The Mark You Leave - Identity, Purpose & Becoming with Aekem Singh (Ep 3)

What do we actually teach the next generation about representing their own community? 🌸☬️💪 In this episode, I sit down with Aekem Singh — valedictorian of his high school class, a freshman at Brown University, and a filmmaker working with Nishkam Media, a nonprofit using visual storytelling to reframe how Sikhs are portrayed in mainstream media — for a conversation on identity, visibility, faith, and belonging. 🌟 THIS EPISODE EXPLORES: → Why he chose, at around eight years old, to grow out his hair and embrace Sikhi more fully — his own decision, not his parents'; he began wearing a patka to school starting in sixth grade → The stereotypical comments and questions he's faced for simply looking different → The media stereotype he's spent years working to counter through filmmaking, and how creators like Diljit Dosanjh are shifting the narrative → Why "it's never gonna get easier" was the honest answer he needed, not false reassurance → His advice for parents raising Sikh kids — and kids in general — in the US today → Mental health in the Sikh community, and why more young people need somewhere to turn 💫 MEMORABLE QUOTE: "Grades are not gonna define you. What's gonna define you is what you can leave — what mark you're gonna leave in your school or your community, and what you're gonna do after that." Aekem's closing advice to his 14-year-old self is one worth sharing with any teenager. 💫 ABOUT AEKEM SINGH: Aekem Singh is the valedictorian of his high school's Class of 2026 and a freshman at Brown University, where he plans to study filmmaking and business. He has worked with Nishkam Media since 2016, a nonprofit that empowers Sikh youth with filmmaking skills to reframe the Sikh narrative on screen. He is also involved with the Brown Sikhs student association. New episodes drop every Tuesday at 8AM ET. ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 Introduction 1:15 Growing up without religion as a major focus 2:00 Getting introduced to the Sikh community through a bhangra team 2:45 Enrolling in Khalsa school and choosing to grow out his hair 4:00 The awkward in-between phase of growing out his hair 5:15 Starting middle school wearing a patka 6:15 Winning student council president the same year 7:00 Stereotypical comments and questions he's faced 9:00 Questioning his own identity and catching up to his peers 11:30 Preparing for Brown and representing Sikhi on a larger campus 13:15 On dating and identity in high school 15:30 Peer pressure, alcohol, and avoiding situations rather than resisting them 17:45 Advice for a struggling 8th or 9th grader 19:15 The hardest part of being a young Sikh in America 20:30 The best part of being a young Sikh in America 21:15 What he wishes an older Sikh mentor had told him 22:30 Advice for parents raising kids in the US 23:30 Keeping faith alive and meaningful through the high school years 24:45 Who Aekem is becoming, and his work with Nishkam Media 27:15 One thing he'd tell his 14-year-old self 28:45 Mental health in the Sikh community 🎧 LISTEN ON ALL PLATFORMS: https://linktr.ee/sakurasikhistrength 🔗 Connect with Sakura, Sikhi & Strength 🌸☬️💪: Instagram: @sakurasikhistrength Tiktok: @sakurasikhistrength Youtube: /@sakurasikhistrength Email: hello@sakurasikhistrength.com #SikhYouth #NextGenSikh #SikhIdentity #Representation #SakuraSikhiStrength