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| At Lake Michigan with my dog Simba |
Hometown: Bloomfield Hills, Michigan
High School: Cranbrook Kingswood Schools
Potential Major: neuroscience and English
Summer Program: Brown University
Course: Brain Basics: From Biology to Behavior
Why did you choose your summer program?
I was interested in studying neuroscience, which really narrowed my options because not that many schools offered something that specific. Many offered courses in biology or psychology, but scant few gave me exactly what I was looking for. This course as Brown was perfect for me based on both the material and the length of the course. I loved the diversity of the programs Brown offered because it meant that I would get to meet people with interests drastically different than my own. Also, my friend had gone to a Brown summer camp before and she had fun.
What is your favorite memory from your summer program?
Of course I made a lot of interesting and amazing friends (my roommate was Turkish, for starters), but the most thrilling experience was getting to hold a real preserved human brain in my hands as a part of my course. It was freaky and cool and amazing all at the same time, and I loved that.
Why did you decide to become a Fellow?
Attending that course really taught me a lot of lessons that extended outside of the classroom. In particular, I felt that I learned how to dream big again after I returned home. I had travelled far from home before, so that wasn't what amazed me about the experience. Rather, what was invaluable was the fact that this whole experience gave me a new perspective on life, my future, and what I was capable of. I've seen in many teens, girls and boys alike, mold their dreams to reality, accepting limits that don't actually exist just because we get tied up in the idea that we have to be more "realistic." But cool jobs and making a difference and fulfilling your dreams are realistic too, are they not? I wanted to be a part of the mission to spread that message.
What do you like best about JIF?
The blog!!! Just kidding. Definitely the awesome young women who make the whole thing possible.
How did JIF affect who you are today?
Before JIF, I wanted to be a doctor. Now I want to be a doctor and run an NGO but also travel and maybe teach and perhaps write some books or articles on the side. Because why not? That's what Joyce Ivy taught me: you don't have to have your whole life figured out just yet, because that just limits you. Instead, pursue the things you love doing, do them well, and eventually you will find yourself extremely successful and happy.
If you could give any advice to a potential JIF scholar about anything regarding this experience, what would you say?
Stop limiting yourself. It's good to know your passions, but they don't have to make sense. If you love two completely different things, like business and dance or music and astronomy, there is probably a way to combine or pursue both. Use the opporunity Joyce Ivy has give nyou to pursue one of those interests that you'd be otherwise scared to pursue solely because you think it's impractical to do so. Take your time to find and develop your interests, and have faith in the fact that as long as you push yourself, anything is possible.
If you'd like to contact Aditi, email her at aditi.adhikari10@gmail.com
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