The American India Foundation’s William J. Clinton Fellowship for Service in India recently announced its 2015-16 class, and at least 17 of the 34 fellows are of Indian origin.

The selection of the fellows is made by identifying applicants who have an interest in serving India; the maturity and flexibility to work and live effectively in India; the experience to make meaningful contributions to non-governmental organizations and social enterprises in India; and the leadership potential to become a leader on development issues.

Candidates who applied had to be a United States or Indian citizen between the ages of 21 and 34 and have completed an undergraduate degree prior to Sept. 1, 2015.

In addition, the fellows selected each have a general knowledge of the development field and issues in India; ability to demonstrate a humble appreciation of other cultures; consideration for the role and how it will play in their lives; willingness to find ways to be helpful at their host organization; and adaptability to challenging living and working conditions.

Of the fellows selected, the nine Indian Americans are Ishita Arora, Sarah Manchanda, Mahroh Jahangiri, Benita Mahanta, Ambika Roos, Kushal Amin, Yasmin Lalani, Natasha Ramanujam and Priyanka Murali; while the eight Indian-origin fellows include Kuljan Singh, Benson Neethipudi, Shriyam Gupta, Stanzin Saldon, Janice D’Souza, Udayan Phillips, Aparna Nutakki and Rachel Varghese.

Murali spent her childhood in four countries and now calls Fremont, Calif., home. Living worldwide gave her a unique perspective on how culture affects daily life. After obtaining undergraduate degrees in South Asian studies and genetics, she was intent on finding a way to combine both these fields of study.

Murali has worked at the South Asian Heart Center, a wellness clinic, and continued her education by pursuing a graduate degree in genetic counseling, where she conducted independent research and consulted with patients diagnosed with genetic diseases. She has also been in a rotation at a genetics clinic in Bangalore. There, she was able to witness the effects of culture on healthcare and became more interested in different models of healthcare delivery in India.

Roos, of Philadelphia, is a creative strategist and digital producer who helps humanitarian organizations share their stories. In her most recent position at Hyperakt, a Brooklyn, New York-based design agency, Roos managed all client relationships and directed the firm's strategy, design and development processes.

She is a graduate of Brown University with degrees in architecture and international development, where she wrote a thesis that examined water rights activism networks in urban India.

Born in Hyderabad, Nutakki now lives in Chicago with her family. During college, she volunteered in free health clinics for uninsured patients of Chicago; traveled to Honduras as part of medical brigades; and worked with an NGO in India to diagnose diabetes and anemia in the tribal population of Wayanad, Kerala.

The culmination of these experiences and witnessing disparities in healthcare while growing up in India motivated Nutakki to become a physician, especially to serve the underprivileged communities.

Ramanujam grew up in California and currently is a resident of Fremont, Calif. She attended Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill. There, she pursued a degree in French horn performance while also studying global health. She first gained interest in public health after serving as a volunteer at Shanti Bhavan Children's Project, a residential school located outside of Bangalore.

Through her work with Tufaan Entertainment, a Northwestern nonprofit, she was able to raise more than $50,000 for Shanti Bhavan. In addition, she has also completed field research in post-natal healthcare practices in the mountain region of Nainital.

Mahanta, of Sugar Land, Texas, is part of the United States Environmental Protection Agency in Washington, D.C., where she has been since 2011. She has served in many roles for the EPA, including on the professional development crew for the agency’s Emerging Leaders Network.

Mahanta has also been a special assistant to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Pacific Reefs National Wildlife Refuge Complex in Honolulu.

She began pursuing her interest in environmental and social issues in 2009, when she traveled to Ecuador as a volunteer on environmental projects and teaching English with the Yachana Training Center in the Napo province of the country.

The fellows will be dispersed to various regions of India beginning in the fall.