THE TECH CHECK

The COVID-19 pandemic didn’t stop Xaverian senior, Neeraj Ramesh, from reaching his goals. In fact, it may have given him the extra push he needed to make his idea for a tech podcast come to life. Although he was responsible for the initial idea, he’s quick to credit his co-creators, Pratham Gujar ’21 and Vinay Balaji, saying they hold equal power in the content, production, and marketing of each episode. We spoke with Neeraj to learn everything from what made him start the podcast, to his passion for technology, and everything in between.

What made you decide to start this podcast about technology?

I have always loved learning about new things. My past is littered with the exploration of various science-related interests, including robotics, cars, rockets, computers, etc. And while exploring and experiencing all of this stuff by myself was great, I never really got any satisfaction out of it until I was able to give the knowledge that I had to other people, but that was a bit hard to do during quarantine. Our podcast is a way for me to share the fruit of my curiosity with a large group of people from right behind my desk. It acts as an outlet I can use to give my knowledge to other people and inspire them to explore on their own as well. Finding some friends to do this with me was not too hard. My friends, Pratham Gujar (a senior at Xaverian) and Vinay Balaji (a senior at Franklin High School), share similar interests in the field of tech, so together we run our podcast.

What do you discuss in your episodes?

We discuss a variety of topics that are related to tech. We have focused on space exploration, video game consoles, computer building, and social media, among numerous other topics. We try to tie in our opinions on how technological developments can have an impact on the world, socially and economically. We also present the option for listeners to sign up to be guest speakers and introduce new topics for us to talk about through our website. It allows for new voices to come onto the podcast and allows for a diversity of topics that we might not have considered earlier.

How has Xaverian supported your passion for technology?

Xaverian's academic and social impact on me has mainly inspired me to create this podcast. Technology stems back to the sciences, and my interest in the sciences has mainly been created by the academic opportunities at Xaverian. Being allowed to take the AP courses that I wanted to, right from my freshman year of high school, triggered my desire to learn more about science in general. Taking high-level courses in these fields also allows me to connect the base sciences with other, niche fields of science, such as robotics. Socially, Xaverian has taught me how to talk in front of people better and to be more confident in my words. The environment at Xaverian allows for students like me to learn to communicate better, and that made me comfortable to be able to speak on a podcast. Similarly, being able to talk to teachers during my free time gives me the opportunity to learn more about the niche areas of science and technology and get a professional's opinion on the subject. 

How do you feel about starting your senior year at Xaverian?

It is definitely strange to call myself a senior at Xaverian; it seems like only yesterday that I went to Hale Reservation for the Freshman Day of Awareness. And back then, I did not assume we would be in the coronavirus situation that we are right now. That all being said, I am excited for the coming year. The opportunity to take the courses I want to take and use my interests to build on that in the future is exciting. The college admissions process is a bit stressful, but I am not too anxious, as the help from the counseling office at Xaverian has helped ease up most, if not all, of my anxieties. The coronavirus situation and the new hybrid system definitely will have an impact on most students, including myself, as it is a new system that we have not tried out yet, but I am also ready and feel safe to come back to school.


This article first appeared in the Winter 2021 issue of the Xaverian Magazine.