risky. I didn’t want to follow a traditional path. I wanted authenticity, creativity, risk, and most importantly, ownership. I wanted a path where my creativity could shine.

So I took the first step forward. I started my own photography business: @flicks_by_dev. I learned the basics of photography, mastered editing, and started an Instagram account to post my photos. I began doing freelance photography around Delaware for sports, automobiles, and personal events. I started consistently going to events and posting my photos online, and gradually I started seeing success. I began getting bookings, recognition from my school, recognition from DIAA, and eventually, I averaged over 40K views and 7,000+  accounts engaged monthly. Today, I have made over $1,000, received over 150K views, and earned statewide recognition for my creative expression. Soon, I aspire to start a clothing brand as well as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to teaching youth about financial literacy.

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Entrepreneurship changed my life completely. It made my ADHD an asset instead of a liability. Now, whenever my mind gets distracted, it imagines how I can upgrade my portfolio, create a strong brand identity, or build a long-lasting societal impact. Entrepreneurship turned my life 180 degrees. It silenced my fixed mindset and let my creativity shout. 

Entrepreneurship settled my mind. I finally realized I wasn’t dumb, I was just different.