For many Melton Fellows, the impact of GCLP doesn’t end when the program does it continues to shape the work they build, the collaborations they seek out, and the way they see their role in creating change. We caught up with Yeashoo H Vardhana to hear how his GCLP experience reshaped the way he approaches law, leadership, and global challenges.
The GCLP Effect?
As a law student, my experience with GCLP was quite different from what I initially expected. I was the first law student from India to join the program, and entering a fellowship centred around global citizenship, the SDGs and interdisciplinary collaboration pushed me to look beyond the traditional boundaries of my field.
What changed because of the GCLP (MF)?
Over the two years, I had the opportunity to work on issues ranging from AI literacy and digital equity to accessibility, menstrual hygiene, civic participation and youth leadership. What I found most valuable was seeing how many of these issues that I usually approached from a legal perspective could also be understood through education, technology, community engagement and lived experiences.
GCLP also gave me opportunities to take on leadership and governance responsibilities, as Lead Fellow of the India Hub and as the Melton Fellows’ Representative on the Foundation’s Board. These experiences taught me that leadership is not simply about making decisions, it is about listening to different perspectives and being responsible for representing them.
Working with Fellows from different countries made me question assumptions I had taken for granted and helped me understand that the same global challenge can look very different depending on where you stand.
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How this reflects in what I do today?
Today, as I continue my journey in law, I find myself looking at questions of law, technology, education, rights and equity much more broadly. GCLP gave me the confidence to work across disciplines rather than seeing my legal education as a boundary.
For me, that is the lasting impact of the program, it didn’t change what I study, but it changed the way I see what I can do with it.
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For many Melton Fellows, the impact of GCLP doesn’t end when the program does — it continues to shape the work they build, the collaborations they seek out, and the way they see their role in creating change. We caught up with one Fellow to hear how his GCLP experience has evolved into a lasting commitment to social impact.