End of an Era ✨
Not four years, for life
I believe there are pivotal moments in everyone’s life that change the course of their future forever. Whether it’s choosing between internship options or taking a year off from school to travel, there are decision points in your life that brought you to where you are today. For me, it’s incredible to think how my choice to come to Babson led to four years that were bigger and brighter than I could have ever imagined.
Coming to Babson College wasn’t the obvious choice for an Indian girl from a small suburb outside of Seattle. Most of the students from my high school went to the University of Washington and those who ventured outside of the state tended to remain on the West Coast. But I had caught the wanderlust bug at age 17 and I wanted a fresh start in a new city. With a scholarship I couldn’t turn down, I accepted my offer to Babson College and moved to Boston.
I have to say that my time at Babson was unconventional. From my world travels to starting a tech nonprofit or running a senior seminar, I spent my four years taking risks and doing things that not every college student does, but in the end, it was those experiences that shaped my experience forever. I won’t bore you with the details of what I did over my four years (but I’m happy to chat if you want to learn more), instead, I want to share some of the lessons that my time at Babson College taught me. As a note, many of these lessons are inspired by my supportive tribe of the most amazing humans who have become my family.
- Chasing your dreams at a young age has its pros and cons ☁️: I know this isn’t a popular opinion but hear me out. Since I was in high school I dreamed of the day I would run a nonprofit. In high school, I started an organization called Charity Circle that brought high school students opportunities to engage in fun and impactful community service activity. This organization actually still exists today and has since become a registered 501(c)(3). It was one of the most fulfilling life experiences and I couldn’t wait to start my own nonprofit. But starting Womentum my sophomore year taught me that chasing your dreams at a young age is complex. For pros, you know that your dream is feasible and aligns with your personal passions. Turning your passion into your career can be exhilarating and give you a new purpose at a young age. While, on the other side, if it’s not what you’ve expected, you have to find a new dream. You also may have to accept that being young was a factor in why your dream might not have been what you’ve hoped for. I found that starting a new business in college is difficult because you are often presented with so many different options but oftentimes lack the experience or knowledge to decide which one is best. Either way, I have no regrets for the decisions I made at Babson because those decisions brought me to where I am today. Just remember that if you do try to pursue your dreams when you are young and it doesn’t work out, that’s okay! You can continue to find new passions, dream new dreams, and take more risks because plans change.
- Family isn’t defined by blood 👪: Growing up, I didn’t really understand the importance of building strong relationships and was rather self-centered when I came to Babson. Looking back on my freshman year, I wasn’t proud of how I viewed my friendships and relationships. But over my four years at Babson, I’ve been incredibly lucky to find an incredible family that’s filled with people who inspire, support, and fill me with love. It was everything from driving me to the ER at 1 in the morning or giving me a shoulder to cry on when I lost a pitch competition. In return, I found giving and supporting them back was so meaningful for me. So shoutout to everyone who has been there for me, from my Delta Sigma Pi fam to my hype squad. You’ve shown me the true value of investing in relationships with incredible people, and I see that I’ve found my family.
- Hard work is more important than intelligence 💪: Growing up I was always told that my GPA was everything. I would spend hours in high school trying to no avail to get that coveted 4.0. I wish back then I had known that hard work often means more in life than being smart. I learned this from the people in my life to internships I had. The people who were the smartest but lacked the motivation to work hard rarely succeeded. But the people who were motivated, even if they weren’t the smartest, put in the effort and found ways to learn what they needed to succeed. I believe it comes down to a want to learn and the willingness to put in the time.
- Giving back is the most fulfilling experience 🏆: My junior year at Babson was tough. While I was chasing my dreams and starting an organization I believed so much in, I was rarely on campus and constantly having to flake on my friends. I hated that I couldn’t invest in my personal relationships and give them the attention they deserved. My senior year at Babson really affirmed that giving back is so important and made my last year the most fulfilling. This past year I made a conscious decision to take a step back from rapidly growing Womentum so I could be present on campus. This allowed me to sit down with other students who wanted to start businesses or share my knowledge about recruiting for jobs with some underclassman. Derek Tu and I were also able to run a Senior Seminar where we taught a class of 19 students the realities of being a college entrepreneur (14 of which were female!). If I could leave you with one piece of advice on making the most of your college years, finding ways to give back to your community, your tribe, your school, and more is critical. You won’t regret it.
Whether you are a current college student or recent grad, I hope that some of the lessons I learned at Babson will inspire you to make the most of whatever “era” you are living in now. My time at Babson was like an era for me because while it was only four years, I feel so different than I did in high school and it feels like more time has passed because all the memories matter so much to me. I think it’s an incredibly powerful feeling when you look in the mirror and you are proud of the person looking back at you. That was the gift that Babson gave me that I will carry with me forever.
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