Splash Biography



PRITEN SHAH, Harvard junior studying Philosophy



Major: Philosophy

College/Employer: Harvard

Year of Graduation: 2019

Picture of Priten Shah

Brief Biographical Sketch:

I am currently in my junior year at Harvard College, after taking two years off to pursue personal projects and to gain experience in education. I am pursuing a concentration in South Asian Studies and Philosophy. (Details About My College Education)
I have extensive experience in education, from working as a teaching assistant in a school, private tutor in South Korea, and teaching at and directing various summer programs. (More About My Teaching Experience)
I currently run Suddha.Marketing LLC, a small business marketing and web development firm, using the skills I acquired from running my nonprofits. I dabbled in the education industry for a while through Pain, Passion, and Pursuit Inc., a start-up consulting company that ran projects in college admissions.
My pet project is United 4 Social Change Inc. (U4SC), a platform for a global community that works to spur Social Change by training young activists. During my gap year before college, I started and ran a non-profit organization, the Teach to Learn Foundation, which aimed to increase educational opportunities for the underprivileged, at the end focusing mainly on debate, before I moved on to focus on U4SC.



Past Classes

  (Clicking a class title will bring you to the course's section of the corresponding course catalog)

H3366: Public Speaking for Private Individuals in Splash Fall 2018 (Oct. 27, 2018)
In this class, we will work with students to strengthen individuals' speaking confidence. We will cover speaking styles as well as effective speech writing. We will spend the second half of the class practicing speaking in front of other people to make sure students get a chance to leave with some practice under their belt.


H3367: Starting a Company Before College in Splash Fall 2018 (Oct. 27, 2018)
Two start-up founders and business consultants will explain to students how to think like an entrepreneur and start a company as a high schooler.


H3441: Liberty or Justice: How Far Can the State Go? in Splash Fall 2018 (Oct. 27, 2018)
In this class, we will focus on the dilemmas between liberty and justice that modern democratic states face in making state policy. We will have discussions about how states should make policies in cases where pursuing justice would infringe on individual liberties. This will include a discussion about what are liberties and what is justice. We will then talk about cases like naming children, restricting sugar content in fast food, smoking regulations, circumcision and the banning of religious headwear.


H2865: Writing for Social Change in Splash Fall 17 (Nov. 11, 2017)
In this class, we will cover the use of writing for social change. Students will learn how to write powerful pieces of writing that go from informational to persuasive. We will cover argumentative structures, common mistakes, writing with purpose, and influencing the reader. Finally, we will cover how to get Op-Eds and Letters to Editors published in newspapers.


H2867: Educational Justice in Splash Fall 17 (Nov. 11, 2017)
In this class, we will spend time covering major philosophical issues in education. This ranges from policy issues like the charter school debate and affirmative action to pertinent philosophical paradigms like equality versus equity. Students interested in better understanding their own position in education and society should take the class. This will be a heavy discussion-based class!


H2869: Public Speaking for Private Individuals in Splash Fall 17 (Nov. 11, 2017)
In this class, we will work with students to strengthen individuals' speaking confidence. We will cover speaking styles as well as effective speech writing. We will spend the second half of the class practicing speaking in front of other people to make sure students get a chance to leave with some practice under their belt.


H2870: Liberty or Justice: How Far Can the State Go? in Splash Fall 17 (Nov. 11, 2017)
In this class, we will focus on the dilemmas between liberty and justice that modern democratic states face in making state policy. We will have discussions about how states should make policies in cases where pursuing justice would infringe on individual liberties. This will include a discussion about what are liberties and what is justice. We will then talk about cases like naming children, restricting sugar content in fast food, smoking regulations, circumcision and the banning of religious headwear.


H2612: The Philosophy of Ethics in Splash Spring 17 (Apr. 08, 2017)
In this class, we will cover the basic schools of thought surrounding ethics. We will talk about various ways humans have come up with moral frameworks and how we try to understand those today. Students will leave the class knowing the difference between Hedonism, Nihilism, Consequentialism, and even some Kantian perspectives! Students interested in exploring the question of what is ethical and how individuals have thought about it in the past should attend.


H2729: Latin for English Speakers in Splash Spring 17 (Apr. 08, 2017)
In class, we will cover essential Latin that students would encounter in the States. This includes understanding basic Latin phrases and words that come up in English conversations. We will also cover the most common Latin roots that can help expand students' abilities to decipher difficult English words.


H2773: Educational Justice in Splash Spring 17 (Apr. 08, 2017)
In this class, we will spend time covering major philosophical issues in education. This ranges from covering policies issues like the charter school debate and affirmative action to covering pertinent philosophical paradigms like equality versus equity. Students interested in better understanding their own position in education and society should take the class. This will be a heavy discussion-based class!


H2774: Public Speaking for Private Individuals in Splash Spring 17 (Apr. 08, 2017)
In this class, we will work with students to strengthen individuals' speaking confidence. We will cover speaking styles as well as effective speech writing. We will spend the second half of the class practicing speaking in front of other people to make sure students get a chance to leave with some practice under their belt.


H2776: Writing for Social Change in Splash Spring 17 (Apr. 08, 2017)
In this class, we will cover the use of writing for social change. Students will learn how to write powerful pieces of writing that go from informational to persuasive. We will cover argumentative structures, common mistakes, writing with purpose, and influencing the reader. Finally, we will cover how to get Op-Eds and Letters to Editors published in newspapers.


H2777: Introduce Yourself in Hindi in Splash Spring 17 (Apr. 08, 2017)
In this class, we will cover how to introduce yourself and have a basic conversation in Hindi. Hindi is the most spoken language in India and the fourth most spoken language worldwide!