For some of us, Trinity was our first choice, and for the rest of us, Trinity wasn’t. But that does not even matter anymore. What matters is, what we made of our four years here, of how we now have a sense of belonging here, ‘neath the elms.My story is different. I did not ever expect to come to attend Trinity. I never even intended to apply to Trinity. The story of how I got here is very interesting. I was at my cousin’s engagement on Jan 2nd, having finished most of my applications to about 24 universities in the states (yeah! That’s a lot, I know). Tired as I was, I wanted to enjoy the ceremony and just have a weekend of fun. In the meanwhile, my cousin’s cousin’s dad came up to my dad and suggested applying to Trin, where his daughter was currently a senior (in 2015) and she loved it yada yada yada..

My dad then, the curious individual he is, looked up the trincoll website and was impressed. He came up to me, narrated the whole situation with my cousins uncle and asked me to apply to Trinity. I was annoyed. I straight up said no simply because I was just done, I was over this process and I had no time for another school. But the obedient and respectful child I am (haha!), I still applied and then I moved on. I always wanted to go to a big school in a big city and when I got my Trinity acceptance, I was not at all excited. My parents and my college counsellor believed Trinity was a better fit for me because it is a small liberal arts college. I even paid the deposit at two schools. I was still hesitant after entering the country about attending Trinity. I was afraid I would not belong there, I was afraid I would be too vulnerable, I was afraid I would not make any friends, I was afraid I would lose myself. I was afraid I would not belong at Trinity. Nevertheless, I took a leap of faith, and here I am. I knew I wanted to step out of my comfort zone and make the most of this opportunity my parents worked very hard to give me.

Let me take a step back and say this - Coming to Trinity was one of the best decisions of my life. I never planned to be here, nor did I look forward to being here, but I did come here and I would not have it any other way. I belong here.

I am so very grateful for everything and everyone Trinity has given me. It has given an assortment of opportunities for me to excel academically and in extra curriculars. It has given a global platform which enabled me to experience different values and cultures. Most importantly, it gave me, what I am proud to call my family consisting of fellow students, administrators, staff and faculty. We all have made a family here, in varied forms.

We all have something which grips us and makes us belong here. It can be the fellow athletes on your team, the fellow exec board members, your roommates, your frat brothers or sorority sisters, your trivia teammates, your friends you did homework with, the people you met at the different cultural organizations. ANYONE. Anyone who makes this place home.

I am ever indebted to the academic departments I was involved with, Mathematics and Computer Science. I would never have it any other way. My advisors and professors I took classes with, they all make me felt like I belonged here. From helping me with my academics, to making life decisions, to giving me resume and interview prep, to celebrating indian festivals with me, to coming to support my performances. They made me feel secure and like I had someone looking after me. Thank you, for if there is something I would NEVER ever change about Trinity, it is the academic departments and how dedicated all the professors are at ensuring you excel at life.

It was hard for my family to break Indian societal norms and send a girl child abroad for education, and I am so glad they did. If Trin never became Co-Ed, I would not have had the opportunity. In todays world where people want to be feminists, I want to emphasize the importance of a co education. I have met phenomenal women at Trinity, especially through the #50ForTheNext50 celebration. These women motivate me, encourage me to strive to do better. They motivate me to move out of my comfort zone. Having such a legacy has made me who I am today. Without a doubt, women are the future!