| Personal Statement |
A lifetime ago, or so it seems, when I was deciding whether to apply to Lafayette, my admissions counselor asked about my academic and extracurricular interests. After patiently listening to my never-ending list, she assured me that I would fit right in at Lafayette, where everyone does everything. Four years later, I can confidently say she was right. As the majority of students here do, I have had a wide variety of involvements on campus. Almost counterintuitively, my many activities kept me grounded, fostering my sense of belonging at Lafayette and creating a balanced and rich college experience.
Each semester, I intentionally reflected on what was bringing me joy and fulfillment, adjusting my priorities accordingly. My commitments on campus have facilitated significant self-exploration, tremendously strengthened my time management skills, and introduced me to life-long friends. The most meaningful experiences were those where I helped shape a club or organization, contributing to a more inclusive, engaging, and impactful experience for future members.
I have made the most of Lafayette’s resources and opportunities, constantly pushing myself to explore new interests. As a senior, I still found ways to grow—getting involved in psychology research, teaching a dance class, and joining the percussion ensemble, to name a few. Simultaneously, I have remained deeply invested in long-standing passions, from neuroscience and Landis to the equestrian team and McKelvy. However, in true Lafayette nature, despite everything I have done, there are still experiences I wish I had the chance to pursue.
I am proud of the ways I have contributed to the Lafayette and Easton communities and immensely grateful for all they have done for me. Lafayette has prepared me for the next chapter of my journey, and I will carry forward our campus culture of curiosity, community engagement, and continuous growth wherever I go. |
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| Academic Activity / Award |
Total years participated |
Briefly describe your involvement |
| Marquis Fellow |
4 |
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| Dean’s List |
4 |
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| McKelvy Scholars Program |
3 |
Being part of the McKelvy Scholars Program has been a core component of my Lafayette experience. Getting the chance to engage with similarly curious, playful, and passionate individuals as part of this community has been invaluable, allowing me to form meaningful relationships with incredible people, including our faculty advisor, whom I may never have interacted with otherwise. Over the years, I have co-hosted various discussions with other scholars, including the value of passion versus pay when choosing a career, literature’s role in society, hustle culture, and time as a social construct. |
| Independent Study Project |
0.5 |
During my time studying abroad through the School for International Training (SIT)’s India: Public Health, Gender, and Sexuality program, I conducted an independent study project focused on examining youth community mental health initiatives and the democratization of mental well-being in Chennai, the city where my mother grew up. For this study, I conducted semi-structured interviews with 15 providers (psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, and community health workers) with youth community mental health fieldwork experience to explore which methods of education and intervention are most effective among the young population and understand provider experiences. Some themes that emerged regarding the democratization of mental health in Chennai include ownership, power, and the utilization of interdisciplinary approaches. Conducting public mental health research in India granted me further clarity on my personal and professional priorities. My Indian heritage and culture will surely influence my clinical practice, so interacting with mental health providers in India helped me better understand this cultural perspective while contributing to the field of public mental health. |
| National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR) |
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I will be presented the research I conducted during my time abroad, “An Exploration of Youth Community Mental Health and the Democratization of Mental Well-being in Chennai, Tamil Nadu,” at NCUR 2025 in Pittsburgh. |
| Semi-Finalist for Fulbright-Nehru Open Study/Research Award in India |
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I was recommended as a semi-finalist by the Fulbright National Screening Committee to pursue the Fulbright-Nehru Open Study/Research Award in India. I applied for this grant to continue my research examining the democratization of mental well-being in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. I specifically hope to further day explore the efficacy and experiences of community mental health workers, centering around task sharing as a method to mitigate the mental health treatment gap. |
| Psychology Research |
1 |
I joined Dr. Susan Wenze’s lab as a volunteer in Fall 2024 after studying abroad and recognizing my inclination toward human-facing research. I currently work in Dr. Wenze’s Lab for Advanced Research credit. This involves recruiting, running, and tracking participants in an ecological momentary assessment design. I also clean data files post-collection to prepare them for data analysis. |
| Neuroscience Research |
3.5 |
I have been part of Dr. Henry Hallock’s lab, which focuses on learning, attention, memory, and neurodevelopmental disorders, since the Spring of my first year. Over the years, I have worked in Dr. Hallock’s lab in various capacities: as a volunteer or for Independent Study/Advanced Research credit. Some of the lab procedures I have performed include confocal microscopy imaging, mouse handling, surgery observation, and behavioral tests. In Fall 2023, I had the opportunity to travel with the lab to the Society for Neuroscience conference in Washington, D.C., where I supported my lab members who were presenting and had an intellectually enriching experience learning about current developments in the field of neuroscience. |
| Science Horizons |
1 |
I joined Science Horizons during my very first semester on campus. Under the guidance of Drs. Laurie Caslake and Nancy Waters, I had the chance to meet other first-year STEM majors, form connections with alumni, and learn how to set myself up for academic success at Lafayette. |
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| Campus Service Activity/Award |
Total years participated |
Briefly describe your involvement |
| Stress Less |
3 |
As an aspiring mental health professional, I care deeply about holistic well-being and the value of mindfulness techniques like yoga, breathwork, and meditation. After becoming a certified breathwork and meditation facilitator through SKY Campus Happiness (an international well-being program designed to support mental health, emotional resilience, and overall happiness among students, faculty, and staff in educational institutions) in 2022, I worked with Brent Maczko, Heavenly Anderson ‘24, and the Office of Religious and Spiritual Life on campus to found Stress Less in Fall 2022. Our mission is to foster a supportive and inclusive space on campus where students can explore practices such as yoga, breathwork, and meditation to cultivate mental clarity, physical wellness, and emotional resilience. Through our weekly sessions, collaborative events (with the Counseling Center, LaFFCo, Landis Center, National Society of Black Engineers, Neuroscience Club, ABC, Psychology Club, and more) and wellness fairs, which we host each semester during finals week, we hope to empower students to deepen their understanding of mindfulness and connect meaningfully with themselves and each other. Working with the Stress Less team brings me immense joy, and I am grateful to be surrounded by such wonderful people who share the same passion for promoting mental and physical well-being. I have thoroughly enjoyed watching the group grow into a community where people can take a break, rest, and care for their well-being. |
| Neuroscience Resource Team |
2 |
I have been part of the Neuroscience Resource Team (NRT) since the Fall of my junior year. As part of this group of junior and senior neuroscience majors, I have helped plan several events, including a “Meet the Neuroscience Faculty” event and sessions each semester where freshman and sophomore neuroscience majors can receive guidance from faculty and upperclassmen before the course selection process. Additionally, since Fall 2024, I have been mentoring five first-year neuroscience students, providing tailored one-on-one support regarding the transition to college, studying neuroscience, and more. I am eternally thankful for the support I have had throughout my Lafayette journey from faculty, friends, and upperclassmen mentors in the neuroscience department. As a member of NRT, I feel fortunate to be able to pay it forward. |
| Lafayette Student Alumni Council |
2 |
I joined the Lafayette Student Alumni Council (LSAC) in Fall 2021. As a member of LSAC, I actively contributed to weekly meetings and helped organize events for alumni and the campus community. Some of these events included Founder’s Day, Homecoming, Lights out Lehigh (during Rivalry week), Bring the Roar, Senior Toast, and collaborations with Lehigh’s Association of Student Alumni. |
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| Community Service |
Total years participated |
Briefly describe your involvement |
| Pre-Orientation Service Program (POSP) |
4 |
I truly cannot imagine my Lafayette experience without POSP. My college journey has been significantly enriched by this program. As a first-year, I was awestruck by the POSP staff. They exemplified all the best qualities of Lafayette students, quickly becoming my role models and a support system I could always rely on. Since then, I have strived to emulate their warmth, confidence, and authenticity as I navigate both the campus and Easton communities. Returning to POSP as a staff member for the past three years has allowed me to put these attributes into practice and promote the improvement and longevity of this program. As a sophomore, I was a Co-Director of First-Years. In this capacity, I worked with my partner to promote POSP through various avenues, including social media, information sessions, and email outreach. We prepared the first-year student application, reviewed 60+ submissions, conducted group interviews, and participated in decision conversations. As a junior, I was the Co-Director of the Urban Garden Initiative camp of POSP. My partner and I coordinated with community partners at LaFarm, Easton Urban Farm, and Easton Garden Works to engage in direct service combined with meaningful education and reflection surrounding food security and sovereignty in Easton. During my final year, I was a staff member for the Aging Populations camp at Gracedale Nursing Home. It was powerful to see how we were able to not only bring joy and companionship to the residents but also learn so much from them, demonstrating the reciprocity of engagement. Getting to welcome and mentor incoming first-year students during POSP for the past three years was incredibly rewarding. It has been a privilege to be part of this wonderful group where a culture of compassion, inclusivity, and commitment prevails. |
| Making Our Society An Inclusive Community (MOSAIC) |
3 |
During my sophomore and junior years, I worked with community partners at the Easton Area Community Center’s after-school program. The other Lafayette volunteers and I provided mentorship and tutoring in addition to wellness/mindfulness activities for the students, who were between the ages of 5 and 13. For the past year, I have been the program coordinator for the Urban Garden Initiative Program at the Easton Urban Farm. We contribute to providing healthy, accessible produce to members of the Easton community through the Easton Area Neighborhood Center food pantry. We go to the farm each week and harvest/prepare produce for the pantry as well as help with any other farm maintenance tasks. In my role as a program coordinator for MOSAIC, I have contributed to various campus-wide education events each semester. For example, as the Assistant Director for the Food and Housing Security and Sovereignty (FHSS) team last semester, I helped organize an event to pack snack bags for the students at Paxinosa Elementary School. In collaboration with various local Easton organizations and restaurants, Lafayette Dining, and the Landis Center, we not only packed 600 snack bags (one for each Paxinosa student) but also raised $680 for Paxinosa’s pantry through this campus-wide event. This semester, as the Director of the FHSS team, I lead team meetings and support the other program coordinators in their work engaging with the Easton community. I also spearheaded plans for this semester’s education event, which was a panel discussion with various food and housing-focused community partners. |
| Food Recovery Network |
2 |
I run Lafayette’s chapter of Food Recovery Network (FRN) along with two other students. We coordinate with dining halls on campus and local organizations in Easton that address food and housing insecurity. Three days a week, we deliver excess food from campus to people in the community with the help of our volunteers. On Tuesdays and Fridays, we take food from Marquis to Safe Harbor, and on Saturdays, we take food from Upper to Third Street Alliance. Our work not only combats food waste on campus but also helps promote food sovereignty in Easton. |
| St. Luke’s Hospital Volunteer |
0.5 |
I was a Med-Surg Patient Advocate Volunteer at St. Luke’s University Health Network during my junior Fall semester. I worked closely with the nurses to care for patients’ immediate needs, such as water, hygiene products, and medical supplies. On my first shift, I noticed how patients were often left with nothing to do other than watch the limited channels on television in between rare visits from family and friends. I curated and distributed activity packets on each of my shifts after that. These featured Sudoku, crosswords, coloring pages, and more, providing patients with a sense of agency and joy amidst their hospital stay. |
| One Step Closer |
7 |
One Step Closer (OSC) is an award-winning equestrian nonprofit organization that I have volunteered with since high school. OSC offers therapeutic riding and other equine-assisted therapy to individuals with various physical and/or emotional abilities and to U.S. Veterans recovering from the physical and emotional trauma of war. As a volunteer, I sidewalk beside and provide support to riders, lead horses, and clean the barn and equipment. I have also researched grant opportunities for OSC. Returning to OSC during Lafayette’s winter and summer interims was one of my favorite ways to spend breaks. |
| Alpha Phi Omega Service Fraternity |
1 |
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| Lafayette College Emergency Medical Services (EMS) |
1 |
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| Athletic Activity/Award |
Total years participated |
Briefly describe your involvement |
| Equestrian Team |
4 |
The Equestrian Team has been one of my most cherished involvements during college. I have been riding horses for almost twelve years, developing invaluable skills along the way, including clear communication, assertiveness, and collaboration. Horses do not speak, so over the years, I have honed my ability to interpret and convey subtle body language cues. The day I committed to attend Lafayette, I spoke with the captain of the team, which completely solidified my interest in Lafayette. As soon as I got off the phone with her, I submitted my deposit. United by our shared passion for the sport, my teammates and I cultivate a supportive environment, embodying good sportsmanship toward each other while also extending encouragement to other teams. It has been an honor to compete with the team, and I was extremely proud when we came first in the region in 2022-2023. In Spring 2023, I competed individually and placed first at Regionals in my division, advancing to Zones, where I placed fifth. |
| Equestrian Instructor/Teaching Assistant |
8 |
I have been helping my horseback riding teacher back home with her students ever since I was thirteen. The summer after my first year at Lafayette, I started teaching my own students, which has been a great way to further my horsemanship skills while sharing an activity I love with my students every summer since then. |
| Running |
4 |
I have always enjoyed running and knew I wanted to pursue this hobby in college. I started running with a group of friends on the first day of classes my first semester, and we have come to call ourselves the “Turtle Squad.” Alongside my friends in this group, I ran my first half-marathon in Spring 2023. I have trained for and completed 2 more half-marathons since then, and the members of “Turtle Squad” are looking forward to running the St. Luke’s Half this April. |
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| Special Interest Activity/Award |
Total years participated |
Briefly describe your involvement |
| Hopeful, not Helpless Podcast |
4 |
During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, as a junior in high school, I felt helpless and overwhelmed by the pressing issues facing the world. Rather than succumbing to this feeling, I decided to engage with people actively making a difference to learn how they manage helplessness and positively impact their communities. I started a podcast called Hopeful, not Helpless, which I have maintained to this day, where I interview individuals working in areas such as social justice, public health, climate change, and more. (https://tinyurl.com/hopeful-not-helpless) My interview questions assess the nature of their work, how they may have overcome helplessness, how they care for themselves, and what brings them hope. Hopeful, not Helpless allows me to amplify the voices of people driving change while empowering listeners and myself, which is incredibly rewarding. My podcast guests have helped me understand the importance of having a specific focus when advocating for meaningful positive change. There are a plethora of issues plaguing our society, and one individual cannot address all of them. When I first started my podcast, I was unsure what my niche within the advocacy space would be. Over time, hosting my podcast facilitated the reflection process that helped me discover my passion for medicine and public health. |
| Mar-Keys A Cappella |
4 |
I have been part of the Mar-Keys for all four years on campus, which has been a wonderful creative outlet. I was the Assistant Music Director for a year before I became Music Director for another year. My responsibilities included planning and running rehearsals, assisting members with learning music, and ensuring our readiness for upcoming performances and competitions. I also helped the group conduct auditions, select songs to perform, and obtain arrangements tailored to our group. |
| Marquis Players |
0.5 |
I was in the cast of the Marquis Players production of Footloose as a featured dancer in Spring 2023. All proceeds from this show went to Third Street Alliance. |
| Maggin Creative and Performing Arts Initiative (CaPA) Scholar |
4 |
As a CaPA Scholar, I have had the opportunity to take music lessons (viola and piano), purchase dance costume materials for myself and my students, travel to Tokyo and Seoul, and obtain various materials for my other artistic pursuits (ukulele, calligraphy, photography). I love seeing what other CaPA Scholars are creating and organizing on campus. Through the CaPA community, I was recruited to be the lead singer in the “Something to Say” show in Fall 2023. I was also connected with opportunities to perform Bharatanatyam (South Indian Classical Dance) at March Elementary for their “March around the World” event and on the Williams Center stage for ISA’s Extravaganza Grand Finale event. |
| Dance Company |
1 |
I have been teaching a Bharatanatyam class through Dance Company for students on campus since Fall 2024. The process of choreographing, teaching, and eventually presenting my choreography last semester refined my skills both as a dancer and teacher. Teaching this class allowed me to share an art form I am passionate about while educating people about Indian culture. I am choreographing and teaching a new piece this semester to both returning and new students. |
| Youth Mental Health Academy (YMHA) at the Child Mind Institute |
1 |
As a YMHA mentor, I provided guidance and support to a group of high school students as they set goals for and completed a capstone project during Summer 2024. I currently host monthly mentorship sessions, which I started in August 2024, for my five mentees. In these sessions, I provide guidance as they plan for college and consider potential careers in mental health. |
| Public Health 360 through Global Health and Education Projects |
0.5 |
During Summer 2024, I participated in a comprehensive training focused on equipping fellows with the public health skills and knowledge to take on positions in public health agencies and organizations. I got to attend speaker sessions hosted by public health professionals. Furthermore, I developed writing and communication skills through research and public health writing projects and a capstone project. This educational experience culminated in my collaboration with a global team of six other fellows to develop a nutritional education program and write then present a grant proposal for a program combating food insecurity in Prince George’s County, Maryland. |
| Togetherall Trained Peer |
0.5 |
I was connected with this opportunity through the Lafayette Counseling Center, and served as a Togetherall Trained Peer during Summer 2022. I provided mental health support as part of Togetherall’s safe, anonymous, online community under the supervision of Togetherall’s Clinical Team. I logged over 50 supportive posts in response to community members and participated in roundtable discussions with peers and clinicians. |
| Senior Interviewer for Lafayette Admissions |
0.5 |
I conducted interviews during Summer and Fall 2024 with prospective Lafayette College students, further developing my communication and writing skills. I composed detailed write-ups for each interviewee, helping to inform admissions decisions. |
| Lafayette College Music Ensembles |
2 |
I have been part of the Concert Chorus, Chamber Orchestra, and Percussion Ensemble during my time on campus. |
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