Meet the Pals

Anish Korrapati - Founder

Anish Korrapati is a senior at Monroe Township High School and the founder of the Paperback Pals. Seeing a need for more social interaction for autistic kids, he set out to form a club where kids can feel included and valued. Having a family member on the spectrum drove his passion to create this special space. Outside of volunteering, Anish is passionate about biological sciences and plays on the school tennis team. A core value that drives Anish is his empathy, which he learned from his family member and from his experiences with special needs organizations. 

Praneil Mukkamala

Praneil Mukkamala is a senior at Monroe Township High School. One of Praneil's interests is building and coding robots. He is also part of the Boy Scouts, where he loves to go on trips and explore the wilderness. For over 7 years, Praneil has worked with special needs kids by volunteering with many organizations, such as the Ronald McDonald House and the Make-A-Wish Foundation. From these experiences, he has developed a passion for working with autistic kids and putting a smile on their faces. 

Emma LaDuke

Emma LaDuke is a senior at Monroe Township High School. Reading is a huge passion of Emma's. Both of her parents loved books, which helped her find her love for them early in life. Most of her free time is spent reading or engaging in informative and entertaining videos online (YouTube). Her favorite book series so far is Percy Jackson, including all the other books set in the same universe. She's done volunteer work helping out a humanist group and playing the flute for senior citizens. 

Joshika Selvakumar

Joshika Selvakumar is a senior at Monroe Township High School. She joined Paperback Pals because, in the past, she has participated in a similar book club program that she enjoyed. Her interests include forensic science and singing. Her favorite genres of books are crime, sci-fi, and romance novels. Furthermore, her favorite pastimes include listening to music, reading, and dancing. 

Manvi Sinha

Manvi Sinha is a senior at Monroe Township High School. Her hobbies include reading and drawing. She enjoys reading fantasy and realistic fiction books., and her favorite titles include Real Friends by Shannon Hale and The Thing About Jellyfish by Ali Benjamin. Manvi also enjoys reading graphic novels and hopes to publish one of her own in the future. 

Haley Pandya

Haley Pandya is a senior at Monroe Township High School. She loves to read and watch movies. Her favorite books include the Harry Potter series by J.K Rowling and Myth = Mithya by Devdutt Pattanaik. Her favorite genres include fantasy and romance.

Anand Suryanarayanan

Anand Suryanarayanan is a senior at Monroe Township High School. He is a hard-working and driven student who believes in helping others. In school, Anand has a strong interest in robotics and various sciences like biology, physics, and chemistry. Outside of school, Anand loves to read books, listen to music, and play board games.


Nikhil Patel

 Nikhil Patel is a sophomore at Monroe Township High School. As a child, he always had an interest in reading and it remains one of his favorite things to do today. In school, his favorite subjects are math and history. Outside of school, he enjoys watching TV, playing tennis, and playing video games. Nikhil joined Paperback Pals in 2021 and is one of the program's first members.