From A Mediocre Coder To Now – My Journey To Help Others Decode Life

SHORT PERSONAL BIO

In 2011, when I was working in the IT department of the Mental Health division of Georgia, my boss was a kind middle aged man. What was special about John was that he had a unique gift of understanding people and working with them effortlessly. Our deadlines were tight, our stakeholders were often unreasonable, and even in stressful times, he would get us all together and keep us motivated and cheerful.

While conversing with him, I realized he never had a chance to finish school as he came from a poor and broken family. But what shaped his world view was that he was a barber for many years before he “learned computers” and joined the State Department.

Those were the initial days of my understanding that schools might not help us become a whole person after all. There’s something out there in the real 3D world that we live in that can help us complete ourselves as whole. And that’s when I started incorporating the principles of self awareness, emotional intelligence, and resilience in the ways I raised my little boys.

And years later, I quit my job as a Data analyst to start FutureSTRONG Academy to help shape future-forward children. By that time, I had realized that if I was not working with my core strengths, and PL/SQL scripts were definitely not one of them, I was living a miserable existence. I also wanted to help children understand that they can pursue their own version of success and not what society wants them to be. Schools were too focused on analytical skills, but if they were to make life worth living, children must be taught the essential social and emotional skills.

Hey, thanks for reading along. I’m Rachana, a poet also obsessed about 21st century parenting hacks, and the founder of FutureSTRONG Academy. For over 8 years, I ran it not just as an after school program, but as a little rebellion against the world’s obsession with GPAs. We taught courage with compassion, communication and coding (yes, Python too). Kids learned to drive robots, but more importantly, they learn to build themselves in the process. Cue, the tag line of the Academy – Hi tech lessons with a touch of humanity.

I recently went back to the corporate world after years of teaching. The administrative overhead of taking care of attendance, paperwork, payments, constant negotiations on schedules with parents was not sustainable for me in the long run. I had explored the options of teaching at public and private schools instead of running my own orgnaization, but as thankless a job that teaching is, the pay offered to me, was again, not sustainable for my personal financial goals.

The bottom line, is I am still passionate about the original mission of Future STRONG and hope to continue spreading the message of hope. I urge children and adults alike that we must play to our strengths than struggle with our weaknesses. For years I didn’t realize my biggest strength was being a great team player. But, I struggled with the identity of being a mediocre coder and was always seeing myself as falling short.

Once I started understanding that I can pivot and connect with people more than with computers, I had found my calling. So whether I am teaching coding to kids or speaking to my team members, I often challenge them, “What do you want to create with this one beautiful life of yours?”

I write essays and tell stories – some in private and some in the public eye. I believe that vulnerability is underrated, kindness is radical, and writing is one of the last pure things left in this world. I host a podcast too, please check it out HERE.

And what about the rest of my story? It will continue to stay messy and marvelous and mostly unscripted. And if you’re curious – come find me here, I’ll try my best to keep it honest.

Aut Viam Inveniam Aut Faciam

PURSUITS

📌 My Nobel Prize Acceptance Speech:
I wrote it a little early.
https://futurestrong.org/2021/02/05/this-is-my-nobel-prize-acceptance-speech-i-wrote-it-a-little-early-podcast/

📌 Analytics and AI Leader | Driving Enterprise Data Strategy & Transformation:
As a BI Transformation Leader, I drive complex enterprise change into measurable business outcomes. I lead reporting and analytics initiatives, uniting business and technology teams to break down silos and accelerate impact. I move organizations from legacy reporting to modern, AI-driven analytics using agile practices that deliver speed, clarity, and continuous improvement. My focus is simple: measure what matters, act decisively, and turn data into insight and AI-powered value at scale.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachananadella-somayajula/

📌 My Job As A Teacher:
My goal as a Robotics and coding coach is to empower children to lead their journey of discovering their true potential. My challenge to everyone is that they aspire for their personal best and leave a legacy of their work through their contributions to mankind.
https://futurestrong.org/2022/07/30/my-journey-into-robotics-and-the-influence-of-janusz-korczak-on-my-teaching/

PODCASTS AND VIDEO CONTENT

📌 Productivity And Parenting Podcasts:
All the ideas and strategies to level up your potential to the next stage.
https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ourfuturestrong

📌 Personal YouTube Channel: 
Satire. Some days, blinking is the only exercise I get.
I will add it back soon, the one I had got copyright striked :-(

📌 FutureSTRONG YouTube Channel: 
Our intentions, our actions, our destiny. Take charge of your life today!
https://www.youtube.com/@rachana-somayajula

📌 As Fekta Kapur Roasting Bollywood:
Comic Relief By Fekta Kkkkkapur – ALTBollywood – Not Your Average OTT Content.
Funny Memes And Roasts Of Bollywood Celebrities, Fashion And Movies #LiveBollywoodRoast
https://futurestrong.org/fk

📌 Regenerate With Rachana: YouTube Series:
From an anthropological stand point, our mental, emotional and physical health is a combination of activity and regeneration. Once in a while, turn off all external stimuli and allow for regeneration to happen from within. “Doing” along with “Being” intentionally in the present, will allow for neural, spirtual and emotional regeneration.
https://futurestrong.org/2021/04/26/join-our-youtube-live-every-week-lets-move-forward-together/

POETRY, FICTION AND ESSAYS

📌 My Complete Works
Essays, musings, fiction and poetry:
https://futurestrong.org/2023/09/01/the-complete-list-of-essays-fiction-and-poetry-by-rachana/

📌 The Writer-At-Large Collection:
When life happens to you, you write about it.
https://futurestrong.org/2023/09/20/the-writer-at-large-series-life-is-stranger-than-fiction/

📌 The Short Story {Fiction} Collection:
I was not there.
https://futurestrong.org/stories/

📌 My Poetry:
What else am I here for,
Than to repackage the gifts I’ve been given,
And leave them for others to discover.
https://futurestrong.org/2021/05/31/many-predicaments-in-life-writing-poetry-cannot-be-one/

📌 Want To Travel The Spiritual Path With Me?
The Brahman forms everything that is living or non-living. The wise man knows that all beings are identical with his self, and his self is the self of all beings. ~ Isha Upanishad
https://futurestrong.org/2022/07/24/all-about-hinduism-the-life-and-times-of-a-modern-sanatani-with-ancient-wisdom/

PORTFOLIO

📌 My Portfolio:
Who am I and what do I do?
https://futurestrong.org/rachana-nadella-somayajula/

📌 The Courses I Teach:
Robotics, Game Design, And Coding: 
https://futurestrong.org/courses

📌 Favorite Quotes:
Aut Viam Inveniam Aut Faciam | I will either find a way, or make one.
https://futurestrong.org/2017/03/21/thoughts-that-changed-this-life/

📌 All My Links At One Place {This Page}:
Find out what I do.
https://futurestrong.org/my-links

📌 My Book, Podcast And Documentary Reccomendations:
I’m listing a few books, movies and documentaries that I think are worth looking at atleast once in our lifetime.
https://futurestrong.org/reccos

📌 Videos That Haunt Me:
Content that has changed me. For the better.
https://futurestrong.org/project/motivational-and-inspirational-video-recommendations/

MY NOBEL PRIZE SPEECH

Image: Apr 2025: Courtesy Zoom Screenshot

Aut Viam Inveniam Aut Faciam

I will either find a way, or make one. Below are all the articles, podcasts and vlogs I have published so far.