In 2018, Serene made history by becoming the first Sikh American woman to win the Rhodes Scholarship and the first woman from the University of Colorado for her leadership, service, character, and activism. 

She is the Founder and Executive Director of The Serenity Project 501c3, an international nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering marginalized women through runway fashion shows across various backgrounds. She is also the author of The Queen Machine, a children’s book inspiring youth to build confidence and self-resolve through embracing their most authentic selves.

Alongside her activism work, Serene is conducting historic academic PhD research on the prison experiences of women who are capitally punished.

For her work in collaboration with other public servants and leaders, Serene has been recognized as a Truman Scholar, Fulbright Scholar recipient, the winner of the world’s largest pageant - National All-American Miss, a Diana Award recipient, 2024-2025 John Roberts Lewis Fellow, Global Changemaker, Dalai Lama Fellow, and Boettcher Scholar.