{"id":105720,"date":"2020-09-04T10:45:09","date_gmt":"2020-09-04T17:45:09","guid":{"rendered":"\/blogs\/?p=105720"},"modified":"2025-05-26T20:49:57","modified_gmt":"2025-05-27T03:49:57","slug":"how-piyushs-remarkable-efforts-ignited-a-larger-impact-of-giving-back","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/other-blogs\/life-at-mcafee\/how-piyushs-remarkable-efforts-ignited-a-larger-impact-of-giving-back\/","title":{"rendered":"How Piyush\u2019s remarkable efforts ignited a larger impact of giving back"},"content":{"rendered":"

At McAfee,<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>we\u00a0<\/span>support<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>team members<\/span>\u00a0who\u00a0<\/span>are passionate about\u00a0<\/span>giving back<\/span>. You are encouraged and empowered to make\u00a0<\/span>a substantial impact in improving our<\/span>\u00a0community\u00a0<\/span>and<\/span>\u00a0volunteering<\/span>\u00a0to help others<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Piyush<\/span>,\u00a0<\/span>a Software architect\u00a0<\/span>in our<\/span>\u00a0Bangalore<\/span>\u00a0office<\/span>, is\u00a0<\/span>a<\/span>\u00a0team member\u00a0<\/span>particularly passionate about his community and\u00a0<\/span>has\u00a0<\/span>dedicated countless hours<\/span>\u00a0volunteering at the Sheila\u00a0Kothavala\u00a0Institute for the Deaf (SKID).<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Two years ago, h<\/span>is\u00a0<\/span>impact was<\/span>\u00a0multiplied when he shared his volunteer story\u00a0<\/span>during McAfee\u2019s<\/span>\u00a0Social Initiative Contest (SIC)<\/span>,\u00a0<\/span>a program\u00a0<\/span>that\u00a0<\/span>contributes resources to the cause<\/span>s<\/span>\u00a0important to<\/span>\u00a0select<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>employees who volunteer for non-governmental organizations (NGO).<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Moved by\u00a0<\/span>Piyush\u2019s story<\/span>, the judges<\/span>\u00a0fund<\/span>ed<\/span>\u00a0his program for two years in a row!\u00a0<\/span>F<\/span>unding\u00a0<\/span>enhanc<\/span>ed<\/span>\u00a0infrastructure of a special school for hearing<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>impaired kids\u00a0<\/span>and\u00a0<\/span>provided a tactile library that helps\u00a0<\/span>visually impaired<\/span>\u00a0students see the world through touch<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

W<\/span>e asked\u00a0<\/span>Piyus<\/span>h\u00a0<\/span>four questions\u00a0<\/span>to learn more.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

How did y<\/span><\/b>ou get involved?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

I\u2019m a son of educators.<\/span>\u00a0My father was a\u00a0principal\u00a0and my mother was a<\/span>\u00a0university senior lecturer.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>The importance of educational success runs deep for me. Seven years ago, I<\/span>\u202ffound\u00a0<\/span>my own educational\u00a0<\/span>calling when\u00a0<\/span>I was introduced to the<\/span>\u202f<\/span>Sheila Kothavala Institute for the Deaf<\/span>\u202f (SKID), an organization that supports\u202f<\/span>the education of<\/span>\u202fdifferently-abled\u00a0students\u00a0<\/span>and<\/span>\u00a0equip<\/span>s them<\/span>\u00a0to successfully\u202fgraduate high school.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

How often do you volunteer?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

What started as <\/span>a\u00a0<\/span>weekend volunteer\u00a0<\/span>endeavor<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>soon\u00a0<\/span>grew\u202finto an every-morning commitment<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>B<\/span>efore\u00a0<\/span>going into\u00a0<\/span>work at McAfee,\u00a0<\/span>I\u00a0<\/span>dedicate<\/span>\u00a0an hour\u00a0<\/span>each morning\u00a0<\/span>teaching math and\u00a0<\/span>volunteering<\/span>\u00a0with\u00a0<\/span>students\u00a0<\/span>at SKID.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What\u00a0<\/span><\/b>has helped you th<\/span><\/b>e most\u00a0<\/span><\/b>in your volunteer journey<\/span><\/b>?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

F<\/span>iguring out how to c<\/span>o<\/span>mmunicat<\/span>e<\/span>\u00a0with hearing<\/span>–<\/span>impaired kids\u00a0<\/span>was\u00a0<\/span>a challenge<\/span>\u00a0for me<\/span>. However,<\/span>\u00a0the<\/span>\u00a0immense<\/span>\u00a0support I\u00a0<\/span>received\u00a0<\/span>from the<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>kids<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>help<\/span>ed<\/span>\u00a0to relieve a lot of the pressure<\/span>. I started\u00a0<\/span>to\u00a0<\/span>learn sign<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>language along<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>with them and\u00a0<\/span>became<\/span>\u00a0more effective at teaching. Spending time every day with these kids\u00a0<\/span>has motivated me\u00a0<\/span>in unexpected ways. Not only do I want to do\u00a0<\/span>as much as I can\u00a0<\/span>for them<\/span>, but I also find myself\u00a0<\/span>more\u00a0<\/span>engaged at work<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0I\u2019m thankful McAfee supports\u00a0<\/span>our passions in and out of the office.<\/span><\/p>\n

Describe how your<\/span><\/b>\u00a0involvement evolved with SKID<\/span><\/b>. W<\/span><\/b>hat do you hope to accomplish in the future?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

First,\u00a0<\/span>I\u00a0<\/span>want\u00a0<\/span>to\u00a0<\/span>thank\u00a0<\/span>McAfee<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>for\u00a0<\/span>their\u00a0<\/span>encoura<\/span>gement\u00a0<\/span>as I\u00a0<\/span>can<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>take my volunteer activities\u00a0<\/span>to greater heights\u00a0<\/span>and accomplish\u00a0<\/span>even\u00a0<\/span>more\u00a0<\/span>through\u00a0<\/span>their\u00a0<\/span>support<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>With the funds\u00a0<\/span>McAfee\u00a0<\/span>awarded<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>I was able to\u00a0<\/span>establish a complete science lab and build a<\/span>n<\/span>\u00a0interactive curriculum that complements\u00a0<\/span>day-to-day\u00a0<\/span>learning, procure\u00a0<\/span>games catered towards\u00a0<\/span>kids with\u00a0<\/span>special needs,<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>and build a tactile library<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>for<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>visually impaired<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>students<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

After volunteering seven<\/span>\u00a0years\u00a0<\/span>with hearing-impaired students,<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>this yea<\/span>r,<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>I’ve taken it upon myself to\u00a0<\/span>work more\u00a0<\/span>with\u00a0<\/span>the\u00a0<\/span>visually impaired<\/span>. The joy on the faces of these kids<\/span>\u00a0continues to<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>motivate<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>me<\/span>\u00a0to<\/span>\u00a0do<\/span>\u00a0even<\/span>\u00a0more<\/span>!<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n