kind, diligent, driven, empathetic, and independent.
4 words: Indian American Highschool Student. I’m an Indian American high school senior, which basically means my life is a mix of college apps, orchestra rehearsals, and me pretending I’m not stress-eating while writing this. Born into an Indian family and raised in the U.S., I grew up celebrating both Diwali and Thanksgiving — so yes, I can demolish ladoos and pumpkin pie in the same week.
Writing has been my thing for as long as I can remember. For the past ten years, it’s been my favorite way to process the world — from politics and biomedicine to random late-night thoughts that probably only make sense to me. My Google Docs are an endless graveyard of half-finished essays, but hey, at least it keeps future-me entertained.
Outside of writing, I’m a bit of a curiosity hoarder. Languages? Love them. Cultures? Can’t get enough. I’m fluent in Marathi, which comes in handy for family conversations and confusing my non-Marathi-speaking friends. Music also takes up a big part of my life: I’ve been playing violin since I was six, and I’m in my school’s Varsity Orchestra. When I’m not practicing, I’m usually listening to Seventeen, The Rose, Sabrina Carpenter, or Halsey (yes, my Spotify Wrapped is chaotic).
I’m also kind of a science nerd. The human body fascinates me — it’s like the ultimate puzzle, except instead of missing pieces, everything actually fits together (usually).
Personality-wise? I’d like to think I’m hardworking and reflective, but honestly, my sense of humor is what gets me through most days. Life’s too short to take yourself too seriously, and besides, if you can laugh at yourself, nobody else can beat you to it.
So here I am, a senior trying to figure it all out — and writing my way through the chaos.
- Kind: I try to be kind because honestly, life’s already stressful enough — why make it harder for someone else? Whether it’s helping a friend with homework, holding the door, or just listening when someone needs to vent, being nice costs nothing (except maybe my patience sometimes, but still worth it).
- Diligent: I’d call myself diligent because when I start something, I actually want to finish it and do it right. Sure, procrastination exists (shoutout to my bestie, due dates), but when it matters, I’ll put in the time and effort. Nothing feels better than looking at the final product and thinking, “Wow, I survived that.”
- Driven: Being driven basically means I refuse to just “coast.” Whether it’s writing, music, or school, I like pushing myself to see what I can actually accomplish. Do I get stressed in the process? Absolutely. But it’s the kind of stress that keeps me moving — like caffeine, but personality-based.
- Empathetic: Empathy is something I really value because people are complicated (myself included). I try to put myself in other people’s shoes, and sometimes I realize they’re walking around in flip-flops on gravel. That’s when I know they probably need support — or at least someone to laugh with.
- Independent: I’ve learned to be independent over the years — which mostly looks like me figuring things out at 1 a.m. because I forgot to ask for help earlier. Still, I like knowing I can rely on myself, even if I occasionally Google “how to survive senior year” at questionable hours.