Story of Me
My first introduction to public service was when I had the opportunity to go to Washington D.C. for a week as part of the United States Senate Youth Program. I was exposed to the world of public service & politics for the first time, and a quote that will always stick in my mind is “People don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care.” I knew I cared a whole lot, but I didn’t know what that meant for me.
When I first got to Harvard, I remember meeting an amazing woman named Riya Patel, the sister of a good friend I had met in high school. She was super outgoing & friendly and told me about different initiatives the Undergraduate Council, Harvard’s student government was working on. I have never done student government before high school, and I remember attending the opening information session and hearing that in order to be successful at campaigning, you should knock on doors.
The idea of campaigning was terrifying. And it’s been one of the best decisions of my life.
I asked friends and peers what they wanted to improve about their experience here. I met and listened to constituents. I put myself in situations where my heart beat every time I had to make some sort of public declaration about myself. And ultimately, I was elected with 11 of my peers to represent the first-year class on the Undergraduate Council. From there, began a wild journey of service that has not only undeniably shaped my experience here at Harvard, but also shaped the person and leader I am today.
.jpg){kind=link}
During my first year, I worked along with 11 of my peers to improve and enhance the first-year experience. We threw ourselves into both short-term and long-term projects, from a “Freshman Health Week,” complete with yoga sessions, massages, t-shirts, and raffles to getting a fully funded berry brain break (#berrygate) and enhancing brain breaks to advocating to administrators about the need for laundry machines in Matthews Hall (even though we were told by upperclassmen that it would never happen, new machines were installed the summer after my first year!). We installed new air hockey and ping pong game tables in several dorms and put game consoles for free use in each of the four yards. Not only did I feel incredibly empowered, but I also gained a new family.
My sophomore year, I ran for the Undergraduate Council again, this time as a representative of Cabot House. After being elected, I was also chosen as the Freshman Class Committee Chair, to help lead the next group of 12 first-years. Just as my predecessor, Eduardo Gonzalez, had done before me, I was determined to both create a community and get! work! done! And every week, I looked forward to 2-3 PM on a Friday afternoon, where I got to listen to the limitless ideas of an incredible and diverse group of students and help channel the energy into serving Harvard undergraduates. We hosted a “We Care Week,” put on the first-ever “Common Room Crawl,” installed a free coffee machine in Thayer Dorm, and put on different events throughout the year, including a debate watch party, a snowball fight, a lemonade stand, and myriad petting zoos! This has undoubtedly been a highlight of my time in College and gave me the confidence to undertake a decision that would define my college experience: running for President of Harvard’s Undergraduate Council.
_thumb.jpg){kind=link}