Aadhya is a freshman student at St. Marks School in Massachusetts where she is a boarding student. A skilled figure skater, Aadhya competed at a national level with her synchronized skating team, earning Gold at “Easterns” and qualifying for Nationals.  At St. Marks, she also plays various sports while also being part of the choir and the acapella group.   Aadhya is passionate about learning, helping others, and sharing her cultural background. She co-founded a business with her sister, designing Mandala cards, incorporating the art into a community service project and donating all proceeds to local charities. 

1. As a rising freshman at St. Mark's School and as you transition to becoming a boarding student, what are you most excited about and what are some apprehensions you have? Also how do you hope this change will impact your personal and academic growth?

I had a strong comfort level and was thriving at the middle school I had been at since fifth grade. I knew the teachers well, had a good set of friends, and was part of a community that enriched my school experience. That said, I wanted more of a challenge academically and in my personal growth. As I transition to a boarding school setup, I am most excited to live a new adventure in high school and explore unfamiliar horizons in a supportive and nurturing environment. I am excited to live independently, manage my own schedule, advocate for myself, and strengthen my capabilities.

That said, this is also daunting and scary for me. While I have done multi-week sleepaway camps in the past, this experience is going to be much longer in any given year. I think the emotional adjustment of not seeing my family daily will be the biggest change for me, but I know they are only a quick call away.

As I carve this new path, I am excited about the journey ahead. I hope to have a close connection with the school and immerse myself in everything it offers. Academically, I know I will be challenged, and I am ready to take ownership of my learning journey. Socially, I am excited to create new and meaningful friendships with classmates and bond for life.

2. Your interest in Mandala art led you to co-found a small business during the pandemic. Can you tell us more about this project, how it started, and the challenges of starting a small business, especially during a pandemic?

During the pandemic, life shut down, and unexpectedly, I gained a lot of free time. Pre-pandemic, I had a very busy schedule with school and my primary sport of Figure Skating, where I spent a lot of time on the rink. Suddenly, all the rinks closed, and my school also shifted to an online setup. Like most of my friends, found myself on my devices—playing Roblox, scrolling through reels, and endlessly texting with my friends.

Thankfully, my grandmother came to stay with us during that time. Being artistic, she introduced me to the different Indian art forms, which is how I learned about Mandala art. As she taught me this form of drawing, I was immediately drawn to it as it provided the calmness I needed during a challenging time. Each Mandala I created allowed me to experiment with different techniques while creating a unique pattern. I wanted to share my love for it with everyone else, and that goal inspired me to start a homemade business. I started making themed Mandala card designs to celebrate various festivities such as birthdays, and other celebratory events.

I had big goals for my small business – I wanted to tell my story and present the work to people in person, but I couldn’t do so because of the lockdown in place. While this was discouraging, I pivoted and shifted the entire enterprise online and would get on video calls instead. This was also very well received and the encouragement I received from friends and family kept me going.

3. Figure skating has been a significant part of your life since you were five. What do you love most about synchronized skating, and how has being part of a synchro team influenced your personal development and teamwork skills? With your rigorous training, how do you balance skating and your academic and personal life?

Skating has been an integral part of my life for several years. When I started with basic figure skating lessons, I could not have imagined where the journey would lead me.

As part of my team and the larger synchronized skating community, I have had several experiences that have significantly impacted me and shaped me into who I am. When you participate in synchro, you not only have to be an excellent individual skater but also have to earn the trust of your teammates to correctly connect in various formations at the appropriate time safely while skating at high speeds.

My most favorite thing about figure skating is the people you meet. Everyone in the sport is so welcoming and wants to help you grow as a teammate. Synchronized skating teams heavily rely on sportsmanship, because if the teammates don’t work together to perform the choreography, the performance will not work as intended. Skating has taught me to be kind towards others, and how to be able to work with anyone. Apart from teamwork, figure skating has taught me a lot about how to manage my time and multitask efficiently.

Due to practices starting early in the morning and at other times, very late in the evening, managing homework, a social life, and having time for myself seemed very hard. But given my passion for the sport, I learned how to balance my work, school, sports, friends, and self-care. I relied on my planner to stay organized and disciplined in order to keep track of everything I had on my plate.

4. You organized a trip to a local Hindu temple for your classmates while learning about Hinduism. What inspired you to take this initiative? In your opinion, how does this kind of experience, learning about other religions etc. have an impact on society at large?

Hinduism has always played a crucial role in my life, from celebrating different festivals to praying at temples, so that’s why I was thrilled to hear that my class was going to learn about Hinduism at school and was looking forward to connecting my experiences with the class. As we went through the course, I saw that there was material that my classmates were struggling to grasp, because of how dense the material was. As a Hindu, I was more familiar with the cultural and ritualistic aspects of the religion while celebrating the different festivities. But my class was more focused on the spiritual side of Hinduism. The class material was eye-opening to me because the class helped me explore different parts of the religion I wasn’t familiar with. So, being one of the only Hindus in my class, I had the urge to connect what we learned in class to the way I practiced Hinduism, to show my classmates the different practices of the faith, and that became my inspiration for organizing the trip. I think it was so important to organize this trip to show how beneficial it is to learn about different cultures. With a love for travel, I have visited many countries and regions including Spain and Morocco. Whether I was visiting the Alhambra Palace in Granada and learning about its Islamic influences, or the Roman Church of the Sacred Heart in Casablanca, learning about religion helped me navigate different places. Apart from that, learning about different religions also helped me connect with other people. I know many people who come from diverse backgrounds, and learning a little more about their beliefs helps me engage with them. Social studies have always been a favorite subject of mine, and specifically, world religions helped me explore and learn more about myself, as well as others in my community.

5. As a platform for women dreamers, what is your next big dream?

My goal is to continue developing as a person who is curious, open-minded and willing to take on new challenges without being afraid of failure. It is also important for me to give back to my community and forge new connections at school, extra-curricular activities, and beyond.